Analysis of symmetry between lower limbs during gait of older women with bilateral knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common condition in older adults, with high epidemiological, clinical, and economic burden worldwide. In clinical practice, patients with knee OA often walk with abnormal gait patterns because of pain, stiffness and/or mobility dysfunctions. Therefore, assessing the symmetry of the lower limbs might improve the rehabilitation treatment and prescription of walking devices. AIMS: To compare the symmetry of step length and single support phase between lower limbs during gait of older women with bilateral knee OA and asymptomatic controls, and to verify if there is difference between these two groups in relation to velocity, cadence, step length and single support phase. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included a convenience sample of 66 community-dwelling older women aged ≥ 65 years with a medical diagnosis of symptomatic bilateral knee OA (n = 33) and asymptomatic controls (n = 33), matched by age and body mass index. All gait parameters were obtained using the GAITRite® system. RESULTS: Mean age of the sample was 72.6 ± 4.0 years. Participants with OA walked with lower velocity (p = 0.001), cadence (p = 0.009) and step length bilaterally (both p = 0.001). No significant difference was found between groups in the symmetry of step length between lower limbs, single support phase and symmetry of single support phase between lower limbs. CONCLUSION: Older women with bilateral knee OA walk with lower velocity, cadence and step length, but have the same symmetry in the step length and single support phase between lower limbs as asymptomatic older women.

Análise de confiabilidade de medidas das pressões plantares estática e dinâmica de crianças e adolescentes com desenvolvimento normal / El análisis de la exactitud de las medidas de las presiones plantares estática y dinámica de niños y adolescentes con desarrollo normal / Reliability analysis of static and dynamic plantar pressure measurements of children and youths with normal development

RESUMO A pressão plantar é utilizada na avaliação clínica do pé e informa características da distribuição de carga plantar em atividades funcionais. Diversos instrumentos de avaliação podem ser utilizados e devem ter as propriedades psicométricas analisadas. A confiabilidade teste-reteste é uma medida de reprodutibilidade. O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar a confiabilidade teste-reteste das medidas de pressão máxima na estática e dinâmica de crianças e adolescentes com desenvolvimento normal (DN). Onze crianças e adolescentes com DN, de ambos os sexos, com idade entre 6 e 17 anos foram avaliados duas vezes, em uma plataforma sensível à pressão plantar em ortostatismo, com e sem calçado usual, com os pés posicionados de forma livre (passo interrompido) e com os pés alinhados. Dados dinâmicos foram obtidos pela caminhada sobre a plataforma com e sem calçado. Coeficientes de correlação intraclasse (CCI) foram analisados (α=0,05). Os CCI foram consistentes para: descarga de peso (DP) anterior calçado (CCI=0,83) e DP posterior descalço (CCI=0,95) e calçado (CCI=0,83) durante a análise estática com o passo interrompido. Também foram consistentes para a variável DP estática do membro inferior (MI) direito (CCI=0,86) e esquerdo (CCI=0,82) com passo interrompido descalço e, com os pés alinhados, utilizando calçados (CCI=0,82). Na análise do MI esquerdo, com o uso de calçado, a variável pressão máxima também gerou resultado satisfatório (CCI=0,85). As demais variáveis apresentaram variação de CCI entre 0,25 e 0,74, consideradas insatisfatórias. Conclui-se que os valores de CCI foram considerados excelentes para algumas condições estáticas e inconsistentes na avaliação dinâmica.

RESUMEN Se emplea la presión plantar para examinar clínicamente el pie ya que ofrece información sobre las características de distribución del peso plantar en actividades funcionales. Hay varios instrumentos de evaluación que pueden ser utilizados y que se deben de analizar sus propiedades psicométricas. La exactitud prueba-reprueba es una medida de reproducibilidad. El propósito de este estudio es evaluar la exactitud prueba-reprueba de las medidas de presión plantar máxima en la estática y dinámica de niños y adolescentes con desarrollo normal (DN). Se evaluaron dos veces a once niños y adolescentes con DN, de ambos géneros, entre 6 y 17 años de edad, utilizando una plataforma sensible a la presión plantar en ortostatismo, con y sin los zapatos habituales, con los pies posicionados de manera libre (marcha interrumpida) y con los pies alienados. Se recolectaron datos dinámicos por intermedio de caminata sobre la plataforma con y sin zapatos. Se evaluaron los coeficientes de correlación intraclase -CCI (α=0,05). Los CCI fueron consistentes para: descarga del peso (DP) anterior del zapato (CCI=0,83) y DP posterior sin zapato (CCI=0,95) y con zapato (CCI=0,83) durante el análisis estático con la marcha interrumpida. También fueron consistentes para la variable DP estática del miembro inferior (MI) derecho (CCI=0,86) e izquierdo (CCI=0,82) con la marcha interrumpida sin zapato y, con los pies alienados, con el uso de zapatos (CCI=0,82). En el análisis del MI izquierdo, con el uso de zapato, la variable de la presión máxima también presentó un buen resultado (CCI=0,85). La CCI osciló en las demás variables entre 0,25 y 0,74, consideradas insatisfactorias. Se concluye que los valores de CCI fueron excelentes para algunas condiciones estáticas e inconsistentes en la evaluación dinámica.

ABSTRACT Plantar pressure is used in clinical evaluation of the feet and informs about characteristics of the plantar load distribution during functional activity. Many evaluation instruments are used and its measurements properties must be tested. Test-retest reliability is a measure which informs about reproducibility. The objective of this study was to analyze test-retest reliability of maximum pressure measurements during static and dynamic in children and youths with normal development (ND). Eleven children and youths with ND of both sexes, with mean age between 6 and 17 years old, were evaluated twice in a weight bearing platform in orthostatic posture, barefooted and with their usual footwear, when the feet were positioned spontaneously (interrupted step) and the feet were aligned. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were analyzed (α=0.05). ICC were consistent for: anterior barefoot weight bearing (ICC=0.83) and posterior barefoot weight bearing (ICC=0.95) and with footwear (ICC=0.83), during the static analysis with interrupted step. They were also consistent for the variable static weight bearing of the right lower limb (ICC=0.86) and left lower limb (ICC=0.82) barefooted with interrupted step, and with footwear with the feet aligned (ICC=0.82). In the left lower limb analysis with footwear, the maximum pressure also showed a satisfactory result (ICC=0.85). Other variables showed ICC variation between 0.25 and 0.74, considered unsatisfactory. The conclusions are that test-retest ICC were considered excellent for some static conditions, and inconsistent in the dynamic evaluation.

Relationships between measures of muscular performance, proprioceptive acuity, and aging in elderly women with knee osteoarthritis.

INTRODUCTION: OA is a multifactorial condition, which predisposes elderly individuals to disabilities. Therefore, aging, especially in women, is considered to be a risk factor for the development and progression of this disease. The aging process and the presence of degenerative diseases lead to losses of strength and proprioceptive acuity. However, studies have reported conflicting results regarding the relationships between these variables. Moreover, it is unclear whether age remains an aggravating factor of these variables in individuals with knee OA. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the relationships between measures of muscular performance, proprioceptive acuity, and age in community-dwelling elderly women with knee OA. METHODS: This cross-sectional study involved 35 elderly women aged 65 years and over, who had a clinical diagnosis of unilateral or bilateral knee OA and were able to walk independently. The volunteers were tested for proprioceptive acuity (joint position sense and kinesthesia) and isokinetic muscular performance of the quadriceps and hamstrings on the isokinetic dynamometer Biodex System 3 Pro®. Descriptive statistics were carried out for all outcome variables and correlation coefficients were calculated with a significance level of α < 0.05. RESULTS: No significant correlations were found between the measures of muscular performance and proprioceptive acuity. Furthermore, no significant correlations were found between age and measures of strength and proprioception. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested no significant relationships between measures of proprioceptive acuity and muscular performance of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles and, especially, no influences of age on these variables in elderly women with knee OA.

Divisão alta e bilateral do nervo ciático: relato de caso / Bilateral high division of the sciatic nerves: a case report

Em um cadáver de um homem de aproximadamente 50 anos, foi observada a divisão alta e bilateral do nervo ciático. Nos dois antímeros, o nervo entrou na região glútea dividido com a porção fibular comum, atravessando o músculo piriforme e a porção tibial, passando pela sua borda inferior. No antímero direito, as porções divididas do nervo ciático voltaram a se unir na região glútea e, no esquerdo, permaneceram divididas em todo o seu trajeto. O conhecimento da divisão alta do nervo ciático, bem como do seu trajeto, tem importância durante as abordagens cirúrgicas em casos de lesões que o afetam em suas partes glúteas ou femorais e também correlacionadas com a passagem anormal através do músculo piriforme, levando a uma síndrome de compressão nervosa.

Bilateral high division of the sciatic nerve was observed in a 50-year-old male cadaver. In the two antimers, the nerve entered the gluteal region divided with the common fibular portion, crossing the piriformis muscle and tibial portion and passing through its inferior border. In the right antimer, the divided portions of the sciatic nerve became again united in the gluteal region. In the left antimer, the portions continued to be divided throughout their trajectory. The understanding of the high division of the sciatic nerve as well as of its trajectory is important for surgical procedures, in cases of injuries that affect its gluteal or femoral parts, and also in relation to its abnormal passage through the piriformis muscle, causing a nerve compression syndrome.