Journal of musculoskeletal & neuronal interactions最新文献

Objectives: To explore the role of cathepsin D (CTSD), a lysosomal aspartyl protease, as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in the context of osteoporosis.

Methods: Utilizing single-cell sequencing data from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database, we identified differential expression patterns of CTSD in human femoral head tissues between osteoporotic and non-osteoporotic states. Human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were treated with recombinant human CTSD and/or osteogenic induction medium and the role of CTSD on osteoblast differentiation were investigated by RT-qPCR, western blot, immunofluorescence staining and alizarin red staining. The role of CTSD on osteoporotic changes was further verified in ovariectomized mice.

Results: In vitro analyses of human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) treated with recombinant human CTSD (rhCTSD) under osteogenic induction conditions revealed modulation of osteogenic marker expression, including ALP, COL1A1, and RUNX2. Histological assessments using Alizarin Red staining and immunofluorescence corroborated these findings, demonstrating that CTSD influences osteoblast differentiation and matrix mineralization. In vivo studies in mice further supported the role of CTSD, showing that perturbations in this enzyme result in alterations in bone mineral density and volume characteristic of osteoporotic changes.

Conclusion: Collectively, these findings implicate CTSD as a regulator of bone homeostasis and support its potential as a novel target for therapeutic intervention in osteoporosis.

Objectives: Water Polo (WP) is a physiologically and physically demanding sport that involves frequent directional changes during swimming.

Methods: This study, shoulder proprioception, muscle strength, and endurance were evaluated using an isokinetic dynamometer in 28 male Sports Club WP athletes competing in the WP 1st league. In addition, swimming, agility, and speed performance tests were performed.

Results: There was a moderate negative correlation between shoulder joint muscle strength and the shuttle swimming test, WP agility test, and 20-m maximum speed swimming test (Peak Torque 60° respectively r:-0.443, p:0.018, r:-0.490, p:0.008, r=-0.581, p:0.001). In the multiple regression analysis performed in our study, ANOVA test results in Models 4, 5, and 6 showed that there was a significant relationship between shoulder joint muscle strength and shuttle swimming test and 20-m maximum speed swimming test (respectively, F:2.912, p:0.044, F:5.004, p:0.005).

Conclusions: Our study determined that shoulder joint proprioception was not associated with swimming, agility and speed performance, shoulder joint isokinetic muscle strength affected swimming and speed performance but not agility, and shoulder joint endurance was associated with swimming, agility and speed performance in WP players.

Objective: This study examined the effects of vibration frequency and additional loading on lower limb muscle activation and coactivation during whole-body vibration (WBV) training in recreational runners.

Methods: Twenty-five male runners performed WBV training at six frequencies (0-50 Hz) under two loading conditions (no load vs. 20% body mass). Surface electromyography was used to record electromyography root mean square (EMGrms) in 11 lower limb muscles. Coactivation of six muscles was analyzed using the time-varying multi-muscle coactivation function. 1D statistical parametric mapping and two-way repeated-measures ANOVA were used to assess differences.

Results: EMGrms was significantly influenced by vibration frequency and loading. Additional loading increased activation in the gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings, and soleus (p < 0.001). Frequency effects were notable in the gluteus maximus and hamstrings, with 10-30 Hz inducing higher muscular activation than the no-vibration case (p < 0.01). Coactivation was significantly high with loading (p < 0.001), particularly during the eccentric squat phase, but frequency had no significant effect.

Conclusion: Additional loading enhances muscle activation and coactivation, and vibration frequency primarily affects muscular activation. These findings highlight the importance of external load and frequency in optimizing WBV training for enhancing sports performance and preventing injuries in runners.

Objective: To identify pivotal gene markers and pathways involved in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) through the construction of a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network.

Methods: A ceRNA network was constructed using mRNAs associated with clinical IDD phenotypes (age, MRI grade), identified through Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA). From the core mRNAs within the ceRNA network, potential marker genes were identified using LASSO regression, Support Vector Machine (SVM), and Random Forest algorithms. A sub-network was then constructed, and the candidate marker genes were further validated using the mouse IDD dataset GSE134955.

Results: A total of 119 differentially expressed long non-coding RNAs (DELs), 1,267 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEMs), and 37 differentially expressed microRNAs (DEMis) were identified in IDD samples compared to controls. WGCNA identified 1,190 DEMs significantly associated with MRI grade. Based on these MRI grade-associated DEMs, a hub ceRNA network comprising 4 DEMis, 90 DELs, and 18 DEMs was established. Among these, three DEMs-BTG2, MDM4, and ACOX1-were consistently identified as marker genes by LASSO, SVM, and Random Forest. These three genes also demonstrated high accuracy in distinguishing IDD from control samples in the independent mouse dataset.

Conclusion: This study identified key mRNAs implicated in IDD progression and provides new insights into the regulatory roles of ceRNA networks in the disease. These findings may contribute to the development of novel diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for IDD.

Objective: To analyze the risk factors for secondary cauda equina injury in lumbar spinal stenosis using LASSO logistic regression and to construct a risk prediction model in the form of a nomogram.

Methods: Patients with lumbar spinal stenosis were divided into a secondary injury group (90 cases) and a non-secondary injury group (110 cases). LASSO logistic regression was applied, and a risk nomogram was generated. The predictive efficacy of the model was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves.

Results: The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of the risk nomogram model was 0.865 (95% CI: 0.755-0.948), with a sensitivity of 91.11% (82/90), specificity of 93.64% (103/110), and accuracy of 92.50% (185/200). The risk nomogram model demonstrated good fit (χ² = 3.347, df = 7, P = 0.341), and the C-index of Bootstrap internal validation was 0.823.

Conclusion: Age > 60 years, disease duration > 1 year, multiple stenosis segments, small median sagittal diameter, small cross-sectional area of the spinal canal, and shorter segment length are risk factors for secondary cauda equina injury in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. The risk prediction model based on this nomogram has good clinical application value.

Creating interventions benefits from an interdisciplinary team with varying types of expertise. Novelty in intervention creation can be extended beyond the addition of new technologies to include innovations in methodologies used to create interventions. The purpose of this paper is to use and expand a previously introduced model to sustain new interdisciplinary research collaborations: Forging Alliances in Interdisciplinary Rehabilitation Research (FAIRR). In this paper, we propose to expand FAIRR by incorporating theories and frameworks central to intervention creation, altering inputs (resources necessary to construct interventions), modifying activities (tasks that teams undertake to create interventions), and including the iterative nature of the relationship among the components of the model. A case application is used to underscore how the FAIRR model can be applied to creating an intervention using a mixed methods approach.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine the effect of external load on the contribution of tendon lengthening during eccentric phase and tendon shortening velocity during concentric phase in stretch-shortening cycle exercises.

Methods: Fifteen men performed no-countermovement jump (noCMJ) and countermovement jump (CMJ) using only ankle joint with three different loads (0, 30, and 70% of 1 repetition maximum (RM)). Mean torque, angular velocity, power, and fascicle length of the medial gastrocnemius muscle were measured during jumping. In addition, the relative differences in the measured variables of CMJ compared to noCMJ were defined as pre-stretch augmentation.

Results: During concentric phase, the pre-stretch augmentation in angular velocity and power was significantly correlated with that in tendon shortening velocity (except for 70%1RM) but not in fascicle shortening velocity. The increases in tendon length during eccentric phase of CMJ were highly correlated with mean power during concentric phase for all load conditions.

Conclusion: These results suggest that the tendon shortening velocity during concentric phase and the amount of tendon lengthening during eccentric phase (i.e., tendon dynamics) strongly contribute to increased performance in stretch-shortening exercises.

Objectives: This study investigated the relationships between ankle dorsiflexion, first toe strength, and core stability in male and female futsal players.

Methods: Fourteen male professional players from the Spanish first division and 22 female players from the second division were evaluated. Ankle dorsiflexion range of motion was measured using the LegMotion® system. Core stability was assessed via the OCTOcore app during single-leg deadlift (SLD) and bird-dog (BD) exercises. Toe flexor strength (TFS) was measured with a handheld dynamometer, and plantar flexor endurance was evaluated using the heel-raise test (HR). Statistical correlations were analyzed to explore neuromuscular relationships.

Results: In males, a moderate positive correlation (p < 0.01) was found between ankle dorsiflexion and TFS, suggesting enhanced ankle mobility may increase toe strength. A negative correlation between TFS and SLD performance indicated stronger toe flexors correlated with better core stability. In females, a negative correlation between ankle dorsiflexion and BD performance implied greater ankle mobility improved core stability. Conversely, a positive correlation between TFS and SLD performance suggested stronger toe flexors were linked to poorer core stability.

Conclusions: Ankle mobility and toe strength enhance core stability in males, while females employ distinct neuromuscular strategies, highlighting the need for gender-specific training programs.

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the validity and reliability of the AST and explore its measurement precision through standard error of measurement (SEM) and minimal detectable change (MDC). A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases was conducted to identify studies evaluating the AST's psychometric properties. Studies reporting quantitative validity or reliability data (e.g., correlation coefficients, ICC) were included. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to pool validity and reliability estimates, with heterogeneity assessed using I² and Tau². SEM and MDC values were systematically reviewed to evaluate measurement precision. Seven studies were included in the systematic review, with five studies (42 validity estimates) and six studies (35 reliability estimates) contributing to the meta-analysis. The AST demonstrated promising levels of validity (pooled r = 0.923) and reliability (pooled r = 0.958), although substantial heterogeneity was observed (I² > 85%) and should be considered when interpreting these findings. No significant publication bias was detected. SEM ranged from 0.85 - 20.43 N, and MDC from 2.37 - 56.63 N, indicating variable measurement precision. Overall, the AST appears to be a potentially useful tool for assessing shoulder function, with relevance for clinical and research applications.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate sternocleidomastoid (SCM) muscle properties in infants with Congenital Muscular Torticollis (CMT) using myotonometry and determine its sensitivity to changes following physiotherapy.

Methods: Twenty-five infants (0-12 months) diagnosed with CMT participated in this study from May 2023 to February 2024. They underwent an 8-week physiotherapy program. Muscle tone, elasticity, and stiffness were measured using myotonometry, muscle strength by the Muscle Function Scale (MFS), and neck range of motion by an arthrodial protractor before and after treatment.

Results: The mean age was 4 ± 1.56 months. Significant differences in SCM tone and stiffness between affected and intact sides were observed pre-treatment (p<0.05) but were not significant post-treatment (p>0.05). Intra-group improvements were significant for muscle tone (p=0.005), elasticity (p=0.009), stiffness (p=0.009), strength (p=0.006), and neck range of motion (p=0.021). Muscle tone decreased by 19.65%, muscle stiffness by 24.99%, and muscle elasticity improved by 9.42%. Passive lateral flexion increased by 59.09% and passive rotation by 25.40%.

Conclusions: SCM muscle properties differ between sides in individuals with CMT; however, myotonometry effectively detects improvements following physiotherapy, making it a valuable clinical evaluation tool. Nevertheless, the relatively small sample size should be taken into account when interpreting the findings.