• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.335-343
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• 2011

Patellofemoral pain syndrome is the most common problem involving the knee, accounting for 25% of knee injuries. Repetitive, overuse activities cause increased force at the patellofemoral joint, resulting in pain during flexion and extension activities. Most research have been conducted in exploring the patellofemoral compressive force in gait, squat and lunges, even though in real cases, possibilities in landing exist. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in patellofemoral compressive force according to two different height. Sixteen collegiate male students(age: 22.25 ${\pm}$ 3.30 yrs, height: 177.25 ${\pm}$ 4.44 cm, weight: 77.50 ${\pm}$ 8.18 kg) were chosen. The subjects performed drop landings in 45 cm, 60 cm. The findings demonstrated that higher height showed peak knee extension moment, quadriceps contraction force, patellofemoral compressive force with increased VGRF. Regarding the patellofemoral joint compressive force, it increased by quadriceps contraction force with knee flexion during landing, yet, it showed no difference in maximal knee flexion. To minimize patellofemoral joint stress and reduce the likelihood of developing PFPS, we recommend that predesigned quadriceps and hip muscle group strengthening are needed during conditioning and training.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.27-34
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• 2001

Physical therapists have been using biofeedback training to induce improvements in various circumstances. The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of visual and tactile feedback using electrical stimulation on quadriceps strength. Nineteen women without known impairment of the neuromusculoskeletal system volunteered for this study. Subjects were randomly allocated into three groups: visual feedback, tactile feedback, and control group. The torque of isometric knee extension force was measured. Subjects were asked to exert the maximal isometric contraction force of quadriceps over a 30 second period. The resting period of 10 minutes was given after the maximal isometric contraction to avoid the muscle fatigue. In between groups comparison, significant differences of the peak torque and the torque area were found on the performance of the maximal isometric contraction of quadriceps (p<.05). The values peak of torque and torque area were significantly higher during visual feedback than tactile feedback. The results of this study suggest that visual feedback is more powerful than tactile feedback (p<.01).

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.10-15
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• 2006

This study examined the ability of human subjects to match a force in their quadriceps muscle during fatigue. Twenty subjects (mean age: 23.4 yrs, mean height: 167.8 cm, mean weight, 62.6 kg) were enrolled in the experiment. In the force-matching task, the quadriceps muscle generated 50% of the MVIC (maximum voluntary isometric contraction) torque under visual control and then without visual feedback. After inducing fatigue in the quadriceps muscle, the subjects were required to match 50% of the MVIC torque without visual feedback. The perceived magnitude of the force and force-matching errors were measured. 50% of the MVIC torque was perceived from 39.96 Nm in the pre-fatigue condition to 44.95 Nm in the post-fatigue condition. 50% of the MVIC torque-matching errors increased significantly from .55% in the pre-fatigue condition to 9.6% in the post-fatigue condition (p<.001). in addition, there were significantly more force-matching errors in women than in men (p<.01). In conclusion muscle fatigue can interfere with a subject's ability to match a force. This suggests that muscle fatigue may contributes to the sensitization of the proprioception.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.12-22
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• 2015

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of taping on knee joint for patellofemoral compressive force (PCF) during stair descent for elderly women. Ten healthy elderly women voluntarily participated in this study. A three-dimensional motion analysis system and force plates were used to analyze the movements of the joints for the lower extremities. The results were as follows: There were no significant differences for the maximum PCF, maximum quadriceps contraction force and maximum knee extension moment (p>.05) but, there was a pattern decreasing all values with the taping during stair descent. There were significant differences for the knee and ankle angle on the event of maximum PCF (p<.05) and there was a pattern decreasing all values with the taping during stair descent. Therefore, taping on the knee would be effective to relieve the pain like patellofemoral pain syndrome in the knee joint.

• Journal of International Academy of Physical Therapy Research
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.422-428
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• 2012

The present study purposed to examine the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, self-stretching and functional massage on the recovery of muscle contraction force for muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction. The subjects of this study were 45 healthy students. They were divided into transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation group(n=15), self-stretching group(n=15) and functional massage group(n=15), and using Primus RS. We observed the pattern of changes in maximal voluntary isometric contraction force(MVIC) after causing muscle fatigue in quadriceps femoris muscle through sustained isotonic contraction. Maximal voluntary isometric contraction force(MVIC) were greatly increased after transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation, self-stretching and functional massage. In the comparison of recovery rate of muscle contraction force for muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction among the treatment groups, it did not show any significant differences. However, it showed that each treatment may be effective in recovery of muscle fatigue caused by sustained isotonic contraction.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.53-64
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• 2006

Purpose: The present study purposed to examine the effects of massage and stretching on the recovery of muscle contraction force for muscle fatigue caused by sustained isometric contraction. Methods: The subjects of this study Were 64 healthy men and women (women: 30, men: 34). They Were divided into massage group (23), stretching group (21) and rest group (20), and using Biodex System we observed the pattern of changes in maximal voluntary contraction force (MVC) after causing muscle fatigue in quadriceps femoris muscle through sustained isometric contraction. Results: We measured the point of fatigue occurrence by sustained isometric contraction with 50% MVC and changes in isometric contraction force at 0, 10, 20 and 30 minutes after fatigue and compared them according to gender and treatment group. Conclusion: 1. According to the result of measuring the point of time when fatigue occurred, a difference was observed in time to task failure between men and women. It was significantly longer in women. 2. By gender, MVC changed significantly in all time frames in women, but it showed significant increases only at 10 minutes after fatigue in men. 3. In the comparison of MVC among the treatment groups, it showed significant differences among the groups at 10 minutes after fatigue. 4. In the comparison of changes in MVC among the time frames for each group, the rest group showed significant differences in MVC between 0 and 10 minutes after fatigue and between 20 and 30 minutes after fatigue. The massage group showed significant differences in MVC between 0 and 10 minutes after fatigue and between 10 and 20 minutes after fatigue. The stretching group showed a significant difference in MVC between 10 and 20 minutes after fatigue and between 20 and 30 minutes after fatigue.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.115-131
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• 2002

Functional electrical stimulation (FES) training of the knee extensors is a useful way to rehabilitate the ability to stand and walk. However, training using FES has not been able to solve the problem of fatigue; clinical application of FES quickly produces muscle fatigue, due to the continuous activation of the muscles of the lower extremity. Therefore, reduction of muscle fatigue is an important factor in increasing the effectiveness of FES training in paraplegia. Intermittent high frequency alternating stimulation is a method that combines the advantages of high frequency (leading to strong muscle contractions) and alternating stimulation (reducing muscle fatigue), thereby continuously strengthening muscles. It is not known whether low frequency simultaneous stimulation results in stronger muscle contraction than high frequency alternating stimulation. This study compared the effectiveness of high frequency alternating stimulation with low frequency synchronized stimulation. Muscle power using FES on the quadriceps of 20 normal subjects were compared. Intermittent high frequency alternating stimulation did not produce more powerful muscle contraction than intermittent low frequency synchronized stimulation, because the muscle characteristics differed individually. Significant individual variation according to muscle characteristics was founded when applying FES. Accordingly, when physical therapists use FES to treat patients, they must be aware of individual variation in muscle characteristics.

• Proceedings of the KOSOMBE Conference
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• v.1997 no.05
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• pp.179-183
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• 1997

The objective of this study was to develop an FES exercise protocol that can enhance muscle force and fatigue resistance and to evaluate the resulting effects. We investigated contraction and fatigue properties of vasti of 10 normal subjects and 4 paraplegics by applying different types of electrical stimulation. Based on the results, we have been training quadriceps of a male paraplegic patient. The results suggested that the exercise be applied 7 days a week, and confirmed that low frequency and intermittent stimulation delays fatigue. After the two-year FES exercise, the patient's knee extensor torque increased by about ten folds and the fatigue index decreased to half of the preFES value.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.5
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• pp.336-345
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• 2023

The present study was designed to evaluate changes in neuromuscular properties and the structural and qualitative characteristics of muscles during submaximal isometric contractions at low-to-relatively vigorous target forces and to determine their influence on force steadiness (FS). Thirteen young adult males performed submaximal isometric knee extensions at 10, 20, 50, and 70% of their maximal voluntary isometric contraction using their non-dominant legs. During submaximal contractions, we recorded force, EMG signals from vastus medialis (VM), vastus lateralis (VL), and rectus femoris (RF), and ultrasound images from the distal RF (dRF). Force and EMG standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) values were used to measure FS and EMG steadiness, respectively. Muscle thickness (MT), pennation angle (PA), echo intensity (EI), and texture features were calculated from ultrasound images to assess the structural and qualitative characteristics of the muscle. FS, neuromuscular properties, and texture features showed significant differences across different force levels. Additionally, there were significant differences in EMG_CV among the quadriceps at the 50% and 70% force levels. The results of correlation analysis revealed that FS had a significant relationship with EMG_CV in VM, VL, and RF, as well as with the texture features of dRF. This study's findings demonstrate that EMG steadiness and texture features are influenced by the magnitude of the target force and are closely related to FS, indicating their potential contribution to force output control.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.280-289
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• 2014

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to determine the stimulation variables which should be considered when neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) is applied for a muscle under the normal innervation to minimize muscle fatigue and increase force-generating ability. Methods: A total of 23 healthy men participated in the study and all subjects were randomly assigned to the 1:1 group, 1:3 group, 1:5 group, and control group with on-off ratio of NMES. The subjects performed a fatigue task, consisting of 10 times of isometric contraction sustained by NMES. NMES using Russian current stimulation was applied to muscle fatigue and divided into three sessions by pulse frequency (10 bps, 30 bps, 90 bps). The EMG was recorded using an MP 100 system from the quadriceps femoris muscle in four groups. Results: The differences of delta MdF and delta MF of between on-off ratio groups of 10 bps, 30 bps, and 90 bps pulse frequencies were very significant (p<0.05). According to the results of post hoc of 10, 90 bps, it was greater in the 1:1 group and the 1:3 group compared with the 1:5 group, and no fatigue was observed in the control group. In 30 bps, it was greater in the 1:1 group compared with 1:3, 1:5, and control group (p<.05). Conclusion: Among NMES variables to minimize muscle fatigue, the larger on-off ratio by pulse frequency showed the lower muscle fatigue. Therefore, on-off ratio needs to be great enough, and will be more efficient with the frequency 30 bps rather than of 10 bps and 90 bps.