Radical generation and bactericidal activity of nanobubbles produced by ultrasonic irradiation of carbonated water.

Our previous study showed that nanobubbles (NBs) encapsulating CO2 gas have bactericidal activity due to reactive oxygen species (ROS) (Yamaguchi et al., 2020). Here, we report that bulk NBs encapsulating CO2 can be efficiently generated by ultrasonically irradiating carbonated water using a piezoelectric transducer with a frequency of 1.7 MHz. The generated NBs were less than 100 nm in size and had a lifetime of 500 h. Furthermore, generation of ROS in the NB suspension was investigated using electron spin resonance spectroscopy and fluorescence spectrometry. The main ROS was found to be the hydroxyl radical, which is consistent with our previous observations. The bactericidal activity lasted for at least one week. Furthermore, a mist generated by atomizing the NB suspension with ultrasonic waves was confirmed to have the same bactericidal activity as the suspension itself. We believe that the strong, persistent bactericidal activity and radical generation phenomenon are unique to NBs produced by ultrasonic irradiation of carbonated water. We propose that entrapped CO2 molecules strongly interact with water at the NB interface to weaken the interface, and high-pressure CO2 gas erupts from this weakened interface to generate ROS with bactericidal activity.

Visualization of droplets and aerosols in simulated dental treatments to clarify the effectiveness of oral suction devices.

PURPOSE: The hazards of aerosols generated during dental treatments are poorly understood. This study aimed to establish visualization methods, discover conditions for droplets/aerosols generated in simulating dental treatments and identify the conditions for effective suction methods. METHODS: The spreading area was evaluated via image analysis of the droplets/aerosols generated by a dental air turbine on a mannequin using a light emitting diode (LED) light source and high-speed camera. The effects of different bur types and treatment sites, reduction effect of intra-oral suction (IOS) and extra-oral suction (EOS) devices, and effect of EOS installation conditions were evaluated. RESULTS: Regarding the bur types, a bud-shaped bur on the air turbine generated the most droplets/aerosols compared with round-shaped, round end-tapered, or needle-tapered burs. Regarding the treatment site, the area of droplets/aerosols produced by an air turbine from the palatal plane of the anterior maxillary teeth was significantly higher. The generated droplet/aerosol area was reduced by 92.1% by using IOS alone and 97.8% by combining IOS and EOS. EOS most effectively aspirated droplets/aerosols when placed close (10 cm) to the mouth in the vertical direction (0°). CONCLUSIONS: The droplets/aerosols generated by an air turbine could be visualized using an LED light and a high-speed camera in simulating dental treatments. The bur shape and position of the dental air turbine considerably influenced droplet/aerosol diffusion. The combined use of IOS and EOS at a proper position (close and perpendicular to the mouth) facilitated effective diffusion prevention to protect the dental-care environment.

Effects of pain associated with orthodontic tooth movement on tactile sensation of periodontal ligaments.

OBJECTIVES: Pain associated with orthodontic tooth movement reportedly reduces periodontal ligament tactile sensation. However, the mechanism associated with the central nervous system remains unclear. This study was conducted by measuring somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) during mechanical stimulation of teeth as they were being moved by separator elastics. Findings clarified the effects of pain on periodontal ligament tactile sensation during orthodontic tooth movement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using magnetoencephalography, SEFs were measured during the application of mechanical stimuli to the mandibular right first molars of 23 right-handed healthy participants (0 h). Separator elastics were subsequently inserted into the mesial and distal interdental portions of the mandibular right first molars. The same mechanical stimuli were applied again 24 h later while the SEFs were measured (24 h). After each SEF measurements, pain was also evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). RESULTS: The VAS values were significantly higher at 24 h than at 0 h (p < 0.05). No significant difference in the peak latencies was found between those obtained at 0 h and 24 h, but the intensities around 40.0 ms in the contralateral hemisphere were significantly lower at 24 h than at 0 h (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Pain associated with orthodontic tooth movement might suppress periodontal ligament tactile sensation in the primary somatosensory cortex. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pain associated with orthodontic tooth movement might affect periodontal ligament sensation, consequently causing discomfort during occlusion.

Proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells on polymethyl methacrylate cements containing Fe3O4 and TiO2 for hyperthermic treatment of metastatic bone tumors.

Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) bone cement is widely used to relieve pain caused by metastatic bone tumors. We previously found that PMMA bone cement containing 15 mass% or more of TiO2 showed good apatite-forming ability, and 25 mass% or more of Fe3O4 generated sufficient heat for hyperthermia under an alternating current (AC) magnetic field. In this study, the cytocompatibility of PMMA bone cement with Fe3O4:TiO2 weight ratios of 25:15 (F25T15-3/2-42) and 30:15 (F30T15-3/2-42) was evaluated using osteoblastic cells (MC3T3-E1). The proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells were suppressed for F25T15-3/2-42 and F30T15-3/2-42 compared to PMMA bone cement without Fe3O4 and TiO2 (F0T0-3/2-42). The release of methyl methacrylate (MMA) monomers from F25T15-3/2-42 and F30T15-3/2-42 at 7 days was about 33 and 50 times higher than that from F0T0-3/2-42, respectively. The remarkable release of MMA monomers from F25T15-3/2-42 and F30T15-3/2-42 may be responsible for the suppressed proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells. The release of MMA monomers was not reduced when the MMA/PMMA weight ratio was decreased from 3/2 to 1/1, however, it was significantly reduced by increasing the content of benzoyl peroxide (BPO) and N, N-dimethyl-p-toluidine (DMPT) to 8 and 4 mass% against MMA, respectively. Proliferation and differentiation of MC3T3-E1 cells on PMMA-type cements containing Fe3O4 and TiO2 with increased BPO and DMPT contents need to be investigated in the future; however, our findings will be useful for designing PMMA cements for the hyperthermic treatment of metastatic bone tumors.

Development of bioinspired damage-tolerant calcium phosphate bulk materials.

Improving the damage tolerance and reliability of ceramic artificial bone materials, such as sintered bodies of hydroxyapatite (HAp), that remain in vivo for long periods of time is of utmost importance. However, the intrinsic brittleness and low damage tolerance of ceramics make this challenging. This paper reports the synthesis of highly damage tolerant calcium phosphate-based materials with a bioinspired design for novel artificial bones. The heat treatment of isophthalate ion-containing octacalcium phosphate compacts in a nitrogen atmosphere at 1000°C for 24 h produced an HAp/ß-tricalcium phosphate/pyrolytic carbon composite with a brick-and-mortar structure (similar to that of the nacreous layer). This composite exhibited excellent damage tolerance, with no brittle fracture upon nailing, likely attributable to the specific mechanical properties derived from its unique microstructure. Its maximum bending stress, maximum bending strain, Young's modulus, and Vickers hardness were 11.7 MPa, 2.8 × 10‒2, 5.3 GPa, and 11.7 kgf/mm2, respectively. The material exhibited a lower Young's modulus and higher fracture strain than that of HAp-sintered bodies and sintered-body samples prepared from pure octacalcium phosphate compacts. Additionally, the apatite-forming ability of the obtained material was confirmed in vitro, using a simulated body fluid. The proposed bioinspired material design could enable the fabrication of highly damage tolerant artificial bones that remain in vivo for long durations of time.

Visible-Light-Enhanced Antibacterial Activity of Silver and Copper Co-Doped Titania Formed on Titanium via Chemical and Thermal Treatments.

Dental implants made of titanium (Ti) are used in dentistry, but peri-implantitis is a serious associated problem. Antibacterial and osteoconductive Ti dental implants may decrease the risk of peri-implantitis. In this study, titania (TiO2) co-doped with silver (Ag) at 2.5 at.% and copper (Cu) at 4.9 at.% was formed on Ti substrates via chemical and thermal treatments. The Ag and Cu co-doped TiO2 formed apatite in a simulated body fluid, which suggests osteoconductivity. It also showed antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli, which was enhanced by visible-light irradiation. This enhancement might be caused by the synergistic effect of the release of Ag and Cu and the generation of •OH from the sample. Dental implants with such a Ag and Cu co-doped TiO2 formed on their surface may reduce the risk of peri-implantitis.

Rationale and design for efficacy and safety evaluation of Bone-Anchored Maxillary Protraction (BAMP) for patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate with skeletal anterior crossbite: a single-arm, open-label, non-randomised prospective study protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Bone-anchored maxillary protraction (BAMP) was devised recently as a method of direct maxillary protraction using anchor plates implanted in the maxilla and mandible without involving the teeth. Although several reports have described orthognathic effects of BAMP on patients with cleft lip and palate (CLP) with skeletal crossbite, none has described a study of Japanese patients with CLP or of BAMP treatment effects on speech in patients with CLP. This study, by performing BAMP treatment, and by evaluating speech function and skeletal and soft tissues, is intended to clarify BAMP efficacy and safety for patients with unilateral CLP (UCLP) who have skeletal crossbite. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This single-arm, open-label, non-randomised prospective study examines 20 patients with UCLP with skeletal crossbite (Wits appraisal ≤-5.0 mm). These 10-15 year-old participants had already undergone cheiloplasty, palatoplasty and bone grafting. The anchor plates are implanted in the zygomatic process in the maxilla and in the anterior part of the mandible. Two weeks after anchor plate implantation, maxillary protraction is started using elastics. Protraction is performed at 150 g per side at the start of protraction, 200 g per side from 1 month after the start of protraction and 250 g per side from 3 months after the start of protraction. The treatment period will be approximately 1½ years. Pretreatment and post-treatment, cephalometric analysis, speech evaluation, nasopharyngeal closure function evaluation and facial soft tissue evaluation will be performed to ascertain the effects of BAMP on patients with UCLP. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study has been received from Tohoku Certificated Review Board of Tohoku University, Japan, CRB2200003. The approval number is 2021-34-2. The results of this research shall be presented at domestic and international academic conferences, and be published to peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: jRCTs022210007.

Magnetoencephalographic evaluation of repaired lip sensation in patients with cleft lip.

BACKGROUND: Cleft lip is the most common congenital anomaly worldwide. Nevertheless, lip somatosensory characteristics of patients with cleft lip after cheiloplasty have not yet been determined. The present study used magnetoencephalography to objectively evaluate the lip sensation in patients with unilateral cleft lip to establish a new objective evaluation method. METHODS: Participants were 15 patients with unilateral cleft lip after cheiloplasty (UCL group), and 30 healthy young subjects (control group). Five points of the upper and lower lips were stimulated electrically to measure somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs). The sources of the magnetic fields were modeled as single equivalent current dipoles (ECDs). ECDs located on the central sulcus by superimposition on magnetic resonance images were analyzed. Latency and intensity at 50-75 ms (cP60m) observed in the UCL group were compared with those in the control group. Thresholds of tactile stimuli in both groups were obtained using Semmes-Weinstein monofilaments for subjective sensory evaluation. RESULTS: No significant difference was found in the intensity of the cP60m or subjective evaluation between the groups. However, the latency of the cP60m was significantly longer in the upper lip of the UCL group than in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: SEFs showed a difference in lip sensation between the UCL group and the control group, suggesting that longer latency might be caused by the effects of surgical scarring on the neurotransmission pathway. These results suggest SEFs as useful for the objective evaluation of lip sensations. This study might improve future surgical procedures and lip functions of patients with cleft lip.

Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields induced by electrical palate stimulation in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate after palatoplasty.

Palatal sensation is important for articulation, feeding, and swallowing. However, palatal sensation in patients with cleft palate (CP) after palatoplasty has been investigated only inadequately because of the complexity and high costs of objective evaluation. This study compared the somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) induced by electrical stimulation of the palates of patients with CP after palatoplasty and the palatal sensory thresholds (PSTs) of the stimulation with those of healthy (control) subjects. The CP group comprised 12 patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP). The control group comprised 31 control subjects. No significant difference in intensity was found between them. Nevertheless, the PSTs in the UCLP group were significantly higher than those in the control group at all sites (p < 0.05). We infer that the electrical signals transmitted from palatal sensory receptors of patients with CP might be amplified by a compensation mechanism in the central nervous system. SEFs provide an effective method for objective evaluation of palatal sensation in patients with CP after palatoplasty. Evaluation of SEFs during palatal sensory stimulation in patients with CP after palatoplasty might lead to better corrective surgical methods that also preserve palatal sensation.

Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields caused by mechanical stimulation of the periodontal ligaments.

The periodontal ligaments are very important sensory organ for our daily life such as perception of food size or hardness, determination of jaw position, and adjustment of masticatory strength. The sensory properties of the periodontal ligament, especially those of the maxillary and mandibular molars, have not yet been fully investigated. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) can be measured and evaluated for latency and intensity to determine the sensory transmission characteristics of each body parts. However, previous reports on SEFs in the oral region have only reported differences in upper and lower gingival and lip sensations. In this study, the aim was to clarify these sensory characteristics by measuring SEFs during mechanical stimulation of the periodontal ligament in the maxillary and mandibular first molars. Somatosensory evoked magnetic fields were measured in the contralateral hemispheres of 33 healthy volunteers. Mechanical stimulation of the maxillary and mandibular right first molars, and the left wrist was performed with a specific handmade tool. The first peak latency for the mandibular first molars was 41.7 ± 5.70 ms (mean ± SD), significantly shorter than that for the maxillary first molars at 47.7 ± 7.36 ms. The peak intensity for the mandibular first molars was 13.9 ± 6.06 nAm, significantly larger than that for the maxillary first molars at 7.63 ± 3.55 nAm. The locations in the contralateral hemispheres showed no significant difference between the maxillary first molars and mandibular first molars. These locations were more anteroinferior and exterior than that of the wrist, as suggested by the brain homunculus. Neural signals from the mandibular periodontal ligaments pass faster and more intensely to the central nervous system than those from the maxillary periodontal ligaments, and may preferentially participate in adjustment of the occlusal force and the occlusal position.

Effects of aging on whole-body center of mass movement and lower limb joint kinematics and kinetics during deep-squat movement.

Deep-squat movement is one of the most important activities for independent living. Although a large range of motion of lower extremity joints in the sagittal plane is required for deep-squat movement, older individuals exhibit reduced mobility of lower limb joints. However, the effect of aging on deep-squat movement remains unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the age-related changes in the whole-body movement and lower extremity joint kinematics and kinetics during deep-squat movement. Twelve older and nineteen younger individuals performed the deep-squat movement, with knee flexion exceeding 100 degrees, and a motion analysis system and force plates collected their motion data. The median (interquartile range) age of older and younger individuals was 76.5 (3.3) and 30.0 (9.0) years, respectively. The deep-squat depth was significantly shallower in older individuals than in younger individuals (P < 0.05). Furthermore, older individuals exhibited smaller ankle dorsiflexion and knee flexion angles, larger trunk flexion angles, and greater forward displacement of the whole-body center of mass during deep-squat movement (P < 0.05). In terms of kinetic variables, older individuals exhibited smaller contributions of knee extension moment and larger contributions of hip extension moment to the support moment in the timing of the maximum support moment during deep-squat movement (P < 0.05). Our results indicated that older individuals have greater difficulty with deeper-squat movement and smaller contribution of knee extension moment to support body weight using trunk, hip, and ankle movements during deep-squat movement.

Indirect cytotoxicity evaluations of antibacterial raw silk fabric doped with calcium, copper and zinc on fibroblasts and osteoblasts.

Antibacterial materials are widely used to prevent hospital-acquired infections. In our previous report, metal (calcium, copper or zinc)-doped raw silk fabrics were shown to possess strong antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli. However, antibacterial materials may occasionally be harmful to the human body; thus, in this study, we investigated the cytotoxicities of extracts from metal-doped raw silk fabrics with respect to fibroblasts and osteoblasts indirectly. Calcium-doped raw silk fabric demonstrated cytocompatibility with fibroblasts. Contrarily, copper- and zinc-doped raw silk fabrics remarkably decreased the cell densities of fibroblasts, indicating their cytotoxic effects. This observation could be attributed to the high concentrations of the released copper or zinc ions. However, calcium-, copper- and zinc-doped raw silk fabrics did not demonstrate any cytotoxic effects on osteoblasts because a high concentration of the serum alleviated the effects of these metal ions released from the fabrics. Thus, calcium-doped raw silk fabric is a promising antibacterial material that does not induce strong cytotoxicity. This study will facilitate the design of materials that are both antibacterial and safe.

Effects of seat height on whole-body movement and lower limb muscle power during sit-to-stand movements in young and older individuals.

Sit-to-stand (STS) movements from low seat height are not easily executed by older individuals. Although young individuals increase their lower limb muscle power (LLMP) based on the product of the ground reaction force (GRF) and center of mass velocity (CoMv) during STS movement from a low seat height, it remains unclear whether seat height has an effect on LLMP during STS movement in older individuals. The present study aimed to investigate differences in the LLMP during STS movements when seat height is lowered between young and older individuals. Twelve older and twelve height-matched young individuals were instructed to perform STS movements from low (20 cm), middle (40 cm), and high (60 cm) seat heights. STS movement and GRF were obtained by a motion analysis system and force plates. In the low-seat-height condition, the forward and upward LLMPs and the upward CoMv were significantly lower in older individuals than those in young individuals, but the forward CoMv was not. The completion time of STS movement from a low seat height was significantly longer in older individuals than in young individuals. Our findings suggest that the slower upward CoMv due to the lower upward LLMP extends the completion time of STS movement from a low seat height in older individuals. Furthermore, in the low-seat-height condition, older individuals may move their center of mass (CoM) forward in a different way when compared with young individuals, and they may not use forward LLMP for moving CoM forward.

Proteomic identification of serum proteins to induce osteoconductivity of hydroxyapatite.

We performed proteomic analysis of rat serum proteins adsorbed on hydroxyapatite (HAp) and α-alumina (α-Al2O3) in order to identify proteins that specifically adsorb onto HAp and control cellular responses. Proteins with either or both molecular weight of 22-32 kDa and computed isoelectric point of 5.0-5.5 were preferentially adsorbed on HAp. In total, 182 proteins were adsorbed on both HAp and α-Al2O3, of which 14 were highly enriched on HAp, whereas 68 were adsorbed only on HAp. Therefore, 82 (14+68) proteins were further evaluated by bioinformatics and literature-based analyses. We predicted that hepatocyte growth factor and angiopoietin-like protein 3 (ANGPTL3) are candidate proteins responsible for the osteoconductivity of HAp. Although ANGPTL3 promoted the attachment and spreading of MC3T3-E1 cells, it did not promote their proliferation and differentiation. Our results suggest that specific adsorption of ANGPTL3 on HAp induced osteoconductivity by enhancing the attachment and spreading of osteoblasts.

Bactericidal Activity of Bulk Nanobubbles through Active Oxygen Species Generation.

We investigated the bactericidal activity of bulk nanobubbles (NBs) using E. coli, a model bacterium. Bulk NBs were produced by forcing gas through a porous alumina membrane with an ordered arrangement of nanoscale straight holes in contact with water. NBs with different gas contents, including CO2, O2, and N2, were generated and evaluated for their bactericidal effects. The survival rate of E. coli was significantly reduced in a suspension of CO2-containing NB (CO2-NB water). The N2-NB water demonstrated a small amount of bactericidal behavior, but its impact was not as significant as that of CO2-NB water. When E. coli was retained in O2-NB water, the survival rate was even higher than that in pure water (PW). We investigated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in NB suspensions by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. The main ROS generated in the NB water were hydroxyl radicals and OH·, and the production of ROS was the strongest in CO2-NB water, which was consistent with the results of the bactericidal effect measurements. We assumed that NB mediated by ROS would exhibit bactericidal behavior and proposed a kinetic model to explain the retention time variation of the survival rate. The results calculated based on the proposed model matched closely with the experimental results.

Cytotoxicity evaluation of iron nitride nanoparticles for biomedical applications.

Magnetic nanoparticles are widely studied for their use in various therapeutic and diagnostic purposes. As biomaterials, their biocompatibility is as important as their magnetic properties. Iron nitride (Fex Ny ) has excellent magnetic properties, and thus Fex Ny nanoparticles could be useful as potential biomaterials. However, the biocompatibility of Fex Ny nanoparticles is yet to be investigated. In this study, we assessed the biocompatibility of Fex Ny nanoparticles by evaluating their direct-contact cytotoxicity compared with that of magnetite nanoparticles (MNPs). Rat fibroblasts were incubated with the nanoparticle samples dispersed in culture medium at concentrations of 10, 50, and 100 µg/ml. The DNA concentration measurement, MTT assay, and trypan blue exclusion test were conducted after days 1 and 3 of incubation. After day 1, the cell viability decreased, and cell death increased with increasing sample concentration when compared with the control. However, after day 3, there were no significant differences when compared with the control, irrespective of the sample concentrations. Further, there were no significant differences between the Fex Ny nanoparticles and MNPs at the same concentrations in all the cytotoxicity evaluation tests. Therefore, it is suggested that Fex Ny nanoparticles might be as cytocompatible as the conventional MNPs.

Bactericidal Activity of TiO2 Nanotube Thin Films on Si by Photocatalytic Generation of Active Oxygen Species.

The photocatalytic bactericidal activity of titanium dioxide (TiO2) thin films has been extensively studied. In this study, we investigated the bactericidal activities of TiO2 nanotube (NT) thin films using Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus cells as the model bacteria. Metallic titanium (Ti) thin films were anodized on a silicon (Si) wafer substrate to form TiO2 NT thin films. To evaluate the bactericidal activity of the TiO2 NT thin films, bacteria on the TiO2 NT thin films were irradiated with near-ultraviolet light (UV-A) at a wavelength of 365 nm. The bactericidal activity was estimated by the survival rate derived from the number of live cells, which form colonies on the cell culture medium. We demonstrated that the survival rate of the two types of bacteria investigated in this study was significantly reduced by UV light irradiation and that there was a difference in the temporal change in the survival rate between the two types of bacteria. Furthermore, we investigated the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROSs) by UV light irradiation of TiO2 NT thin films using electron spin resonance spectroscopy and fluorescence analysis. We found that the main ROS generated on the surface of the TiO2 NT film was the hydroxyl radical, OH•. In addition, the generation of ROSs increased with an increase in the UV irradiation time. We proposed a kinetic model that reproduces the dependence of bacterial viability on the UV light irradiation time by considering the temporal change in the amount of ROSs generated by UV light irradiation. A comparison of the calculated and experimental results revealed that the bactericidal effect consisted of the direct photolysis of bacteria and the photocatalysis via the generation of hydroxyl radicals, with the latter exhibiting a stronger bactericidal effect than the former.

Polyglutamine-containing microglia leads to disturbed differentiation and neurite retraction of neuron-like cells.

Expanded polyglutamine-containing proteins in neurons intrinsically contributes to neuronal dysfunctions and neuronal cell death in polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases. In addition, an expanded polyQ-containing protein in microglia also leads to apoptosis of neurons. However, detailed morphological analysis of neurons exposed to conditioned medium (CM) derived from polyQ-containing microglia has not been essentially carried out. Here, we introduced aggregated peptide with 69 glutamine repeat (69Q) into BV2 microglial cells. The 69Q-containing BV2 cells showed shorter branches. The CM from 69Q-containing microglia (69Q-CM) induced neurite retraction and fewer number of branch point of neurites of differentiated PC12 cells. Likewise, the 69Q-CM induces disturbed differentiation of PC12 cells with shorter total length of neurites and fewer number of branch point of neurites. Thus, the factor(s) released from polyQ-containing microglia affect both differentiation and degeneration of neuron-like cells.

Comparison of handrail reaction forces between two different handrails during sit-to-stand movement in the elderly.

BACKGROUND: The handrail is an effective means of assisting sit-to-stand movements. As some elderly people need force to support their body during sit-to-stand movements because of instability and weakness; however, few handrails are specifically shaped to generate more force and support the body. This study aimed to investigate the effect of a newly designed curved-angled handrail on the reaction force during sit-to-stand movements in the elderly. METHODS: Twenty-one elderly subjects (age range, 72-84 years) participated in the study. They performed sit-to-stand movements using a conventional vertical handrail and then the curved-angled handrail five times each. For each subject, body coordinate data were acquired and the handrail reaction force was measured using motion analysis and load sensors on the handrail. FINDINGS: The reaction forces generated in the anterior-posterior and upward-downward directions during sit-to-stand movements using the curved-angled handrail were significantly greater than those generated using the conventional vertical handrail (p < .001). INTERPRETATION: Compared with using the conventional vertical handrail, using the curved-angled handrail enhances the generated force during sit-to-stand movements.

Effects of shelf bar assistance on kinetic control during sit-to-stand in healthy young and elderly subjects.

This study aimed to determine the kinetic effects of using unilateral shelf bar, vertical grab bar (GB), and horizontal GB during sit-to-stand (STS) in young and elderly subjects. Twenty young adults aged 20-40 years and eighteen healthy elderly people aged ≥ 65 years old were recruited. The subjects performed STS with and without using the three types of bars. Bar reaction force (BRF) and maximum power (MP) defined as the maximal product calculated by multiplying the GRF and the velocity of the center of mass in each direction were measured using three-dimensional motion analysis, two load sensors of GB, and four force plates. The use of the shelf bar generated a significantly larger BRF in the vertical direction than the other bars (p < 0.05) and lower MP in the vertical direction than the horizontal bar (p < 0.05) and no bar (p < 0.05). In the younger subjects, only the use of the vertical bar generated a significantly larger BRF (p < 0.05) and negative MP (p < 0.05) in the forward direction than those in elderly subjects. The use of the shelf bar may assist the decreased MP in the vertical direction during STS in elderly people, resulting in decrease of failed STS in daily living. In contrast, the use of the vertical bar in the elderly may not generate sufficient BRF in the forward direction because of lack of eccentric control in the whole body in the forward direction during STS.