Impact of occlusal proprioception on static postural balance.

Conflicting results on the effects of occlusal proprioceptive information on standing sway have been reported in the literature, partly due to the heterogeneity of the occlusal criterion studied and the experimental protocol used. In this study, occlusal functions, different mandibular positions and visual conditions were used to investigate the involvement of occlusal proprioception information in static postural balance. Postural adjustments of 26 healthy young adults, divided into Class I malocclusion and Class I normocclusion groups, were studied in upright position, in five mandibular positions (1 free, 2 centric and 2 eccentric), with and without vision. Due to different reported test durations, postural parameters were examined for the first and last halves of the 51.2 s acquisition time. A permutation ANOVA with 4 factors was used: group, mandibular position, vision, time window. Mean length of CoP displacement was shorter with vision (ES = 0.30) and more affected by vision loss in the free than in the intercuspal mandibular position (ES = 0.76 vs. 0.39), which has more tooth contacts. The malocclusion group was more affected by vision loss (ES = 0.64). Unexpectedly, with vision, the mean length was smaller in one eccentric occlusion side compared to the other (ES = 0.51), but independent of the left or right side, and more affected by vision loss (ES = 1.04 vs. ES = 0.71). The first-time window of the acquisition time, i.e. 25.6 s, was sufficient to demonstrate the impact of dental occlusion, except for the sway area. Comparison of the two visual conditions was informative. With vision, the weight of occlusal proprioception was not strictly related to occlusal characteristics (number of teeth in contact; centered or eccentric mandibular position), and it was asymmetrical. Without vision, the lack of difference between groups and mandibular positions suggested a sensory reweighting, probably to limit postural disturbance.

Is the muscle-tendon architecture of non-athletic Kenyans different from that of Japanese and French males?

BACKGROUND: In endurance running, elite Kenyan runners are characterized by longer thigh, shank, and Achilles tendon (AT) lengths combined with shorter fascicles and larger medial gastrocnemius (MG) pennation angles than elite Japanese runners. These muscle-tendon characteristics may contribute to the running performance of Kenyans. Furthermore, these specific lower-leg musculoskeletal architectures have been confirmed not only in elite Kenyan runners but also in non-athletic Kenyans since early childhood. However, it remains questionable whether the differences in muscle-tendon architecture between Kenyans and Japanese differ from those of European Caucasians. Therefore, this study aimed to compare anthropometry and muscle-tendon architecture of young non-athletic Kenyan males with their Japanese and French counterparts. METHODS: A total of 235 young non-athletic males, aged 17-22 years, volunteered. The anthropometric measures, thigh, and shank lengths, as well as AT and MG muscle architecture, were measured using ultrasonography and a tape measure. Inter-group differences in anthropometry and muscle-tendon architecture were tested using one-way ANOVA and ANCOVA analyses controlling for shank length and muscle thickness. RESULTS: The anthropometric and muscle-tendon characteristics of the non-athletic French were closer to those of the Kenyans than to those of the Japanese. However, the ultrasonography analysis confirmed that the non-athletic Kenyans had the longest AT as well as the shortest MG fascicles and the largest pennation angle compared to the French and Japanese, even after controlling for shank length and muscle thickness with ANCOVA, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These results confirmed the specificity of the muscle-tendon architecture of the triceps surae in Kenyans in comparison to their Japanese and French counterparts in non-athletic adults. This study provides additional support to the fact that Kenyans may have musculotendinous advantages in endurance running.

Postural stabilization during bilateral and unilateral vibration of ankle muscles in the sagittal and frontal planes.

BACKGROUND: The purpose was to investigate the postural consequences of proprioceptive perturbation of the Triceps Surae and Peroneus Longus muscles. These muscles are known to control posture respectively in the sagittal and frontal planes during standing. METHODS: Standard parameters and the time course of center of pressure (CoP) displacements were recorded in 21 young adults, instructed to maintain their balance during tendon vibration. Following 4 s of baseline recording, three types of vibration (80 Hz) were applied for 20 s each on the Peroneus or Achilles tendons, either unilaterally or bilaterally (with eyes shut). The recording continued for a further 24 s after the end of the vibration during the re-stabilization phase. To evaluate the time course of the CoP displacement, each phase of the trial was divided into periods of 4 seconds. Differences between the type of tendon vibration, phases and periods were analyzed using ANOVA. RESULTS: During all tendon vibrations, the speed of the CoP increased and a posterior displacement occurred. These changes were greater during Achilles than during Peroneus vibration for each type of vibration and also during bilateral compared with unilateral vibration. All maximal posterior positions occurred at a similar instant (between 12.7 and 14 s of vibration). Only unilateral Achilles vibration led to a significant medio-lateral displacement compared to the initial state. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of the proprioceptive perturbation seems to be influenced by the position of the vibrated muscle according to the planes of the musculoskeletal postural organization. The amplitude of the destabilization may be related to the importance of the muscle for postural control. The medial CoP displacement which occurred during unilateral Achilles vibration is not a general reaction to a single-limb perturbation. Proprioceptive input from the non-perturbed leg was not sufficient for the antero-posterior displacement to be avoided; however, it helped to gain stability over time. The non-perturbed limb clearly plays an important role in the restoration of the postural referential, both during and immediately following the end of the vibration. The results demonstrated that at least 16 s of vibration are necessary to induce most postural effects in young adults.

Acute and 2 days delayed effects of exhaustive stretch-shortening cycle exercise on barefoot walking and running patterns.

This study investigated the acute and 2 days delayed influences of exhaustive stretch-shortening cycle exercise (SSC) on barefoot walking and running gait patterns. The SSC exercise was performed on a sledge apparatus, on which the subjects (N = 10) repeated until exhaustion intermittent series of 25 bilateral submaximal rebounds. Maximal drop-jumps and submaximal barefoot treadmill walking and running were performed before (PRE) and after (POST) the exhaustive exercise and repeated 48 h (D2) later. Electromyographic activity and 3D kinematics of the right lower limb and foot were recorded for 15 s at gait initiation (BEG) and at the end (END: at 3 min of walk and 5 min of run). The exhaustive SSC exercise resulted in 6% reductions in maximal drop jump performance at POST and D2, and affected mostly both gait patterns at D2. The walking pattern presented compensatory neural adjustments within the triceps surae muscle group. This expected pain-induced protective strategy of the soleus muscle was sufficient to preserve the kinematics pattern. The running condition revealed a major knee strategy, which might support the concept of pain protective strategy of knee extensor muscles at the expense of impact cushioning. Regardless the testing session, most parameters showed fatigue-induced changes at gait initiation (BEG), which were opposite to subsequent BEG to END adjustments. This is likely to support anticipatory strategies rather than progressive adjustments during the exercise.

Acute and delayed neuromuscular adjustments of the triceps surae muscle group to exhaustive stretch-shortening cycle fatigue.

Stretch-shortening cycle (SSC)-type fatigue is associated with acute and delayed functional defects, and appears to be a useful model to reveal the flexibility of both central and reflex adjustments to the contractile failure. SSC fatigue was induced in an experimental (EXP) group (n=6) on a sledge ergometer with an exhaustive rebound exercise with submaximal effort. The acute (POST) and 2-day delayed (2D) neuromuscular changes with fatigue were examined in a short submaximal rebound task (REBOUND) and in a maximal isometric plantarflexion test (ISOM). The EXP group results were compared to those of a control group (n=6) who did not perform the exhaustive SSC exercise and did not present any change in the tests. In the EXP group, the ISOM test revealed mostly a large decrease in maximal plantarflexion force at 2D that was correlated with the reduced mean soleus muscle (SOL) activation. Indicating "task-dependent" fatigue effects on the neural changes, the REBOUND test revealed both acute and delayed increases in SOL activation. Supporting central neural changes, SOL preactivation increased in POST and 2D. The neural flexibility along time and across muscles was demonstrated by the shifted increase in SOL activation from the braking phase in POST to the push-off phase in 2D, and associated increased gastrocnemius medialis preactivation in 2D. In contrast, activation during the stretch-reflex period was constant in POST, and decreased in 2D. These results would support the influence of musculotendinous afferents on the flexible neural adjustments to the SSC-induced contractile failure.