Background: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether heat stress is preventive for muscle fiber injury induced by reloading after immobilization in rat soleus muscle.
Methods: Forty-three male 8-week-old Wistar rats were used. Rats were divided randomly into control (C, n=15), immobilized followed by normal recovery (IR, n=14), and immobilized followed by heat stress before reloading (IH, n=14) groups. Bilateral ankles of each rat in the IR and IH groups were fixed in full planter flexion with a plaster cast for 4 weeks. Immediately after 4 weeks of immobilization, reloading was allowed for rats in the IR group. Rats in the IH group were first exposed to heat stress (41℃ for 60 min) in an incubator under anesthesia 2 days before reloading. At 0, 1 and 3 days after reloading, both soleus muscles in all groups were excised and weighed. Frozen sections of these muscles were stained with hematoxylin-eosin, the number of necrotic muscle fibers was counted, and muscle fiber diameters were measured. Moreover, Hsp70 contents in muscle tissue were measured by using the Western blot method.
Results: Immediately after remobilization, Heat shock protein (Hsp) 70 levels were significantly increased in IH groups compared with IR groups. Muscle fiber atrophy was seen in IR and IH groups. In 3 days after reloading, the number of necrotic muscle fibers was significantly increased in IR compared with IH groups.
Conclusions: The present findings suggest that heat stress prior to reloading induces expression of Hsp70 and leads to protective effect against soleus muscle injury induced by reloading after immobilization.

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Objective: This study examined differences between hip and knee muscle recovery in the early postoperative phase after total hip arthroplasty (THA).
Methods: Fifty-three women with hip osteoarthritis who underwent unilateral cementless THA participated in this study. The maximum isometric forces of the hip abductors, extensors, and flexors and knee extensors and flexors on the involved and uninvolved limbs were measured preoperatively and again 2, 4, and 6 weeks postoperatively.
Results: The hip abductor, extensor, and flexor strengths of the involved limbs 2 weeks postoperatively were significantly lower than the corresponding preoperative values, while these three values did not differ from the preoperative values 4 and 6 weeks postoperatively. The knee extensor strengths of the involved limb 2, 4, and 6 weeks postoperatively were significantly lower than the preoperative value. There were no significant differences in the preoperative ratios between the hip abductors, extensors, and flexors and knee flexors 6 weeks postoperatively in the involved limb (range 114-124%), while the ratio of the knee extensors (86%) was significantly lower than those of the other four muscle groups.
Conclusions: The recovery of knee extensor strength was delayed in comparison with that of the hip musculature and knee flexors after THA.

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The present study determined the trajectory of center of gravity (COG), joint movement, and muscle activity of the side-step motion for five different side-step lengths (SSLs) in 9 healthy males (mean age, 20.3 ± 0.7 y). The SSLs examined were 25%, 50%, 75%, 100%, and 125% of the distance between the anterior superior iliac spine and the medial malleolus. Electromyograms, the ground reaction force, and the three-dimensional coordinates of the bone index were analyzed during the side-step motion. We calculated the trajectory of the COG, joint movement, muscle activity, and the moment arm (the difference between the COG and the center of pressure positions). It was found that the COG was transferred using different strategies at 25% SSL and 50% SSL, with knee extension and plantar flexion of the ankle joint required to generate propulsion power at 50% SSL. Moreover, moment arm, which acted as a propulsion power toward the side, increased as SSL increased. The activities of gluteus medius and gluteus maximus also indicated high activities during the side-step motion. In conclusion, both the propulsion power generated by extension of the lower extremity and the moment of gravity were important to increase SSL. Moreover, the moment-arm increment with increasing SSL intensified postural instability. Thus, good control of posture is necessary when taking longer side-steps.

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Objective: The purpose of present study was to examine the calf circumferences (CC) by difference of CC between the estimated largest calf circumference (LCC) and circumference at the part of tibial tubercle (CTT) and the relationship between the difference of CC and mobility in long-term care elderly patients.
Method: The subjects were 57 chronically hospitalized elderly patients (26 men, 31 women, age 80.4 ± 9.9 years: mean ± SD) who could feed orally and received physical therapy.
Subjects were divided into three groups according to the difference in LCC-CTT (Group: Ⅰ>/=+1.5cm, +1.0>/=Ⅱ>/=-1.0cm, -1.5cm>/=Ⅲ).
Result: 63% of these subjects belonged group Ⅲ. The total of group Ⅱ and Ⅲ was 91%. Significant difference (p<0.01) was found between the CC groups and mobility.
Conclusion: In many of these subjects, the thickest part of the triceps surae muscle was not identifiable on the surface. It suggests that another objective body landmark is needed for measurement of CC in long-term care elderly patients. And it is also suggested that the relation between CC and mobility is reflected in the difference between LCC and CTT.

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Purpose: In the treatment of Cervical spondylotic amyotrophy (CSA), there are reports to use a conservative treatment and to recommend a surgical operation. According to the conservative treatment, cases of improvement were also reported and this was considered an effective treatment. Whereas, there were few reported cases concerning physical therapy, and it appears that not enough evidence has been given. Having no record of the details involved in therapeutic exercises, we were unable to find reports based on shoulder joint anatomy and kinematics. Consequently, it was thought that the results of conservative treatment have left some room for improvement to introduce therapeutic exercises considering the shoulder joint anatomy and kinematics. Therefore we consider the treatment based on articular anatomy and kinematics.
Methods: With two cases diagnosed as CSA and a case suspected of CSA, we underwent contracture prevention of the upper extremity, we carried out therapy to maintain the inter scapulo-thoracic muscle by performing muscle exercises using a tilting table, so that the rotator cuff could be efficiently well-proportioned. At the same time we strengthened and maintained the deltoid muscle and the rotator cuff. We performed therapy attempting to acquire an upward movement, and then expecting to restore the damaged nerve function.
Results: In the last stage of the therapy, all three cases were able to acquire an upward movement. Furthermore, in the long term result, there has been no muscle weakness and a recovery to a degree, where daily and social lifestyles haven't been affected. As well as this, a relapse hasn't been acknowledged.
Conclusion: Our therapy for the treatment of CSA can be considered as an effective method of treatment and should be attempted before choosing surgery.

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