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A manual indentation protocol was established to assess the quasi-linear viscoelastic (QLV) properties of lower limb soft tissues. The QLV parameters were extracted using a curve-fitting procedure on the experimental indentation data. The load-indentation responses were obtained using an ultrasound indentation apparatus with a handheld pen-sized probe. Limb soft tissues at four sites of eight normal young subjects were tested in three body postures. Four QLV model parameters were extracted from the experimental data. The initial modulus [E.sub.0] ranged from 0.22 kPa to 58.4 kPa. The nonlinear factor [E.sub.1] ranged from 21.7 kPa to 547 kPa. The time constant [Tau] ranged from 0.05 s to 8.93 s. The time-dependent material parameter [Alpha] ranged from 0.029 to 0.277. Large variations of the parameters were noted among subjects, sites, and postures.

A novel ultrasound (US) platform, consisting of an embedded US transducer connected in series with a circular silicone layer, was developed to evaluate the mechanical properties of human plantar tissues in this study. Force exerted by the foot was determined based on the deformation of the silicone layer, which was measured by US. The platform could capture the deformations of both the silicone layer and plantar tissues simultaneously. The stiffness of the plantar tissue was then extracted from the force-deformation curve. To test the feasibility of the US platform, eight phantom feet with different stiffnesses were tested using this new system. The moduli of the phantom feet were also measured by the tissue ultrasound palpation system (TUPS). The results showed that the phantom stiffness determined using the platform was in linear correlation with the corresponding modulus measured by the TUPS (R2 = 0.8914). The current system can be improved by using several US transducers to perform multiple measurements at the same time for reliable assessment of human plantar tissues in a non-invasive, convenient, and cost-effective way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinal orthosis is generally applied to the patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) during puberty to mechanically support the spine and prevent further deterioration. However, the optimum location of pressure is not easy to be determined and the X-ray taken is not a real time presentation of the spinal curvature. With the advancement of clinical ultrasound, tracing spinal processes along a scoliotic spine becomes possible, which means spinous process angle (SPA) can be obtained from ultrasound images. Moreover, SPA is found to be highly correlated with Cobb's angle. Since the outcome of orthotic intervention for AIS is considered to be associated with accurate orthosis fitting, this study seeks to apply three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound in the fitting procedure of spinal orthosis for patients with AIS. The accuracy of pressure pad location in brace can help to improve the effectiveness of spinal orthosis treatment. By means of the ultrasound assessments, spinous process angle is examined and used as the parameter to evaluate the optimal location for pressure pad. The intra-rater reliability [ICC (1, 3)] for using ultrasound to measure SPA is >0.9 (p<0.05). Furthermore, the correlation between Cobb's angle estimated from the measurement of SPA in 3-D ultrasound images and Cobb's angle measured from X-ray is highly significant (R=0.98, p<0.01). According to these findings, ultrasound can be further developed as a non-invasive real-time assessment tool for spinal curvature especially in fitting stage to improve the treatment effect of the spinal orthosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To compare the effect of moderate-intensity aquatic treadmill exercise (ATM) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cognitive function in healthy older adults to that of moderate-intensity land-based treadmill exercise (LTM). This randomized controlled trial study was conducted between May 2023 and Oct 2023. Twenty-eight participants aged 60–80 were randomly assigned to either ATM group (N = 14) or LTM group (N = 14). Cognitive function and cerebral blood flow were assessed before and after the exercise. The outcome measures used in this study were the Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) and the Digit Span Test (DST) to assess cognitive performance, and the mean middle cerebral artery blood velocity (MCAvmean) to evaluate CBF. A mixed effects model was used to analyze the within-group and between-group differences in cognitive function and CBF outcomes pre-to-post treadmill by SPSS. The DSST demonstrated a statistically significant improvement within both the ATM [β ± SE: −13.643 ± 2.407, 95 % CI: −18.749, −8.537] and LTM [β ± SE: −19.25 ± 3.66, 95 % CI: −26.424, −12.076] groups, indicating clinical significance in both groups. Both ATM and LTM groups exhibited post-exercise improvements within their respective groups for forward Digit Span Test (FDST) [ATM β ± SE: −0.143 ± 0.362, 95 % CI: −0.92, 0.634; LTM β ± SE: −0.286 ± 0.37, 95 % CI: −1.078, 0.506] and backward Digit Span Test (BDST) (ATM β ± SE: −1.741 ± 5.377, 95 % CI: −13.27, 9.792; LTM β ± SE: −6.729 ± 5.370, 95 % CI: −4.788, 18.24). In terms of MCAv mean , there is a higher improvement of CBF in ATM group [β ± SE: −138.669 ± 67.9217, 95 % CI: −288.164, 10.826] than LTM group [β ± SE: −9.305 ± 70.076, 95 % CI: −153.617, 135.007]. Hence, a single bout of moderate-intensity ATM and LTM can enhance cognitive function and CBF in healthy older adults, suggesting their potential as preventive strategies against age-related declines. • This study compared the effects of moderate-intensity aquatic treadmill exercise and land-based exercise on cerebral blood flow and cognitive function in healthy older adults • Cognitive function was assessed with the Digit Symbol Substitution and Digit Span Tests; cerebral blood flow was measured pre- and post-exercise • Both exercise groups showed significant improvements in cognitive performance, with the aquatic group showing greater cerebral blood flow enhancement • Single bout of moderate-intensity aquatic and land treadmill exercise can enhance cognitive function and cerebral blood flow in healthy older adults • Potential as preventive strategies against age-related cognitive decline [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Features the manual indentation experiment to assess the quasi-linear visco-elastic properties of lower limb soft tissues. Utilization of an indentation apparatus; Testing protocol; Reduction of data; Indentation responses; Simulation analysis.