This study aimed to evaluate the effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on muscle strength and architecture, functional capacity, and endothelial function in patients with chronic kidney failure (CKF) on hemodialysis (HD). Twenty-one patients with CKF on HD were randomized into a control group (CG; n = 10) and neuromuscular electrical stimulation group (NMESG; n = 11) who received NMES in the quadriceps muscle for 8 weeks, 3 times/week (20-34 min) during HD sessions. The muscle strength of the lower limbs was evaluated by dynamometry and sit-and-stand test (SST); muscle architecture through ultrasonography; functional capacity by the distance covered in a 6-min walk test and the endothelial function by flow-mediated dilatation technique of the brachial artery. There was an increase in the strength of the lower limbs in the NMESG compared to the CG (dynamometry: 43.28 ± 16.94 vs. 35.84 ± 16.89, P = 0.006; SST: 16.10 ± 6.51 vs. 12.50 ± 4.7, P = 0.029). There was a significant reduction in pennation angles of the right vastus lateralis (RVL) and left vastus lateralis (LVL) in the CG when compared to the NMESG (RVL: 11.93 [10.70-15.11] vs. 13.57 [11.81-15.96], P = 0.039; LVL: 11.62 [9.00-14.20] vs. 15.52 [12.86-20.02], P = 0.042). There was no change in functional capacity and in the endothelial function for CG and NMESG, respectively. In conclusion, NMES increases muscle strength and has a protective effect against muscle atrophy of the lower limbs of patients with chronic kidney failure on HD.

Objective: To evaluate and compare proprioception, body balance and knee functionality of individuals with or without unilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods: Forty individuals were divided in two groups: Experimental group, 20 individuals with ACL reconstruction at six months postoperative, and control group, 20 individuals with no history of lower limb pathologies. In the experimental group, we assessed lower limbs with reconstructed ACL and contralateral limb; in the control group the dominant and the non-dominant lower limbs were assessed. All subjects were submitted to joint position sense test to evaluate proprioception, postural control measure in single-limb, and step up and down (SUD) test for functional assessment. Results: There were no deficits in proprioception and postural control. In the SUD test, a 5% decrease in lift up force was found in reconstructed ACL lower limbs, however, a statistically not significant difference. The impact and step down force during the course of test were 30% greater in anatomic ACL than in control lower limbs. Conclusion: The individuals with ACL reconstruction at six months postoperative did not show changes in proprioception and postural control, but showed motor control changes, influencing knee functionality. Level of Evidence IV, Prognostic Studies.

No abstract

The consequences of falls, costs, and complexity of conventional evaluation protocols have motivated researchers to develop more effective balance assessments tools. Healthcare practitioners are incorporating the use of mobile phones and other gadgets (smartphones and tablets) to enhance accessibility in balance evaluations with reasonable sensitivity and good cost–benefit. The prospects are evident, as well as the need to identify weakness and highlight the strengths of the different approaches. In order to verify if mobile devices and other gadgets are able to assess balance, four electronic databases were searched from their inception to February 2019. Studies reporting the use of inertial sensors on mobile and other gadgets to assess balance in healthy adults, compared to other evaluation methods were included. The quality of the nine studies selected was assessed and the current protocols often used were summarized. Most studies did not provide enough information about their assessment protocols, limiting the reproducibility and the reliability of the results. Data gathered from the studies did not allow us to conclude if mobile devices and other gadgets have discriminatory power (accuracy) to assess postural balance. Although the approach is promising, the overall quality of the available studies is low to moderate.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the midfoot longitudinal arch height and correlate it with active hip external rotation (ER) in dancers during static postures and technical steps of classical ballet (i.e., first position, demi-plié, battement fondu à la seconde, pas jeté à la seconde, and grand jeté à la seconde). A 3D motion analysis system was used for kinematic analysis. The arch height was significantly reduced during the battement fondu à la seconde, pas jeté à la seconde, and grand jeté à la seconde when compared to standing (p = 0.000 for all comparisons), first position (p = 0.000, p = 0.000, and p = 0.001, respectively) and demi-plié (p = 0.015, p = 0.003, and p = 0.006, respectively). No significant correlation was found between arch height and active hip external rotation (p > 0.05). Hence, active hip external rotation does not seem to be related to midfoot pronation in this sample. Other factors, such as intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscle strength, may be related to the midfoot arch height. These findings contribute to a better understanding of ballet steps, but future studies are required to clarify this topic completely.