[Purpose] The purpose of this study was to compare and analyze the effects of thigh muscle fatigue caused by walking in a squatted position on biomechanical factors, to evaluate the risk of a job performed sitting in a squatted position for a long period of time. [Subjects and Methods] Eighteen right foot dominant women without any injuries in their joints and body in the last 6 months were selected. They walked in a squatted position, and then muscle fatigue was induced by using an isokinetic muscular function measuring device (CSMI, USA). After the CSMI measurement, the participants performed walking in a squatted position again. [Results] After inducing thigh muscle fatigue, the knee joint maximum adduction moment significantly increased and the required duration was reduced. The muscle fatigue index was positively correlated with adduction moment and negatively with the duration. It influenced the changes of maximum adduction moment; 55.0% of the adduction moment change was explained by the degree of fatigue. [Conclusion] A quantitative analysis of working in a squatted position was performed. The thigh muscle fatigue index negatively the knee joint during walking in a squatted position. Therefore, this experiment can be used as an ergonomic analysis tool of general farm work.

No abstract

Objective : This study aimed to understand how increased heart rates at the time of drop landing during a step test would affect biomechanical variables of the lower extremity limbs. Background : Ballet performers do more than 200 landings in a daily training. This training raises the heart rate and the fatigability of the lower extremity limbs. Ballet performance high heart rate can trigger lower extremity limb injury.Method : We instructed eight female ballet dancers with no instability in their ankle joints(mean ± SD: age, 20.7 ± 0.7 yr; body mass index, 19.5 ± 1.2 kg/m2, career duration, 8.7± 2.0 yr) to perform the drop landing under the following conditions: rest, 60% heart rate reserve (HRR) and 80% HRR.Results : First, the study confirmed that the increased heart rates of the female ballet dancers did not affect the working ranges of the knee joints during drop landing but only increased angular speeds, which was considered a negative shock-absorption strategy. Second, 80% HRR, which was increased through the step tests, led to severe fatigue among the female ballet dancers, which made them unable to perform a lower extremity limb-neutral position. Hence, their drop landing was unstable, with increased introversion and extroversion moments. Third, we observed that the increasing 80% HRR failed to help the dancers effectively control ground reaction forces but improved the muscular activities of the rectus femoris and vastus medialis oblique muscles. Fourth, the increasing heart rates were positively related to the muscular activities of the vastus medialis oblique and rectus femoris muscles, and the extroversion and introversion moments. Conclusion/Application : Our results prove that increased HRR during a step test negatively affects the biomechanical variables of the lower extremity limbs at the time of drop landing.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of the use of the lower extremity supporter to ground reaction force(GRF) & EMG in women. Five women participated in the experiment conducted in the study(age: 46.7±3.5 yrs, weight: 52.3±2.2 kg, lower extremity height: 74.1±0.9 cm, knee height: 40.7±1.4 cm). The Ground reaction force was measured by AMTI ORG-6 and the Muscle activity of the lower extremity was measured by an 8-channel surface EMG system(Noraxon Myoresearch, USA, 1000Hz). We statistically compared muscle activity and ground reaction force with and without the lower-extremity supporter by one-way repeated ANOVA. The results were as follows. First, the use of the lower extremity supporter affects the ground reaction force along the anterior-posterior axis(Y). Second, the vertical(Z-axis) reaction force on the upper part of the lower extremity supporter increase because of the difference between the interval of vertical movement. Third, the muscle activity of the lateral gastrocnemius and rectus femoris was higher in the upper part of the lower extremity supporter. Further research for example, on a comparative analysis of joint moments, the effects of direct stressor on joints. and the relationship between muscle activity and joint movement, is necessary for a better understanding of the effects of the lower-extremity supporter.

Objective : This study was conducted with an aim to use it as basic data for developing assistive devices, such as insoles that can suppress the progress of degenerative diseases and strategies, to improve early degenerative diseases by assessing walking characteristics of farm workers who were classified as KL-grade in the perspective of motor mechanics. Method : 38 male and female adults who complained of knee joint pain for more than six months were selected, and they were classified according to KL-grade. KL-grade was assessed by an orthopaedic specialist and an occupational environment health specialist. Filming equipment (FX-1, CASIO, Japan) and a ground reaction force system (AMTI OR6, AMTI, USA) were used to identify ground reaction force characteristics, and WOMAC was used for a pain rating scale.Results : There was a difference between the right and left side (axis-X) according to KL-grade, and when the grade was higher, the internal ground reaction force was also higher. Changes in COP were not affected by KL-grade of the knee joint, but it tended to increase as the grade increased. There were differences in the time required for limb support while walking according to the grades, and when the grade was higher, walking was more inefficient with long braking force and short propulsion forces. Also, pain rating scale, the right and left side, and COP changes while in support phase were related. Conclusion : There was a partial, statically significant difference in KL-grade and ground reaction force occurring during the support phase, and there were differences in ground reaction forces according to the grades of degenerative arthritis in the knee joint, indicating that this study is worthy as basic data for future studies.

No abstract

Objectives : The purpose of this study was to compare differences in muscle activities according to distance changes, and success or failure in relation to approaches during a round of golf in order to obtain basic data on golf swings.Methods : To achieve our research goal, we asked eight professional golfers playing for the Korea Professional Golfers' Association (height: 1.76 ± 0.05 m, weight: 73.87 ± 9.21 kg, career duration: 12.87 ± 4.48 yr) to perform approach swings at distances of 30, 50, and 70 m.Results : No differences were observed in the muscle activity of the extensor carpi radialis that were caused by the distance changes. In addition, we found that the wrist extensors seemed unaffected by the increase in approach distance. Also, we found that the powers of the approach shots were driven by efficient movements rather than by the strength of the arms. We confirmed that when the distance of the approach increased, the golfers should perform their back-swing tops and follow-through right from the right to the left pelvic limb. To achieve successful approach swings despite distance changes, golfers should first work on the activity of the erector spinae to prepare for rotatory power in the P1 section. Moreover, golfers should increase the activity of the erector spinae on the left when they need to deal with the distance improvements in the P2 and P3 sections.Conclusion : In the light of the discussion above, we may infer that despite approach distance changes during a round of golf, ideal swings can be realized by consistent activities of the wrist extensor muscles and improved performances of the pelvic limb muscles. Furthermore, this study suggests that golfers should improve the consistency of muscle activities in all the other body parts to achieve the ideal swing.

No abstract