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The International Paralympic Committee has a maximum allowable standing height (MASH) rule that limits stature to a pre-trauma estimation. The MASH rule reduces the probability that bilateral lower limb amputees use disproportionately long prostheses in competition. Although there are several methods for estimating stature, the validity of these methods has not been compared. To identify the most appropriate method for the MASH rule, this study aimed to compare the criterion validity of estimations resulting from the current method, the Contini method, and four Canda methods (Canda-1, Canda-2, Canda-3, and Canda-4). Stature, ulna length, demispan, sitting height, thigh length, upper arm length, and forearm length measurements in 31 males and 30 females were used to calculate the respective estimation for each method. Results showed that Canda-1 (based on four anthropometric variables) produced the smallest error and best fitted the data in males and females. The current method was associated with the largest error of those tests because it increasingly overestimated height in people with smaller stature. The results suggest that the set of Canda equations provide a more valid MASH estimation in people with a range of upper limb and bilateral lower limb amputations compared with the current method., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background & Aims: It remains controversial whether mid-arm anthropometric measurements (MAAMs) are reflected with physical impairment or useful predictors of mortality in the frail elderly. We examined the following hypotheses: (1) MAAMs in frail community-dwelling elderly are lower than those of independent elderly, (2) the lower MAAMs are associated with physical function impairment, and (3) are independent predictors of 2-year mortality., Methods: This study was composed of cross-sectional and prospective cohort analyses of 957 community-dwelling elderly. Data included the clients' demographic characteristics, comorbidity, activities of daily living (ADL), and MAAMs at baseline. The mean scores of MAAMs of participants were compared with Japanese Anthropometric Reference Data. Survival analysis of 2-year mortality was conducted using multivariate Cox proportional hazards models., Results: Significantly lower arm muscle area (AMA) and higher triceps skinfold (TSF) levels were observed in most of the age groups of the study participants than those of the standard Japanese population. ADL function was correlated with AMA but not with TSF, both of which were independent risk factors for 2-year mortality in the participants (highest tertile versus lowest, AMA, HR:2.03, 95%CI:1.36-3.02; TSF, HR:1.89, 95%CI:1.30-2.75)., Conclusions: AMA and TSF were independent risk factors for 2-year mortality in the community-dwelling frail elderly.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between anthropometric measurements and mortality among community-dwelling frail elderly., Methods: This study was a prospective cohort analysis of 520 community-dwelling elderly registered in the Nagoya Longitudinal Study for Frail Elderly (NLS-FE). Data included the participants' demographic characteristics, body mass index (BMI), mid-arm circumference (MAC), triceps skinfold (TSF), and arm muscle area (AMA), basic activities of daily living, comorbidity. BMI and TSF values were categorized into three groups, respectively, according to above the 75th percentile, the 25-75th percentile, and below the 25th percentile of Japanese Anthropometric Reference Data (JARD 2001). Survival analysis of 21-month mortality was conducted using Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models., Results: BMI and TSF were independent risk factors for 21-month mortality in the study participants. Significant higher risk of 21-month mortality was observed in participants below the 75th percentile of BMI or below the 25th percentile of TSF set in JARD 2001. A striking increase in the risk of 21-month mortality, adjusting for potential confounding factors, was observed in the below 75th percentile of the BMI group with a below 25th percentile TSF of JARD 2001, compared with the 75th or above percentile BMI group with the 25th or above percentile TSF., Conclusion: The combination of BMI and TSF is a predictor of 21-month mortality among older people with ADL dysfunction.

Objective: Elderly people at nursing homes often suffer from malnutrition, which is characterized by a loss of muscle mass and hypoalbuminemia. This malnourished state is closely associated with an impaired activity of daily living (ADL). We analyzed the nutritional state of such elderly individuals longitudinally over 3 years by anthropometry, serum albumin, and muscle and fat volume as estimated by MRI., Patients and Methods: The subjects consisted of 16 elderly women aged 83 +/- 7 (mean +/- SD) years who resided at a nursing home in an urban area of central Japan. We determined their ADL levels using the Barthel Index (BI) at entry. Seven women belonged to group A (BI; 65-100), thus implying either a mild or no decline in ADL, while the other 9 were in group B (BI; 0-60) and they demonstrated a severe decline in ADL. We measured the following parameters every year from 2000 to 2003; anthropometry including height, body weight, arm circumference (AC), and arm muscle circumference (AMC), thigh muscle and fat volume as estimated by MRI [thigh muscle volume (TMV) and thigh fat volume (TFV)], serum albumin, and plasma amino acid levels by blood biochemistry. The anthropometric values were converted into percentages of the age- and sex-matched reference values for Japanese., Results: In all subjects, the TMV, %AMC, and serum albumin level decreased significantly during the three-year period (p<0.05, respectively). The change in TMV correlated significantly with those in the %AC and %AMC (p<0.05, respectively). Group B showed significantly larger decreases in the %AMC and serum albumin level than group A., Conclusion: Both the muscular and visceral protein levels were found to decrease with aging in the subjects at the nursing home. This decrease depends partly on the ADL level of each subject.

The aim of this study was to describe changes in grip strength over a follow-up period of approximately 27 yr and to study the associations of rate of strength decline with weight change and chronic conditions. The data are from the Honolulu Heart Program, a prospective population-based study established in 1965. Participants at exam 1 were 8,006 men (ages 45-68 yr) who were of Japanese ancestry and living in Hawaii. At follow-up, 3,741 men (age range, 71-96 yr) participated. Those who died before the follow-up showed significantly lower grip-strength values at baseline than did the survivors. The average annualized strength change among the survivors was -1.0%. Steeper decline (>1.5%/yr) was associated with older age at baseline, greater weight decrease, and chronic conditions such as stroke, diabetes, arthritis, coronary heart disease, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The risk factors for having very low hand-grip strength at follow-up, here termed grip-strength disability (

Stature, upper extremity length (UEL) and hand length (HL) were measured once yearly in children (171 males and 180 females) in Ogi County, Saga, Japan, from the 1 st grade of primary school (6.5 years of age) for 12 years. Based on the age of growth cessation, the order of growth cessation of stature, UEL and HL was investigated, in addition to the relationship between this order and the measurements obtained at 6.5 years of age. With regard to the order of growth cessation of stature and UEL, growth cessation of UEL occurred earlier than that of stature in 73.68% of males and 71.67% of females, growth cessation occurred simultaneously in 23.98% of males and 25.56% of females, and growth cessation of UEL occurred later than that of stature in 2.34% of males and 2.78% of females. According, growth cessation of UEL occurred earlier than that of stature in most subjects. In males, no significant differences were observed between subjects in whom growth cessation of UEL and HL occurred simultaneously and those in whom growth cessation of UEL occurred later than that of HL. However, in females, significant differences were noted, since the latter case was observed 1.69 times more frequently than the former. Nevertheless, growth cessation of stature, UEL and HL occurred at almost the same age in both males and females when cross-sectional data was used for processing, in agreement with data reported by other researchers. We also investigated whether there was any relationship between stature and UEL at initial examination and the order of growth cessation. No significant relationship was observed. Each measured value at initial examination tended to be large in subjects in whom growth cessation of stature and UEL occurred earlier. In addition, final stature was significantly taller in both males and females in whom growth cessation of stature occurred later compared to those in whom growth cessation occurred earlier.

Anatomical studies on the extensor pollicis et indicis accessorius and extensor indicis radialis muscles were conducted on 952 upper limbs from 476 Japanese adult cadavers. Each anomalous muscle occurred between the extensor pollicis longus proprius and extensor indicis proprius muscles in the dorsum of the forearm and hand. The extensor pollicis et indicis accessorius muscle was present in 13 of the limbs (1.4%). It was not coexistent with another anomalous muscle of the extensor digitorum profundus mass in 9 cases, and it was coexistent with that muscle in 4. The extensor indicis radialis muscle was present in 34 limbs (3.6%). It was accompanied by another anomaly of the extensor digitorum profundus mass in 5 cases, and not accompanied by that muscle in 29. The extensor pollicis et indicis accessorius and extensor indicis radialis muscles were innervated by the posterior interosseus nerve of the radial nerve. It seems that the former anomalous muscle supplies the extensor control of the thumb and index finger, and the latter one of the index finger only. Each anomalous muscle was considered to be differentiating on the radial side of the extensor digitorum profundus mass in humans.

The anthropometric data of the health check programme in the Oita Wheelchair Marathon Race were analysed. In the past 10 years, a total of 2677 competitors participated in this programme. Age, height, body weight, body fat, lung vital capacity, girth of chest, girth of upper arm, grasping force and power of upper arm were compared between 710 fine competitors and 99 poor competitors. Power of the upper arms and lung vital capacity played a major part in the result of the races. It was suggested that these two factors had major influences on the achievement of this type of sports activity.

Out of 546 upper limbs (273 cadavers), supernumerary heads of the biceps brachii were found in 75 limbs (13.7%) of 58 cadavers (21.3%). The form, origin, and insertion of the supernumerary heads, and branching pattern of the musculocutaneus nerve were studied. In addition, the dimensions of the heads were measured. In many cases, the supernumerary head arose from the humerus, between the insertion of the coracobrachialis and the upper part of the origin of the brachialis, and/or from the medial intermuscular septum. In a few cases, a supernumerary head arose from the tendon of the pectoralis major or the deltoid, or from the articular capsule, or from the crest of the greater tubercle. The supernumerary heads typically joined the common belly, or the aponeurosis of the biceps brachii. Some heads joined the belly of the long head or that of the short head. In the examination of the branching pattern of the musculocutaneus nerve, communication between the musculocutaneus nerve and the median nerve was found in 43 out of the 75 limbs (57.3%). The communicating branch ran from the musculocutaneus nerve to the median nerve in 24, from the median nerve to the musculocutaneus nerve in 12, in both directions in 5, or in another type of pattern in 2 out of 43 limbs. Sometimes a branch of the musculocutaneus nerve ran around a supernumerary head and then fused with the present trunk. The presence of a supernumerary head seemed to affect the course and branching of the musculocutaneus nerve.

The value of creatinine height index (CHI), defined as milligrams of 24-h urinary excretion of creatinine divided by height in centimeters, was investigated on 21 healthy Japanese adults engaged in sedentary work. The average values were 10.58 in males and 6.68 in females. High partial correlation coefficients controlling sex were found among CHI, weight, fat-free mass, arm muscle area (AMA) and 24-h urinary excretion of creatinine. These indices had high loadings in the first factor of body size by principal component analysis. Regression of CHI on AMA differed in the intercept (i.e. the level of CHI at corresponding AMA) but not in the slope, from that studied under low-creatine diet in the U.S.A. Correcting AMA using arm bone area for Japanese and CHI with dietary factor, the relation between CHI and AMA in this study seemed to be in good agreement with that found in the U.S.A.

Whole body counting of potassium-40 and anthropometric measurements were done on 88 urban and rural Japanese boys 12 to 14 years of age. The log-normal distribution provided a good fit to the observed data of potassium content in both groups. The urban and rural boys did not differ significantly in age, weight, body and sitting height, chest and abdomen circumferences, antero-posterior diameter of chest and abdomen, and grip strength. On the other hand, the mean potassium content, K/body weight, K/fat-free mass and estimated upper-arm muscle circumference were significantly greater in rural boys. Skinfold thickness and percentage fat were significantly greater in urban boys. In a regression analysis estimating whole body potassium from anthropometric variables, body weight and skinfold thickness were the most significant variables, accounting for 85.2% of the total variation. Estimation errors were smaller in the rural than in the urban group. Factor analysis was used to identify the factors which could explain the items measuring body composition and strength. Factor 1, in which potassium content and grip strength are the most important items, was designated as the 'Muscular Factor', and Factor 2, in which skinfold thickness and upper-arm circumference are the most significant items, was designated as the 'Fatness Factor'. The factor scores of rural subjects were scattered in a considerably narrower range than those of urban subjects.

Since 1945, the Japanese physique has changed a great deal. Physical examinations of medical students at Kyushu University have been carried out on an annual basis since 1939. We investigated changes in body proportions using data on 813 medical students examined from 1961 to 1986. During these 26 years, standing height has increased by 4.69 cm, arm length by 2.58 cm, and sitting height by 0.79 cm. Thus, the Japanese have grown taller and their extremities are longer, yet the trunk has not changed significantly. This study also shows a 10-year delay in increase in length of the upper extremities.