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Background: While low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide, its clinical objective assessment is currently limited. Part of this syndrome arises from the abnormal sensorimotor control of back muscles, involving increased muscle fatigability (i.e., assessed with the Biering–Sorensen test) and abnormal muscle activation patterns (i.e., the flexion–extension test). Surface electromyography (sEMG) provides objective measures of muscle fatigue development (median frequency drop, MDF) and activation patterns (RMS amplitude change). This study therefore assessed the sensitivity and validity of a novel and flexible sEMG system (NSS) based on PEVA electrodes and potentially embeddable in textiles, as a tool for objective clinical LBP assessment. Methods: Twelve participants wearing NSS and a commercial laboratory sEMG system (CSS) performed two clinical tests used in LBP assessment (Biering–Sorensen and flexion–extension). Erector spinae muscle activity was recorded at T12-L1 and L4-L5. Results: NSS showed sensitivity to sEMG changes associated with fatigue development and muscle activations during flexion–extension movements (p < 0.05) that were similar to CSS (p > 0.05). Raw signals showed moderate cross-correlations (MDF: 0.60–0.68; RMS: 0.53–0.62). Adding conductive gel to the PEVA electrodes did not influence sEMG signal interpretation (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This novel sEMG system is promising for assessing electrophysiological indicators of LBP during clinical tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We noted that patients with thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) have elevation of the ipsilateral scapula and named this the scapular elevation sign (SES). The aim was to determine the prevalence of SES in a normal cohort, compare SES with other provocative tests and to determine the treatment effect on SES. Methods: First, normal asymptomatic subjects were prospectively assessed to determine the prevalence of SES in a normal cohort. Second, patients with TOS were retrospectively examined for the presence of SES and four provocative tests: supraclavicular pressure, scalene test, elevated arm stress test (EAST) and the military brace manoeuvre. All patients were initially treated non-surgically. Surgery was offered to patients with persistent symptoms at 6 months. Patients were re-examined for the presence of the SES after treatment. Results: The prevalence of SES in our normal cohort was 4% (2/53). Our study cohort included 20 patients with TOS. The SES was positive in 18 patients (90%). Supraclavicular pressure was positive in 11 (55%), scalene test in 13 (65%), EAST in 9 (45%) and military brace manoeuvre in 11 patients (55%). Following non-surgical treatment, six patients had symptom resolution, three had improvement, nine persistent symptoms and two were lost to follow-up. The SES was positive in one out of six patients with symptom resolution, two out of three patients with improvement and in all nine patients with persistent symptoms. Patients with persistent symptoms underwent surgery with symptom resolution in eight and improvement in one patient. The SES remained positive in two patients after surgical treatment. Conclusions: The SES is simple and sensitive, does not rely on variations in performance of the test and suitable for diagnosis and assessment of outcomes of TOS. Level of Evidence: Level III (Diagnostic) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Overhead Squat (OHS) and Single-Leg Squat (SLS) are two clinical tests used by practitioners to identify high-risk biomechanical movement patterns. Several published studies have reported sex differences in SLS performance; however, few have investigated variations during the OHS and none has measured kinematics with a marker-less motion capture system. Therefore, this study aimed to compare biomechanical movement patterns between male and female collegiate athletes during OHS and SLS testing. Seventy-five females and 58 male athletes completed OHS and SLS. A Microsoft Kinect sensor using Athletic Movement Assessment software (PhysiMax®) was used to measure kinematics. For the OHS, males displayed greater peak knee frontal plane projection angles (FPPA) (M:26°±10°, F:20°±8°; P < 0.05), peak hip flexion (M:-94°±14°, F:-87°±15°; P < 0.05), and peak trunk flexion angles (M:11°±11°, F:6°±9°; P < 0.05). For the SLS (dominant-limb), males displayed greater peak trunk flexion (M:32°±6°, F:27°±7°; P < 0.05). For the non-dominant limb, females displayed greater peak knee FPPA (F:-12°±9°, M:-8°±9°; P < 0.05) whereas males displayed greater peak trunk flexion angles (M:32°±5°, F:27°±7°; P < 0.05). These findings suggest the need for practitioners to develop sex-specific corrective exercise programmes in effort to improve lower extremity kinematics in athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While low back pain (LBP) is the leading cause of disability worldwide, its clinical objective assessment is currently limited. Part of this syndrome arises from the abnormal sensorimotor control of back muscles, involving increased muscle fatigability (i.e., assessed with the Biering–Sorensen test) and abnormal muscle activation patterns (i.e., the flexion–extension test). Surface electromyography (sEMG) provides objective measures of muscle fatigue development (median frequency drop, MDF) and activation patterns (RMS amplitude change). This study therefore assessed the sensitivity and validity of a novel and flexible sEMG system (NSS) based on PEVA electrodes and potentially embeddable in textiles, as a tool for objective clinical LBP assessment. Methods: Twelve participants wearing NSS and a commercial laboratory sEMG system (CSS) performed two clinical tests used in LBP assessment (Biering–Sorensen and flexion–extension). Erector spinae muscle activity was recorded at T12-L1 and L4-L5. Results: NSS showed sensitivity to sEMG changes associated with fatigue development and muscle activations during flexion–extension movements (p < 0.05) that were similar to CSS (p > 0.05). Raw signals showed moderate cross-correlations (MDF: 0.60–0.68; RMS: 0.53–0.62). Adding conductive gel to the PEVA electrodes did not influence sEMG signal interpretation (p > 0.05). Conclusions: This novel sEMG system is promising for assessing electrophysiological indicators of LBP during clinical tests.

Objective: To determine impairments on self-reported/performance-based function in individuals with patellofemoral pain (PFP) as well as physical and non-physical factors potentially related with these impairments., Data Sources: We searched MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, and SPORTDiscus databases from inception until January 2024., Study Selection: We included studies comparing self-reported/performance-based measures of function between individuals with PFP and their pain-free limbs or pain-free individuals., Data Extraction: Two independent researchers extracted the key information from each study., Data Synthesis: We performed meta-analyses for each self-reported/performance-based measure of function and meta-regressions to identify factors that might explain meta-analyses outcomes. We assessed the certainty of evidence using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE). We included 83 studies (2807 individuals with PFP and 2518 pain-free individuals). We identified very low to high certainty evidence that individuals with PFP have reduced self-reported (large effect sizes, standardized mean difference [SMD], -1.99; 95% confidence interval [CI]:-2.41,-1.57 to SMD, -4.87; 95% CI:-6.97,-2.77) and performance-based (small to large effect sizes: SMD, -.30; 95% CI:-.58, -.02 to SMD, -1.21; 95% CI:-2.71, -.29) measures of function compared to pain-free individuals, but there are no differences between limbs in individuals with unilateral PFP for the most of performance-based measures of function (small to moderate effect sizes, SMD, -.20; 95% CI:-.68, .27 to SMD, -.49; 95% CI:-1.02, .03). Age, body mass index, duration of symptoms and self-reported pain did not significantly explain self-reported function, whereas age did not significantly explain performance-based function (R2 25 <.01 to .02, p =.145 to .914)., Conclusion: Our results highlight the negative impact of PFP on self-reported and performance- based function, which seems to also affect the pain-free limb. Self-reported and performance- based measures of function should be considered when assessing individuals with PFP. None of the factors investigated explained impaired self-reported and performance-based function.

Background: The objective of this study is to examine the association between special tests for subscapularis tears and both pain and tear severity., Methods: Nine hundred and two patients (145 with isolated lesions and 757 with combined lesions) diagnosed with arthroscopically confirmed subscapularis tears between 2010 and 2022. Subscapularis tear severity was classified according to Lafosse classification type I, II, III and IV. Preoperative Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) pain score at rest of the patients, flexion and abduction range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder and the results of the Lift-off test (LOT), Belly Press test (BPT), Bear Hug test (BHT), and Empty Can test (ECT) were documented., Results: The sensitivity of LOT in isolated and combined tears was 70.3 % and 69.5 %, 45.6 % and 41.2 % of BPT, 72.1 % and 72.6 % of BHT, 81.2 % and 84.1 % of ECT, respectively. There was no association between the severity of the subscapularis tear and the sensitivity in all special tests (p > 0.05). Only the ECT was observed to be associated with pain in the multivariate logistic regression analysis (OR = 33.1, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The special tests used to evaluate subscapularis tears are neither sensitive to the severity of the tear nor to pain except for ECT. BHT is the most successful test to detect any subscapularis tear in both isolated and combined tears. Pain severity was related to the presence of a rotator cuff lesion accompanying subscapularis lesion, but not with the severity of subscapularis or remaining rotator cuff tear., Study Design: Levels of Evidence III, cross-sectional archive study., Clinical Trial Registration Number: Since the study was a retrospective archive study, there was no clinical trial registration., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest No funding was received for the study. All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 The Japanese Orthopaedic Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Determine whether combining magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) observations and clinical tests could substantially improve sensitivity for diagnosis of long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT) pathology., Methods: The authors retrospectively assessed a consecutive series of 140 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for isolated supraspinatus tears. The presence of LHBT pathology was assessed preoperatively on MRI using three criteria and four clinical tests specific to shoulder injuries. Binary outcomes of MRI observations and four clinical tests were combined to identify combinations resulting in the best sensitivity using intra-operative arthroscopic findings as reference., Results: The study cohort comprised 100 shoulders (58 men and 42 women) aged 56.6 ± 9.4 years (range, 30-76) at index surgery. A total of 29 combinations were tested to obtain the best diagnostic algorithm for LHBT pathologies. Only four combinations reached a sensitivity ≥0.75, but had a specificity <0.45. The 'Speed or Signal' combination achieved the highest sensitivity (Se: 0.88; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.73%-0.96%; Sp: 0.20; 95% CI: 0.10%-0.33%)., Conclusion: The most important findings of this study were that, for the diagnosis of LHBT pathology using clinical tests alone, the Speed test had the highest sensitivity (Se, 0.74), and using MRI observations alone, the signal intensity had the highest sensitivity (Se, 0.68). Combination of 'Speed test or Signal intensity' substantially improved the sensitivity (Se, 0.88) but yielded the lowest specificity (Sp, 0.20). The clinical relevance of these findings is that using the combination 'Speed or Signal' for preoperative diagnosis, 88% of pathologic LHBTs would be correctly diagnosed, while 80% of healthy LHBTs could be misdiagnosed as pathologic., Level of Evidence: Diagnostic study, Level IV., Competing Interests: David Gallinet reports consulting and royalties from moveUP outside the submitted work. Maxime Antoni reports fees from ConMed and fees and royalties FX Shoulder Solutions outside the submitted work. Julien Berhouet reports consulting for Wright Medical outside the submitted work. Jacques Guery reports fees from moveUP outside of the submitted work. The remaining authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy.)

Context: People with patellofemoral pain (PFP) may have lower performance during the forward step-down and single-leg hop with their painful (unilateral complaints) or most painful (bilateral complaints) limb when compared to pain-free controls. Yet, no study has investigated the appropriateness of using the pain-free/less painful limb as a reference standard in clinical practice or whether deficits might be present depending on the laterality of pain., Objective: To compare performance scores and proportion of side-to-side limb symmetry during the forward step-down and single-leg hop tests among people with unilateral and bilateral PFP, and pain-free controls., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Laboratory., Patients or Other Participants: Fifty-two young adults (18-35 years old) with unilateral PFP, 72 with bilateral PFP, and 76 controls., Main Outcome Measure(s): Group-by-limb interactions on the performance during the step- down (repetitions) and hop test (distance [cm] normalized by the limb length) were investigated using a repeated-measures analysis of covariance controlling for sex. Pairwise comparisons were interpreted using effect sizes. A Chi-square test was used to compare the proportion of symmetry/asymmetry (cutoff point of ≥ 90% for symmetries indices) across groups and tests., Results: Main effects for groups (small-to-medium effects) but not limbs indicated lower performance of both limbs of individuals with unilateral and bilateral PFP compared to controls during forward step-downs and single-leg hop tests. No significant differences for the proportion of symmetry/asymmetry were identified across groups (p ≥ 0.05), which further suggests an impaired physical performance of the contralateral limb., Conclusions: Our results indicate bilateral deficits in the physical performance of people with unilateral and bilateral PFP when compared to pain-free controls during the forward step-down and single-leg hop tests. Limb symmetries indices greater than 90% should be interpreted with caution, as they may overstate the physical performance by not assuming bilateral deficits., Competing Interests: Conflicts Of Interest: We affirm that we have no other conflicts of interest (e.g., personal associations or involvement) that have played a role in the design, execution, analysis and interpretation of data or writing of this manuscript.