Evaluation of the force applied by the adductor muscles in a healthy student population performing an adduction task

Abstract

\n \n \n The adduction and abduction movement (closing and open the legs) are important tasks in daily activities. The evaluation and monitor of the force exerted by the adductor muscles can be used as a rehabilitation progress indicator, particularly in people with injuries in the central nervous system or motor neurons. The development of biomechanical devices to quantify and identify patterns in this type of force with healthy people can be a contribution in this domain. This work, approved by the Ethical Committee of IPC, aims to evaluate the force applied by the adductor muscles from a healthy group of students, performing the closing legs task.\n \n \n \n The study was carried out at Applied Biomechanics Laboratory of IPC, with a group of 32 healthy volunteers from the student community (19-26 yo), half men - half women, without lower limb injuries, 59,38% with a prevalence of sedentary lifestyle. Volunteers, sitting in a comfortable position, press a biomechanical device placed between the legs. The time-force was registered for four discrete open-leg positions.\n \n \n \n The maximum mean forces were 199N in women and 257N in men, both in the shorter range of the open-leg position. The peak of force decreases with open leg distance for both genders and was achieved between 34%–54% of the performance time ([3, 28] seconds). Moderate correlations were identified between forces applied and skeletal muscles and resting metabolism.\n \n \n \n The time-force applied was identified and registered with a developed biomechanical device. Obtained values are reliable and can be a support for future investigations.\n