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The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between re-injury worry, confidence, and attention and athletes' functional status upon returning to sport after an injury. The sample consisted of 28 amateur-level male football players, aged 18 to 35 years, with a previous lower-limb injury. The athletes followed a physiotherapy rehabilitation program and completed three valid questionnaires examining re-injury worry, sport confidence, and attention returning to sport. The sample also performed three functional tests: (a) single-leg hop for distance, (b) side hop, and (c) the vertical jump. The results showed high correlations between the psychological factors between the functional tests. Physiotherapy duration was positively highly correlated with the time of absence from sport and severity of injury. The severity of the injury was also positively highly correlated with the time of absence from sport. The factors "Functional Attention" and "Distraction Attention" showed a positive and negative correlation with the single-leg hop for distance and the vertical jump, respectively. Athletes with a grade II severity injury showed greater attention compared to grade III severity injury. The increased level of re-injury worry was positively related to "Distraction Attention" and negatively related to the functional ability of the injured limb. The psychological readiness was partially related to the athletes' functional status. The present study reports the importance of psychological readiness and its relationship with athletes' functional status of returning to sport following a musculoskeletal sport injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings are the gold standard for diagnosing herniated discs, there are many limitations to accessing MRI scanning devices in practice. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between functional tests (the visual analog scale (VAS), the SLUMP test, the Sciatica Bothersomeness Index (SBI), the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the LASEGUE test and MRI findings (LSA, IVDH L4-L5, IVDH L5-S1, DHS L4-L5, and DHS L5-S1) in patients diagnosed with disc herniation. Seventy-eight patients who met the inclusion criteria participated in the study. Radiologists and neurologists evaluated patients with disc herniation. After the disc hernia diagnosis, the patients were referred to a physical therapist for conservative management of the disk hernia. The physical therapists assessed the pain level and performed functional tests on patients. All statistical analyses were performed using R (Core Team) software. The correlation between the measured variables was conducted using the Pearson and Spearman tests. The study results indicated statistically significant correlations between DHS L4-L5 vertebral level and functional tests (VAS: r = 0.49, p = 0.00; SBI: r = 0.44, p = 0.00; ODI: r = 0.49, p = 0.00; LASEGUE: r = −0.48, p = 0.00; SLUMP: r = 0.50, p = 0.00). In conclusion, physiotherapists may prefer functional tests to diagnose the herniated disc, and these functional tests may contribute to performing evidence-based assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With the increasing number of older adults and their declining motor and cognitive function, it is crucial to find alternative methods for assessing physical functionality. The Short Physical Performance Battery (SPPB), the Time Up and Go (TUG) test, the 4 Meter Walk Test and the Barthel Index (BI) have been used to evaluate mobility and fragility and predict falls. But some of these functional test tasks could be difficult to perform for frail older adults or bedridden patients that cannot ambulate. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between these functional tests and the power elbow flexion (PEF test). Material and methods: A correlation study was designed with 41 older adults over 65 years of age. The upper limb muscle power was measured using a linear encoder (VITRUBE VBT) with the flexion of the elbow. Results: Strong correlations were found between the PEF test and the 4mWT (rho = 0.715, p = 0.001) and TUG (rho= −0.768, p = 0.001), indicating that the greater the upper limb muscle power is, the greater physical performance will be. Moderate correlations were also found between the PEF and Barthel Index (rho = 0.495, p = 0.001) and SPPB (rho = 0.650, p < 0.001). Conclusions: There is a strong correlation between PEF and the functional tests, proving that older adults that have greater upper limb muscle power have better physical performance. Upper limb muscle power and PEF could be an interesting tool for the assessment of physical performance in bedridden older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Severe carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common compression neuropathy in the upper extremities treated conservatively; later, when advanced, CTS is treated mostly surgically. The most prevalent symptoms comprise numbness, as well as sensation loss in the thumb, index, and middle finger, and thenar muscle strength loss, resulting in impaired daily functioning for patients. Data on the results of CTS treatment in patients with delayed surgical intervention are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the postoperative results of chronic carpal tunnel syndrome treatment in patients with symptoms lasting for at least 5 years. Materials and Methods: A total of 86 patients (69 females, 17 males) with a mean age of 58 years reporting symptoms of CTS for at least 5 years (mean: 8.5 years) were prospectively studied. The average follow-up time was 33 months. All patients underwent the surgical open decompression of the median nerve at the wrist. A preoperative observation was composed of an interview and a clinical examination. The subjects completed the DASH (the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand), PRWE (Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation), and self-report questionnaires. Global grip strength, sensory discrimination, characteristic symptoms of CTS, and thenar muscle atrophy were examined. Postoperatively, clinical and functional examinations were repeated, and patients expressed their opinions by completing a BCTQ (Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire). Results: We found improvements in daily activities and hand function postoperatively. Overall, 88% of patients were satisfied with the outcome of surgery. DASH scores decreased after surgery from 44.82 to 14.12 at p < 0.001. PRWE questionnaire scores decreased from 53.34 to 15.19 at p < 0.001. The mean score of the BCTQ on the scale regarding the severity of symptoms was 1.48 and 1.62 on the scale regarding function after surgery. No significant differences were found in the scores between the male and female groups or between age groups (p > 0.05). A significant increase in global grip strength from 16.61 kg to 21.91 kg was observed postoperatively at p < 0.001. No significant difference was detected in the measurement of sensory discrimination (6.02 vs. 5.44). In most of the examined patients, night numbness and wrist pain subsided after surgery at p < 0.001. Thenar muscle atrophy diminished after surgery at p < 0.001. Conclusions: Most patients were satisfied with the results of CTS surgery regarding the open decompression of the median nerve even after 5 years of ineffective conservative treatment. Significant improvement of the hand function was confirmed in the functional studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Railway traffic control (RTC) equipment are technical devices developed for maintaining the safety of rail vehicle traffic operation, and must satisfy certain requirements related to a specific level of traffic safety and effectiveness. They are designed to ensure operational reliability under the intended application conditions throughout their entire service life. Regardless of their type and kind, however, they must behave in accordance with the assumed functional rules and requirements. This is why periodic tests of their correct operation are so crucial. Functional tests are applied to this end. They are employed in the course of device design and approval for use as well as in equipment operational diagnostics. Previous methods for generating test sets and their processing have been intuitive and often rely on the experience of testers that have been acquired in the course of implementing other tests. Such tests may be incomplete or fail to take into account all studied functions. Therefore, this article presents a proprietary method for generating functional tests covering railway traffic control devices that improve their readiness. The authors describe a test determination procedure algorithm and specify the conditions to be met by a test set and by optimization criteria. The article ends with a computer-based exemplification of the developed functional test generation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most common neurodegenerative disease. To manage motor symptoms not controlled adequately with medication, deep brain stimulation (DBS) is used. PD patients often manifest vitamin D deficiency, which may be connected with a higher risk of falls. We administered a 12-week vitamin D3 supplementation based on BMI (with higher doses given to patients with higher BMI) to investigate its effects on physical performance and inflammation status in PD patients with DBS. Patients were randomly divided into two groups: treated with vitamin D3 (VitD, n = 13), and supplemented with vegetable oil as the placebo group (PL, n = 16). Patients underwent functional tests to assess their physical performance three times during this study. The serum 25(OH)D3 concentration increased to the recommended level of 30 ng/mL in the VitD group, and a significant elevation in vitamin D metabolites in this group was found. We observed significant improvement in the Up and Go and the 6 MWT in the VitD group. In inflammation status, we noticed a trend toward a decrease in the VitD group. To conclude, achieving the optimal serum 25(OH)D3 concentration is associated with better functional test performance and consequently may have a positive impact on reducing falling risk in PD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature predominantly advocates subjective perception of disability and pain as an outcome measure for the functional evaluation of patients with low back pain (LBP). Physical outcome measurements are almost completely ignored. In this systematic review, we focused on physical functional measurements that can contribute to the prediction of patients' return to work (RTW) readiness after sick leave or rehabilitation. Searches were conducted in July 2022 without any time limit in the Cochrane Library, PEDro, PubMed and Scopus databases for functional and clinical tests reliable and applicable in clinical practice without demanding equipment. Two independent researchers extracted the data from the included articles in a standardised data collection form, and a third researcher validated the data extraction. No date restriction was applied. We followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines in conducting the review. We found seven original articles, including six with an impact on predicting RTW. We found four fair and three poor original studies fulfilling our criteria. We found the Back Performance Scale (BPS) and back endurance test to be the most promising tests for occupational health service and the clinical practitioner. Radiation of back pain, with or without neurological deficiencies, had some predictive value in terms of RTW, too. The working conditions vary a lot, which causes inconsistency in the studies and in their interpretation. Functional tests could complete the widely used working ability evaluations methods such as the Work Ability Index (WAI) and are worth considering for future research. Overall, more research is needed in this field. The question of when LBP patients can resume everyday activities and work is not possible to determine with functional tests alone. Psychosocial aspects and work demands must be considered. PROSPERO: CRD42022353955. The study was funded by the University of Helsinki.

Sports injuries can affect the performance of athletes. For this reason, functional tests are used for injury assessment and prevention, analyzing physical or physiological imbalances and detecting asymmetries. The main aim of this study was to detect the asymmetries in the upper limbs (right and left arms) in athletes, using the OctoBalance Test (OB), depending on the stage of the season. Two hundred and fifty-two participants (age: 23.33 ± 8.96 years old; height: 178.63 ± 11.12 cm; body mass: 80.28 ± 17.61 kg; body mass index: 24.88 ± 4.58; sports experience: 12.52 ± 6.28 years), practicing different sports (rugby, athletics, football, swimming, handball, triathlon, basketball, hockey, badminton and volleyball), assessed with the OB in medial, superolateral, and inferolateral directions in both arms, in four moments of the season (May 2017, September 2017, February 2018 and May 2018). ANOVA test was used with repeated measures with a p ≤ 0.05, for the analysis of the different studied variances. Significant differences were found ( p = 0.021) in the medial direction of the left arm, between the first (May 2017) and fourth stages (May 2018), with values of 71.02 ± 7.15 cm and 65.03 ± 7.66 cm. From the detection of asymmetries, using the OB to measure, in the medial, superolateral and inferolateral directions, mobility and balance can be assessed. In addition, it is possible to observe functional imbalances, as a risk factor for injury, in each of the stages into which the season is divided, which will help in the prevention of injuries and in the individualization of training.

To develop a methodology for predicting success in artistic swimming based on a set of morphofunctional indicators and indices, 30 schoolgirls, average age (12.00 ± 0.22), were divided into two groups. Group 1: 15 athletes, training experience 4-5 years. Group 2: 15 schoolgirls without training experience. For each participant, we determined the length and weight of the body, the circumference of the chest, vital lung capacity, and the circumference of the biceps in a tense and at rest. The Erisman index, biceps index, and the ratio of proper and actual vital lung capacity was calculated. Them, we conducted the Stange and Genchi hypoxic tests, and flexibility tests for "Split", "Crab position", and "Forward bend". Prediction was conducted using the Wald test with the calculation of predictive coefficients and their informativeness. A predictive table containing results of functional tests and indices of artistic swimming athletes is developed. It includes nine criteria, which informativeness varied in the range of 395.70-31.98. The content of the prediction consists of evaluating the results, determining the appropriate predictive coefficient, and summing these coefficients before reaching one of the predictive thresholds. The conducted research allowed us to substantiate and develop a method for predicting the success of female athletes with the use of morphofunctional indicators and indices.

The articular evaluation of range of motion (ROM) is currently used to observe imbalance or limitations as possible risk factors or predispositions to suffer future injures. The main aim of this study is to verify the concurrent validity, reliability and reproducibility of the OctoBalance Test (OB) as a valid and reliable tool to measure articular ROM of the upper limb compared to the modified-Upper Quarter Y-Balance Test (mUQYBT). The twenty-five participants were male athletes. All of them were assessed with OB and mUQYBT in medial, superolateral, and inferolateral directions in both right and left arms with a three-minute break during these attempts. The process was repeated a second time with a week gap between measurements. Pearson correlation and linear logarithmic regression were used to examine the relationship between scores obtained with OB and mUQYBT. In order to verify the reliability, the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used (3.1). Concordance and reproducibility were assessed using Bland-Altman's graph. A perfect correlation and an almost linear logarithmic regression (R 2 = 0.97) were observed between both measurement systems, with values of 73.531 ± 21.226 cm in mUQYBT and 69.541 ± 16.330 cm in OB. The differences were minimal between week one and week two. The assessment with Bland's graph showed the concordance and reproducibility of scores, showing the dispersion and the upper and lower limits. OB is shown as valid in comparison to the other test as a reliable and reproducible tool for the assessment of the articular ROM in the upper limb, and it could be used for the evaluation of injuries.

The objective of this study was the preparation and physico-chemical, mechanical, biological, and functional characterization of a multifunctional coating for an innovative, fully implantable device. The multifunctional coating was designed to have three fundamental properties: adhesion to device, close mechanical resemblance to human soft tissues, and control of the inflammatory response and tissue repair process. This aim was fulfilled by preparing a multilayered coating based on three components: a hydrophilic primer to allow device adhesion, a poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel layer to provide good mechanical compliance with the human tissue, and a layer of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) fibers. The use of biopolymer fibers offered the potential for a long-term interface able to modulate the release of an anti-inflammatory drug (dexamethasone), thus contrasting acute and chronic inflammation response following device implantation. Two copolymers, poly(vinyl acetate-acrylic acid) and poly(vinyl alcohol-acrylic acid), were synthetized and characterized using thermal analysis (DSC, TGA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR chemical imaging), in vitro cell viability, and an adhesion test. The resulting hydrogels were biocompatible, biostable, mechanically compatible with soft tissues, and able to incorporate and release the drug. Finally, the multifunctional coating showed a good adhesion to titanium substrate, no in vitro cytotoxicity, and a prolonged and controlled drug release. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on a quasi-experimental study that aimed to identify changes in muscle function (i.e., mobility, maximal walking speed, lower limb muscle strength, balance, and transfer capacity), cognition (i.e., executive function) and hemodynamic parameters of community-dwelling Brazilian older adults during a six-month multicomponent exercise program (MCEP). A total of 436 community-dwelling older adults performed functional, cognitive and hemodynamic assessments before and after a six-month MCEP. The program of exercise was performed twice a week over 26 weeks at moderate intensity. Results indicate that balance, mobility (i.e., usual and maximal walking speeds) and transfer capacity ( p < 0.05) were significantly improved after the MCEP. Moreover, all hemodynamic parameters (i.e., systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressures), except for heart rate ( p > 0.05), were significantly reduced after the intervention. The current findings indicate that a six-month MCEP may provide physical and hemodynamic benefits in community-dwelling older adults. Nevertheless, our findings need to be confirmed in larger samples and better designed studies.