Objective: To evaluate the relationship between whole body screening evaluation (SE) and sports injuries and to examine the practicality of SE in sports.Method: Fifty-seven baseball players divided into the sports injury group (n=27) and non-disability group (n=30) participated in the study. Whole body SE comprised was comprised of the ①shoulder joint internal and external rotation test (SJIERT), ②latissimus dorsi muscle test (LDMT), ③trunk rotation test (TRT), ④finger-floor distance test (FFDT), ⑤hip joint open leg test (HJOLT), ⑥squat test (ST), ⑦combined abduction test (CAT), ⑧horizontal flexion test (HFT), ⑨straight leg raising test (SLRT), ⑩gluteal muscles test (GMT), and ⑪heel-buttock distance test (HBD). The difference in positive rate between the two groups was compared using the χ2 test.Results: The HFT, ST, and HBD results of the sports injury group showed a significantly higher positive rate than the non-disabled group (p＜0.05). There was no significant difference in other SE tests between the two groups.Conclusion: ST, SLRT and HBD SEs for baseball players is considered practical in the field of sports.

Objective: To investigate the temporal changes of Neck Disability Index (NDI), pain, grip strength, and numbness in postoperative patients with cervical degenerative diseases, and to obtain information to present for patient education.Methods: The participants were those who underwent decompression or fusion surgery for degenerative diseases of the cervical spine. NDI, neck and upper extremity pain, visual analogue scale, grip strength, and numbness were evaluated for a period of 1 year after surgery. Statistical analysis was performed using the Bonferroni method with a mixed-effects model in which the dependent variable was each a measurement item and the fixed factor was time. Cochran’s Q test and McNemar test were both used to determine the presence of numbness. Results: NDI, neck pain, grip strength, and numbness improved significantly at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery compared to before surgery (p＜0.01). Upper extremity pain was significantly improved at 3 and 12 months postoperatively, compared to preoperatively (p＜0.01).Conclusion: NDI, pain, grip strength, and numbness in postoperative patients with cervical degenerative disease was improved up to 3 months postoperatively compared with preoperatively, and persisted up to 1 year postoperatively. These results are useful for the education of patients and for providing goals for physical rehabilitation therapy.

Objective: This study examined the pain of patients with periarthritis of the shoulder, and its relationship with each item of the Shoulder36 questionnaire. It also investigated the daily living conditions affected by each pain symptom, and it was decided to help in the planning of the treatment program.Methods: The participants were 52 patients with unilateral morbidity who were diagnosed with periarthritis of the shoulder at our hospital and referred for physical therapy. The symptoms of pain during rest, nighttime, and motion were calculated by a Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), and were evaluated by statistical analysis in order to examine the relationship with each domain of the Shoulder36 and each questionnaire item.Results: Resting pain was correlated with range of motion-related items, nighttime pain was correlated with items such as sleep and fatigue, and motion pain was correlated with muscle strength and sports items.Conclusion: In patients with periarthritis of the shoulder, daily living conditions differed according to the pain symptoms. It is important to understand each pain symptom and comprehensively treat.

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the relationship between arterial stiffness and oxygen uptake, and the contributing factors of oxygen uptake in heart failure (HF) patients and to elucidate the role of arterial stiffness in cardiac–skeletal muscle coupling during exercise.Methods: Exercise ability via cardiopulmonary exercise testing, cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI) and body composition were measured for 57 HF patients at discharge. The relationship between CAVI and peak oxygen uptake on cardiopulmonary exercise testing, and factors contributing to peak oxygen uptake was investigated.Results: CAVI, an index of arterial stiffness, was associated with oxygen uptake in HF patients. Furthermore, CAVI was found to be a contributing factor to peak oxygen uptake.Conclusions: New findings suggest that in HF patients, systemic exercise limits are defined by arterial stiffness of tissue blood distribution and blood supply. This suggests that arterial stiffness plays a significant role in cardiac–skeletal muscle coupling.

Objective: To clarify the relationship between the complications of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in female gymnasts and the techniques performed at the time of injury, to infer the mechanism of injury from the complications, and to obtain useful insights for finding out the mechanism of injury and building prevention programs.Methods: The subjects were 27 female gymnasts who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction at our hospital. We investigated the events at the time of injury, the techniques performed, and the complications (ligament injury, meniscus injury, and cartilage injury). Then we examined the relationship between the techniques performed and the complications.Results: The technique performed at the time of injury tended to be somersaults with a twist. The most common complications were lateral meniscus injuries and cartilage injuries of the lateral component, and there was a relationship between the techniques performed and the complications.Conclusion: ACL injuries in female gymnasts were most frequently sustained during the landing of a somersaults with twisting. The mechanism of injury was inferred to be knee valgus and anterior tibial displacement from the complications. The high rate of complications suggests that the stresses in the knee may be higher than in other sports.

Objectives: To elucidate how changes in the mechanical stress of the knee joint caused by posterior cruciate ligament injury affect the articular cartilage, we developed a mouse model that simulates posterior cruciate ligament injury.Methods: 12-week-old C57BL6 female mice (n=24) were used in this study. The left hind limbs were treated with the posterior cruciate ligament transection (PCL-T) group, and the right hind limbs were treated with the INTACT group. The model was validated and analyzed for OA degeneration at the time points of 0 day (n=8) and 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 weeks (n=2–4 for each group) after the intervention.Results: Damage to other tissues associated with PCL rupture was generally not observed. Overall, there was a high degree of variability in the presence or absence of PCL rupture, posterior tibial deviation, and OA findings. However, they were all present in one sample each at 16 and 20 weeks.Conclusions: OA was observed in one sample at 16 and 20 weeks, which showed both PCL rupture and posterior deviation of the tibia, suggesting that OA may begin to occur from 16 to 20 weeks after posterior cruciate ligament rupture in mice.