Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of musculoskeletal factors on postoperative complications using structural equation modeling in patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

Methods: The study included 119 perioperative patients with gastrointestinal cancer [69 men and 50 women aged 62.2 ± 11.2 years (mean ± SD)]. Musculoskeletal factors included measurement of skeletal muscle index (SMI), which was determined by the cross-sectional area of the skeletal muscle on abdominal computed tomography; muscle strength, which was determined by isometric knee extension force; and exercise capacity, which was determined by 6-minute walk test (6MWT). Basic and operative information, biochemical data, and respiratory function were also collected as other factors. Statistial analysis were performed to assess the relationship between each parameter and onset of postoperative complications.

Results: Musculoskeletal factors were indirectly affected by the postoperative complications; SMI through C-reactive protein (CRP), 6MWT through CRP and blood loss (χ² = 14.000, CMIN/DF = 1.556, GFI = 0.963, CFI = 0.940, RMSEA = 0.068).

Conclusions: Musculoskeletal factors have indirect impacts on the postoperative complications in patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

Purpose: Deep squatting is an item for musculoskeletal health screening of children in school. The purpose of this study was to explore factors related to ability and inter-joint coordination in this task.

Methods: Forty-seven elementary school children attempted to perform a full squat while keeping both feet flat on the floor. Flexion angles of the hip and knee were recorded during this task. Hip-knee flexion concurrence deviation was assessed as the root-mean square error of hip flexion occurring at the same relative rate as knee flexion. Age, sex, pain or history of injury, sports activities, lifestyle (type of bed), and physical characteristics (degree of obesity, dorsi-flexion angle and strength of ankle, sit-and-reach distance) were recorded as independent variables. Data were subjected to logistic or multiple regression analysis.

Results: Twelve (25.5%) of the children could not squat properly. Significant variables accounting for this were pain or history of injury, degree of obesity, and sit-and-reach distance. Hip-knee flexion concurrence deviation was found to decrease as age increased among the school children.

Conclusion: Ability to squat reflected the condition of physical structural features, while hip and knee coordination during that task improved with development.

Purpose: We devised a closed kinetic chain exercise in which a person leans the trunk forward while “half sitting” (HS; sitting on the side of a seat so that only one buttock is supported) for rehabilitation after knee joint surgery. This study aimed to clarify the biomechanical characteristics during half sitting exercise (HSE) compared with squats (SQ).

Method: Ten healthy adults performed HSE and SQ. A three-dimensional motion capture system, force plate, and surface electromyography were used to measure motion and muscle activity. Then, joint angle, floor reaction force, joint moment, and electromyographic activity of the right leg were calculated.

Results: In HSE, the flexion angle and extension moment of the hip joint, the posterior component of the floor reaction force, and the muscle activity (percent maximum voluntary contraction) of the vastus medialis and semitendinosus were significantly higher than those in SQ. However, the external knee varus moment and the internal extension moment and medial component of the floor reaction force were significantly lower in HSE than in SQ.

Conclusion: HSE increases the load on the vastus medialis and semitendinosus while effectively preventing an external varus moment and an internal extension moment. These findings suggest that HSE will be useful for rehabilitation after knee surgery.

Objective: Few studies have reported on the effects of vestibular rehabilitation on patients with dizziness/vertigo in Japan. This study aimed to investigate the effects of individualized vestibular rehabilitation on patients with dizziness/vertigo and gait and balance impairment.

Methods: This retrospective study included 20 patients with dizziness/vertigo and gait and balance impairment. The patients were divided into two groups, with 10 patients in each group. Patients in one group received individualized physical therapy (IPR group), whereas those in the other group did not receive the therapy (non-IPR group). The intensity of dizziness, balance, and gait impairment was evaluated by the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), and Functional Gait Assessment (FGA) scores obtained at baseline and at 4 weeks after the initiation of IRP.

Results: The average age of the patients was 62.8 ± 11.9 years. Compared to patients from the non-IPR group, those from the IPR group showed significantly greater improvement in dizziness, balance, and gait, according to the DHI_T, DHI_E, DGI, and FGA scores obtained at baseline and at 4 weeks after the initiation of IRP.

Conclusion: This study showed that IPR may be effective for patients with dizziness/vertigo in Japan.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of physical activity (PA) on mortality in the patients with COPD.

Methods: In this retrospective study, 25 patients with COPD (Age 73 ± 7 years; FEV1 53.2 ± 27.2% pred) were participated. Their pulmonary function, exercise capacity, health-related QOL and PA were evaluated before starting pulmonary rehabilitation (baseline) from 2009 to 2013. Vital status was ascertained in 2018. The variables of PA were evaluated using developed accelerometer (A-MES). The participants were classified as survivors or non-survivors according to their vital status at the end of the follow-up period. We analyzed the difference between both groups. Cut-off points for the variables of PA and their retrospective prognostic values were investigated.

Results: Eight subjects died over an average follow-up period of 85 ± 17 months. The time spent in walking (walking) and the frequency of standing (standing) in non-survivors were significantly lower than that in survivors at baseline. All of these variables were associated with the increased risk of mortality in logistic regression analysis. The cut-off point for predicting mortality were <167 min/d (walking) and <30 times/d (standing).

Conclusions: These results of the present study suggested that the lower walking (167 min/d) and standing (<30 times/d) were significantly predictor of mortality in the patient with COPD.