Slavko Rogan

Stochastic resonance whole-body vibration training for chair rising performance on untrained elderly: A pilot study

The present randomized controlled pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of the study protocol and the effects of four-week-long sessions involving stochastic resonance whole-body vibration (SR-WBV) training on chair rising in elderly individuals. Twenty elderly participants were divided into a SR-WBV group or a sham group. Peak force, rate of force development, rising time, time to stabilization and total time during chair rising performance were investigated. Intraclass correlation coefficients, Mann-Whitney U-tests and Wilcoxon signed-ranked tests were used. Low volume SR-WBV over 12 training sessions might provide a safe treatment method.

Therapy modalities to reduce lymphoedema in female breast cancer patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of compression bandages, sleeves, intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC) and active exercise on the reduction of breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL). A systematic literature search up to the year January 2016 was performed in CINAHL, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, Embase, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (WHO), PEDro and PubMed. Inclusion criteria were (1) RCTs, (2) reported adequate statistics for meta-analysis, (3) English or German language. Exclusion criteria were (1) effects of drugs, hormonal, radiation and surgical procedures, (2) studies with children, (3) non-breast cancers, lower extremity oedema, (4) impact on fatigue only, diets or sexually transmitted diseases, (5) cost-analysis only and (6) non-carcinogenic syndromes or (7) prevention of breast cancer. After scoring the methodological quality of the selected studies, data concerning volume reduction of the oedema swelling were extracted. Thirty-two studies were included in this systematic review. Nine studies were selected for the RCT-based studies and 19 studies were included in the pre–post studies-based random-effects meta-analyses. All conclusions should be taken with precautions because of the insufficient quality of the selected papers. Exercise seems beneficial in reducing oedema volume in BCRL. IPC seems beneficial in helping to reduce the oedema volume in the acute phase of treatment. Compression sleeves do not aid in the volume reduction in the acute phase; however, they do prevent additional swelling.

Effects of whole-body vibration with stochastic resonance on balance in persons with balance disability and falls history - a systematic review

The aim of this systematic review was to identify and evaluate the evidence of the efficacy of stochastic resonance whole-body vibration (SR-WBV) on static, dynamic and functional balance in the elderly and in patients with neurodegenerative diseases. English and German studies were consulted in the CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ISI Web of Knowledge, PEDro and PubMed databases. Eight of 138 eligible studies were included, involving 381 participants. The included studies showed a low to high risk of bias. Three studies focused on long-term effects after SR-WBV. One study evaluated SR-WBV impact over three days while four studies examined its immediate effects. There is only limited evidence that SR-WBV may be effective in improving static, dynamic and functional balance among elderly individuals and patients with neurodegenerative diseases. In the future, more studies of high methodological quality are needed to improve the level of evidence.

Effect of stochastic resonance whole body vibration on functional performance in the frail elderly: A pilot study

The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the feasibility and the effect size of a four-week stochastic resonance whole body vibration (SR-WBV) intervention on functional performance and strength in frail elderly individuals. Twenty-seven participants have been recruited and randomly distributed in an intervention group (IG) and a sham group (SG). Primary outcomes were feasibility objectives like recruitment, compliance and safety. Secondary outcomes were short physical performance battery (SPPB), isometric maximum voluntary contraction (IMVC) and isometric rate of force development (IRFD). The intervention was feasible and safe. Furthermore it showed significant effects (p=0.035) and medium effect size (0.43) within the IG in SPPB. SR-WBV training over four weeks with frail elderly individuals is a safe intervention method. The compliance was good and SR-WBV intervention seems to improve functional performance. Further research over a longer time frame for the strength measurements (IMVC and IRFD) is needed to detect potential intervention effects in the force measurements as well. Clinical Trial register: NTC01704976.

Effects of whole-body vibration on postural control in elderly: An update of a systematic review and meta-analysis

The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to offer an updated overview of the current studies on all types of whole-body vibration (WBV), to determine the effects of WBV on balance in Go-Go (active, independent), Slow-Go (some physical activity limitations) and No-Go (in need of care) elderly and to provide recommendations on available evidence on WBV for clinicians and researchers. An electronic literature search was conducted in PubMed, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and CINAHL (Ebsco Host) to identify studies on WBV therapy in Go-Goes, Slow-Goes and No-Goes. Outcomes were static, dynamic and functional balance. Thirty-tree studies were included in this systematic review. Pooling was possible for static balance and dynamic balance. Effect size (SMD) of WBV on static balance was 0.34 (95% CI 0.18, 0.49) in Go-Goes. Effect size (SMD) of WBV on dynamic balance was -0.15 (95% CI -0.44, 0.15) in Slow-Go and -0.90 (95% CI -1.63, -0.17) in No-Go elderly people respectively. The results of this current meta-analysis suggest that WBV can be used for improving static balance in Go-Go elderly and that it has the potential to positively influence dynamic balance in Slow-Go and No-Go elderly.

[Injuries in the Martial Arts Judo, Taekwondo and Wrestling - A Systematic Review].

BACKGROUND Martial arts such as judo, taekwondo and wrestling are regulated, usually athletic duels. The aim is to score better than your opponent or to win. As with any type of sport, athletes in martial arts sustain minor and major injuries, which may have many negative consequences. In addition, sports injuries and their rehabilitation generate high costs to the healthcare system. In contrast to the FIFA 11+ warm-up program, no preventive programs have been postulated for injury prevention in these martial arts. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to summarise the latest research findings and to evaluate whether initial recommendations can be given for the reduction of injuries in the martial arts judo, wrestling and taekwondo. METHODS To gain an overview of the latest research findings, we searched for systematic reviews in PEDro, PubMed, Cochrane and the internet search engine Google Scholar. The methodological quality of these reviews was assessed using the Critical Appraisal Tool for a Systematic Review (CASP), and data was extracted on the risk of injury, injury location and injury type. RESULTS It was found that all three review articles are of low to moderate methodological quality. Regarding injury location, it became evident that the extremities are particularly vulnerable to injury in all three martial arts. Effusion was observed to be the most common type of injury. CONCLUSION Due to the moderate methodological quality and the injury type of effusion, it is not possible to formulate recommendations for injury prevention. Moreover, uniform definitions should be developed to describe sports injuries.

Akute Effekte des schnellen dynamischen Dehnens auf die Schnellkraft von Eishockeyspielern: eine Pilotstudie

BACKGROUND Fast dynamic stretching has a positive effect on rate of force development in ice hockey players. The aim of this pilot study was to evaluate the influence of fast dynamic stretching (FDS) of the gluteus maximus muscle on rate of force development. SUBJECTS/METHODS This study included 12 healthy ice hockey players. The intervention was based on a fast dynamic stretching of the gluteus maximus muscle. For quantification, measurements were performed before and after the intervention. The rate of force development was determined by using the drop jump (DJ) for ground contact time and jump height, and sprint time was measured on ice over 20 meters. RESULTS The intervention showed significant extension of the ground reaction time. The jump height and the sprint time showed no significant differences after FDS intervention. CONCLUSION The data in this present randomised controlled pilot study showed that FDS interventions on the gluteus maximus muscle have no influence on rate of force development. For future studies, it is recommended that the study protocol should be modified with regard to determining the stretched muscle groups. Furthermore, the FDS intervention on the gluteus maximus muscle showed no positive influence on DJ and sprint.

From No-Go to Go-Go Future Training Procedures for Elderly

The topic ‘demographic change’ is a widely discussed topic. When it comes to world demographics, two major trends can be observed [1]: Firstly, the aging and potentially shrinking regions (such as Europe or America) and secondly the regions where population is increasing (such as Africa). However, both trends provide a challenge for the health care system, in relation to preserving function, mobility and independency in everyday life. Health trends of the elderly population have received attention since the end of 1990 because of the rising costs of long-term care and medication [2]. It should be taken into account that the human body has two kinds of ages: chronological and biological. The chronological age describes the actual lifetime in years, while the biological age describes the state physical and mental function of the human individual. However, the chronological age is not relevant to said functions. Therefore, the focus has to be on the biological age rather than on the more commonly used chronological age.

Validity Study of a Jump Mat Compared to the Reference Standard Force Plate

Background: In the field of vertical jump diagnostics, force plates (FP) are the reference standard. Recently, despite a lack of evidence, jump mats have been used increasingly. Important factors in favor of jumping mats are their low cost and portability. Objectives: This validity study compared the Haynl-Elektronik jump mat (HE jump mat) with the reference standard force plate. Materials and Methods: Ten healthy volunteers participated and each participant completed three series of five drop jumps (DJ). The parameters ground contact time (GCT) and vertical jump height (VJH) from the HE jump mat and the FP were used to evaluate the concurrent validity. The following statistical calculations were performed: Pearsons correlation (r), Bland-Altman plots (standard and for adjusted trend), and regression equations. Results: The Bland-Altman plots suggest that the HE jump mat measures shorter contact times and higher jump heights than the FP. The trend-adjusted Bland-Altman plot shows higher mean differences and wider wing-spreads of confidence limits during longer GCT. During the VJH the mean differences and the wing-spreads of the confidence limits throughout the range present as relatively constant. The following regression equations were created, as close as possible to the true value: GCT = 5.920385 + 1.072293 × [value HE jump mat] and VJH = -1.73777 + 1.011156 × [value HE jump mat]. Conclusions: The HE jump mat can be recommended in relation to the validity of constraints. In this study, only a part of the quality criteria were examined. For the final recommendation it is advised to examine the HE jump mat on the other quality criteria (test-retest reliability, sensitivity change).

Wirkung von passiven Motorbewegungsschienen nach knorpelregenerativen Eingriffen – eine systematische Literaturübersicht

BACKGROUND The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate treatment effects of continuous passive motion (CPM) after surgical cartilage repair. PATIENTS/MATERIAL AND METHODS A literature search was conducted in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform, MEDLINE, Trip Database and in bibliographies of included studies. Two independent researchers evaluated the quality of original investigations by the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Systematic reviews were checked by the CBO/Dutch Cochrane Centre Guideline. RESULTS A total of 1541 studies was initially retrieved from the databases. After screening for inclusion criteria, one review and ten original papers could be included for further evaluation. Studies showed methodological weaknesses. Heterogeneity of outcome measures and the fact that 6 of 9 studies with an one-group pre-post design measured the combined effect of surgical treatment and CPM prevented a meta-analysis. CONCLUSION Three studies described significant improvements with regard to subjective outcome such as pain, swelling, Quality Life Survey, Knee Society score, WOMAC score or rating Cincinnati due to the surgical treatment and the CPM intervention of cartilage defects in the knee. Six (case) studies suggested an enhanced cartilage quality of the patients after CPM. More high-quality randomised controlled trials are needed to provide high level evidence.