[Purpose] In this study, we compared the relative electromyography integral values associated with changes in the motion of the latissimus dorsi muscle vertebral fibers, iliac fibers, and costal fibers. [Participants and Methods] Ten healthy men were the subjects. They performed tasks of maintaining shoulder joint extension, shoulder joint rotation, subscapular girdle, and thoracolumbar lateral flexion. Electromyography (EMG) was used to measure the muscle activities in each limb position, and the relative EMG integral values were examined. [Results] Vertebral fiber activities were increased in shoulder joint extension compared to the other tasks. Iliac fiber activities were increased in the subscapular girdle task compared to the shoulder joint extension and internal rotation tasks. An increase was also observed in the thoracolumbar lateral flexion task compared to the shoulder articular rotation task. The rib fiber activities were increased in the subscapular girdle task compared to the other tasks. [Conclusion] The latissimus dorsi muscle showed different activities among its three fibers.

[Purpose] This study aimed to verify the validity and reliability of the measurement of the Reactive Strength Index (RSI) during one-leg continuous hopping (OLCH) using an inertial measurement unit (IMU). [Participants and Methods] Seven healthy adults participated in this study. Force plates and inertial sensors were synchronized to analyze RSI during OLCH. The RSI measured by the force plate (RSI-fp) was used as the gold standard, and the RSI obtained by the inertial sensor (RSI-IMU) were analyzed using three original criteria. [Results] The RSI-0G based on the gravitational acceleration in free fall (0G) showed a significant positive correlation with RSI-fp; however, Bland-Altman analysis showed a systematic error. The intra-class correlation coefficient ICC (1,1) of RSI-0G was very high and no systematic errors were found. [Conclusion] RSI-0G demonstrated high reliability but lacked validity, thus it should be utilized as the inertial sensor’s original RSI value.

[Purpose] To clarify the difference in reproducibility between region-of-interest and tract specific analysis (TSA) in the analysis of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and diffusion tensor tractography (DTT). [Participants and Methods] Seventeen healthy male and female subjects (age 32.8 ± 6.8 years) were examined by three physical therapists. Fractional anisotropy values were analyzed in the midbrain cerebral peduncle for the region-of-interest method (freehand, oval, and spherical) and in the fiber bundles of the corticospinal tract for TSA, and the inter-rater reliability was compared. [Results] TSA was significantly more reliable than the freehand and oval methods, but not significantly different from the spherical method. [Conclusion] The reproducibility of TSA was higher than that of the freehand and oval methods of the region-of-interest methods in the analysis of DTI and DTT, suggesting that there is no difference in the reproducibility between the spherical method and TSA.

[Purpose] We investigated whether different head and neck positions when using a stretch pole affected the change in chest expansion. [Participants and Methods] Sixty-two healthy adult males were assigned to two groups: the intervention group (n=31), in which the head and neck were flexed posteriorly; and the control group (n=31), in which the head and neck were not flexed posteriorly. Differences in chest expansion were measured at the levels of the axilla, xiphoid process, and 10th rib before and after stretch pole use. [Results] Chest expansion did not differ significantly before and after stretch pole use in the intervention group. In the control group, the values at the xiphoid process were significantly lower after stretch pole use than before. [Conclusion] Differences in the head and neck positions when using a stretch pole probably do not affect the change in chest expansion after stretch pole use.

[Purpose] This study investigated whether standing on a slant board, slant board training (SST), improved foot clearance when crossing obstacles. [Participants and Methods] Ten healthy young adults participated in this study. The subjects performed 1 minute of SST or standing on flat ground. Foot clearance and step length were measured while crossing an obstacle, and the standard deviation (SD) of the foot clearance was calculated. The foot clearance and its SD, step length and the center of pressure (COP) were compared between pre- and post-training. [Results] For the SST subjects, foot clearance increased and its SD decreased. An increase in stride length was also observed and COP was displaced anteriorly. [Conclusion] SST may improve foot clearance and help prevent falls.

[Purpose] This study aimed to identify factors that discriminate the discharge destination of hospitalized stroke patients living with family members. [Participants and Methods] Fifty stroke patients living with family members who were hospitalized in a convalescence-rehabilitation ward and their family members were included in this study. The discharge destinations were classified as home and non-home, and logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors that discriminate the discharge destination. The cutoff values of the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) for discharge to home were calculated from the recipient’s movement characteristic curves. [Results] The discrimination factor for discharge was the FIM total score at admission. The cutoff value was 45 points. [Conclusion] The results suggest the possibility of predicting support required at discharge based on the FIM total score at the time of admission to a convalescent care unit.

[Purpose] This study examined the effect of hip flexion angle on changes in the thickness of the transversus abdominis (TrA) during hip adduction exercise (HAE). [Participants and Methods] HAE was performed by 20 healthy male subjects in the supine position. The HEA was performed under nine conditions, combinations of exercise intensities (rest, light, and moderate) and hip flexion angles (0°, 45°, and 90°). The thicknesses of the TrA, internal oblique and external oblique muscles were evaluated using an ultrasound device. [Results] The thickness of the TrA increased significantly under the moderate/90°condition compared to at rest/90°. During HAE of light intensities, the thickness of the TrA was significantly higher at 90° than at 45°, and during moderate intensities, it was significantly higher at 90° than at 0°and 45°. [Conclusion] The thickness of the TrA in HAE was influenced by the hip flexion angle.

[Purpose] To identify factors influencing discharge destination for patients admitted to a community-based integrated care ward, based on their admission assessment results. [Participants and Methods] We included a total of 413 patients aged 75 and older, admitted to the community-based integrated care ward of the study facility within the period between January 2020 and December 2022, to analyze the following admission assessment items: Functional Independence Measure (FIM) motor scores related to self-care, toileting, transfer, and mobility; Hasegawa Dementia Scale-Revised (HDS-R) scores; number of persons living together; and disease category. Additionally, to examine factors influencing discharge destination, we divided the patients into home and facility groups based on their actual discharge destinations. [Results] Self-care ability on admission and the number of persons living together influenced discharge destination for these community-based integrated care ward patients. Moreover, the facility group’s self-care ability, in particular, their score related to eating, was lower than the home group. [Conclusion] The results indicate the necessity of considering the number of persons living together and self-care ability on admission when selecting discharge destinations for patients aged 75 and older admitted to a community-based integrated care ward.

[Purpose] To clarify the relationship between the length of hospital stay and pre- and post-operative nutritional status in postoperative total hip arthroplasty (THA) patients. [Participants and Methods] We investigated the relationship between the number of postoperative hospital days and age, Body Mass Index, Controlling Nutrition Status (CONUT) score, serum albumin (Alb), total protein, and C-reactive protein on postoperative day 5 in 50 patients (6 males, 44 females, mean age 66.6 ± 10.4 years) who underwent primary THA with a diagnosis of hip osteoarthritis. [Results] The CONUT score was normal in 47 patients and mildly defective in 3. Serum Alb (p＜0.05) was significantly related to the number of postoperative hospital days. [Conclusion] Serum Alb on postoperative day 5 may be predictive of prolonged hospitalization after THA for hip osteoarthritis.

[Purpose] To investigate the relationship between walking ability and trunk and lower limb joint function of elderly Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) patients. [Participants and Methods] The participants were 22 early- and 36 late-elderly patients who had undergone TKA. Walking ability was assessed using the 10m walking time and figure-8 walking time, trunk function using the Trunk Righting Test (TRT) and the end-sitting Lateral Reach Test, and lower limb joint function using the time required to hold a standing position on one leg, pain, muscle strength (knee extension and hip abduction), and joint range of motion (knee flexion and extension, hip adduction), and multiple regression analysis was performed. [Results] For the early-stage elderly patients, the operative side hip abduction muscle strength, pain at rest, and knee flexion range of motion were found to be factors of both the 10m and figure-8 walking times. For the late-elderly patients, the time to hold a standing position on one leg, knee extensor strength, and knee extension range of motion were found to be factors of both the 10m and figure-8 walking times, and bilateral TRT was also a factor of the figure-8 walk time. [Conclusion] The results suggest that both trunk and lower limb functions affect the ability to walk in the later stages of life.

[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to conduct a scoping review of exercise interventions for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in Japan, to clarify the actual situation, and to obtain suggestions. [Methods] Scoping of PubMed, Ichushi Web, CiNii, and Medical Online, and a manual search using Google were used to screen the literature according to the selection criteria. [Results] Nine references were finally selected. They suggested that exercise intervention for children with ASD is effective not only for improving motor skills but also for improving social skills. [Conclusion] While the results suggest that exercise interventions for children with ASD may improve motor skills and social skills, the research designs were not sufficient for clearly demonstrating the effectiveness of the interventions. Further validation of the effectiveness of the interventions is required.