Raquel de Oliveira Lupion

The structural and mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon 2 years after surgical repair.

BACKGROUND Acute ruptures of the Achilles tendon affect the tendons structural and mechanical properties. The long-term effects of surgical repair on these properties remain unclear. PURPOSE To evaluate effects of early mobilization versus traditional immobilization rehabilitation programs 2 years after surgical Achilles tendon repair, by comparing force-elongation and stress-strain relationships of the injured tendon to those of the uninjured tendon. METHODS A group of males with previous Achilles tendon rupture (n=18) and a group of healthy male controls (n=9) participated. Achilles tendon rupture group consisted of patients that had received early mobilization (n=9) and patients that had received traditional immobilization with a plaster cast (n=9). Comparisons of tendon structural and mechanical properties were made between Achilles tendon rupture and healthy control groups, and between the uninjured and injured sides of the two rehabilitation groups in Achilles tendon rupture group. Ultrasound was used to determine bilaterally tendon cross-sectional area, tendon resting length, and tendon elongation as a function of torque during maximal voluntary plantar flexion. From these data, Achilles tendon force-elongation and stress-strain relationships were determined. FINDINGS The Achilles tendon rupture group uninjured side was not different from healthy control group. Structural and mechanical parameters of the injured side were not different between the Achilles tendon rupture early mobilization and the immobilization groups. Compared to the uninjured side, the injured side showed a reduction in stress at maximal voluntary force, in Youngs modulus and in stiffness. INTERPRETATION Two years post-surgical repair, the Achilles tendon mechanical properties had not returned to the uninjured contralateral tendon values.

Avaliação dos multífidos lombares em atletas do remo durante exercício de estabilização vertebral

Lumbar stabilization is important in high performance rowing due to the high incidence of low back pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the lumbar stabilizers muscles performance during an exercise of spinal segmental stabilization and in lumbar multifidus muscle thickness in rowing athletes trained and untrained for this exercise. Nine rowers trained with lumbar stabilization (TLS) and eight rowers without training (CON) participated in the study. Lumbar stabilization performance and multifidus muscle thickness were measured during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction. Lumbar stabilization performance was higher (p=0.015) in the TLS (mean 18.38 ± 8.00 mmHg) compared to the CON (9.31 ± 4.91 mmHg) group. Muscle thickness variation was higher (p=0.023) in the TLS (6.92% ± 3.98) compared to the CON (2.81% ± 1.40) group. Lumbar stabilization training is an efficient clinical tool to strengthen lumbar muscles and may help to prevent low back pain in rowers.A estabilizacao lombar e fundamental em esportes de alto rendimento como o remo, devido a elevada incidencia de lombalgia. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o desempenho dos musculos estabilizadores lombares e a espessura do musculo multifido lombar durante um exercicio de estabilizacao segmentar vertebral em remadores. Nove remadores treinados com exercicios de estabilizacao lombar (TLS) e oito remadores destreinados (CON) foram avaliados. O desempenho dos musculos estabilizadores lombares e a espessura dos musculos multifidos foram mensurados durante uma contracao voluntaria isometrica maxima. O desempenho foi maior (p=0,015) no grupo TLS (18,38±8,00 mmHg) quando comparado ao grupo CON (9,31±4,91 mmHg). A variacao da espessura muscular foi maior (p=0,023) no grupo TLS (6,92%±3.98) quando comparado com o grupo CON (2,81%±1,40). Treinamento de estabilizacao lombar e uma ferramenta clinica eficiente para fortalecimento da musculatura lombar e pode auxiliar na prevencao de lombalgia em remadores.

Evaluation of the lumbar multifidus in rowers during spinal stabilization exercise

Lumbar stabilization is important in high performance rowing due to the high incidence of low back pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the lumbar stabilizers muscles performance during an exercise of spinal segmental stabilization and in lumbar multifidus muscle thickness in rowing athletes trained and untrained for this exercise. Nine rowers trained with lumbar stabilization (TLS) and eight rowers without training (CON) participated in the study. Lumbar stabilization performance and multifidus muscle thickness were measured during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction. Lumbar stabilization performance was higher (p=0.015) in the TLS (mean 18.38 ± 8.00 mmHg) compared to the CON (9.31 ± 4.91 mmHg) group. Muscle thickness variation was higher (p=0.023) in the TLS (6.92% ± 3.98) compared to the CON (2.81% ± 1.40) group. Lumbar stabilization training is an efficient clinical tool to strengthen lumbar muscles and may help to prevent low back pain in rowers.A estabilizacao lombar e fundamental em esportes de alto rendimento como o remo, devido a elevada incidencia de lombalgia. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o desempenho dos musculos estabilizadores lombares e a espessura do musculo multifido lombar durante um exercicio de estabilizacao segmentar vertebral em remadores. Nove remadores treinados com exercicios de estabilizacao lombar (TLS) e oito remadores destreinados (CON) foram avaliados. O desempenho dos musculos estabilizadores lombares e a espessura dos musculos multifidos foram mensurados durante uma contracao voluntaria isometrica maxima. O desempenho foi maior (p=0,015) no grupo TLS (18,38±8,00 mmHg) quando comparado ao grupo CON (9,31±4,91 mmHg). A variacao da espessura muscular foi maior (p=0,023) no grupo TLS (6,92%±3.98) quando comparado com o grupo CON (2,81%±1,40). Treinamento de estabilizacao lombar e uma ferramenta clinica eficiente para fortalecimento da musculatura lombar e pode auxiliar na prevencao de lombalgia em remadores.

Evaluación del multifidus lumbar en los atletas de remo durante el ejercicio en la estabilización de la columna vertebral

Lumbar stabilization is important in high performance rowing due to the high incidence of low back pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the lumbar stabilizers muscles performance during an exercise of spinal segmental stabilization and in lumbar multifidus muscle thickness in rowing athletes trained and untrained for this exercise. Nine rowers trained with lumbar stabilization (TLS) and eight rowers without training (CON) participated in the study. Lumbar stabilization performance and multifidus muscle thickness were measured during a maximal voluntary isometric contraction. Lumbar stabilization performance was higher (p=0.015) in the TLS (mean 18.38 ± 8.00 mmHg) compared to the CON (9.31 ± 4.91 mmHg) group. Muscle thickness variation was higher (p=0.023) in the TLS (6.92% ± 3.98) compared to the CON (2.81% ± 1.40) group. Lumbar stabilization training is an efficient clinical tool to strengthen lumbar muscles and may help to prevent low back pain in rowers.A estabilizacao lombar e fundamental em esportes de alto rendimento como o remo, devido a elevada incidencia de lombalgia. O objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar o desempenho dos musculos estabilizadores lombares e a espessura do musculo multifido lombar durante um exercicio de estabilizacao segmentar vertebral em remadores. Nove remadores treinados com exercicios de estabilizacao lombar (TLS) e oito remadores destreinados (CON) foram avaliados. O desempenho dos musculos estabilizadores lombares e a espessura dos musculos multifidos foram mensurados durante uma contracao voluntaria isometrica maxima. O desempenho foi maior (p=0,015) no grupo TLS (18,38±8,00 mmHg) quando comparado ao grupo CON (9,31±4,91 mmHg). A variacao da espessura muscular foi maior (p=0,023) no grupo TLS (6,92%±3.98) quando comparado com o grupo CON (2,81%±1,40). Treinamento de estabilizacao lombar e uma ferramenta clinica eficiente para fortalecimento da musculatura lombar e pode auxiliar na prevencao de lombalgia em remadores.