This study examined a potential age-dependency of both posture and stability (balance) control in children and adolescents in a healthy population. Body posture with open and closed eyes was examined for a total of 456 test persons (age 6.7–17.6 years. Posture parameters (posture index, upper body tilt, trunk tilt) were assessed in the sagittal plane. Additionally, the oscillation of the center of pressure with open and closed eyes was additionally analyzed in a sub-sample of 318 subjects.

Background: Peroneus longus acts as a foot evertor and pronator, thus ensuring stability of the talocrural joint by curbing inversion movement of the rearfoot. Increased activation of the peroneus longus muscle in the stance phase could have a stabilising effect on the ankle joint. This study aimed to determine whether the activity of the peroneus longus muscle could be increased by the targeted use of a specially formed lateral pressure element in a customised orthopaedic insole.Methods: This was a laboratory‐based study that utilised a randomised crossover design. Thirty‐four healthy participants walked along a walkway in neutral footwear wearing a control insole or a sensorimotor insole with a lateral pressure point adjacent to the tendon of the peroneus longus muscle. The electromyographic muscle activity of the peroneus longus and tibialis anterior muscles was measured using surface electromyography. Contact with the ground was recorded via two pressure sensors under the sole of the shoe. Muscle activity during the stance phase was analysed in the time and amplitude domains and compared statistically with paired t‐tests for both insole types.Results: In 27 out of the 34 participants, an additional activity peak of the peroneus longus muscle was observed in the loading response phase with the sensorimotor insole, which reached its maximum at 29.7 % (±4.5 %) of the stance phase. When averaged over all 34 participants, the integrated electromyographic output for the peroneus longus in the mid‐stance phase revealed a significant higher activity (p < 0.001, post hoc power = 0.98, effect size: Cohen's d = 0.71) with the sensorimotor insole (18.1 ± 11.3 % MVCs) than with the control insole (11.2 ± 7.7 % MVCs). No significant effects were established for the other gait phases or for the tibialis anterior.Conclusions: An increase of muscle activity of the peroneus longus muscle was observed during the loading response and mid‐stance phase, when orthopedic insoles with a lateral pressure point were worn. We conclude that the pressure point changes afferent information and leads to an increased peroneus longus activation in the time interval in which the pressure point exerted pressure on the peroneal tendon.

More than 70% of all knee injuries in soccer occur in non-contact situations. It is known that increased lower limb dynamic knee valgus is associated with such situations. Little has been found out about differences in knee kinematics of the dominant (kicking) and non-dominant (supporting) leg during a single leg landing. A total of 114 male adolescent soccer players (age 14.6 ± 1.1 years) from elite (N = 66) and amateur soccer clubs (N = 48) performed a single leg drop landing down from a box. For each leg, the two-dimensional dynamic knee valgus angle (DKVA) was calculated. Paired t-tests were used to statistically determine significant differences between dominant and non-dominant leg DKVA, and t-tests were calculated between the two performance groups. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) were identified for the DKVA between the dominant and non-dominant leg for both amateur and elite players, showing a greater DKVA for the dominant leg. Group differences for the DKVA between amateur and elite players were not found, neither for the dominant, nor for the non-dominant leg. It can be concluded that the non-dominant leg showed more stable dynamics than the dominant leg during unilateral landing regardless of the player’s performance level. This could be due to adaptions to sport-specific requirements. Therefore, it is recommended that programs to prevent knee injuries among soccer players consider the dynamics of each leg individually.

Muscular imbalances of the trunk muscles are held responsible for changes in body posture. At the same time, whole-body electromyostimulation (WB-EMS) has been established as a new training method that enables simultaneous stimulation of many muscle groups. This study was aiming to analyze if a 10 weeks WB-EMS training changes posture-relevant parameters and/or improves isometric strength of the trunk extensors and flexors, and if there are differences based on stimulation at 20 Hz and 85 Hz. Fifty eight untrained adult test persons were divided into three groups (control, CON; training with 20 Hz stimulation, TR20; training with 85 Hz, TR85). Anthropometric parameters, trunk extension and flexion forces and torques, and posture parameters were determined before (n = 58) and after (n = 53: CON: n = 15, TR20: n = 19, TR85: n = 19) a 10 weeks WB-EMS training program (15 applications, 9 exercises). Differences between the groups were calculated for pre- and post-tests using univariate ANOVA and between the test times using repeated (2 × 3) ANOVA. Comparisons of pairs were calculated post hoc based on Fisher (LSD). No differences between the groups were found for the posture parameters. The post hoc analysis of both trunk flexion and trunk extension forces and torques showed a significant difference between the groups TR85 and CON but no difference between the other group pairs. A 10 weeks whole-body electrostimulation training with a stimulation frequency of 85 Hz in contrast to training with a stimulation frequency of 20 Hz improves the trunk muscle strength of an untrained group but does not significantly change posture parameters.

[Purpose] This study examined possible interrelationships between postural sway and posture parameters in children and adolescents with a particular focus on posture weakness. [Subjects and Methods] 308 healthy children and adolescents (124 girls, 184 boys, aged 12.3 ± 2.5 years) participated in the study. Posture parameters (posture index, head protrusion, trunk inclination) were determined based on posture photos in the sagittal plane. Postural sway was measured during 20 seconds on a force plate. The Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficients between the anthropometric and posture parameters and the sway path length (SPL) were calculated, as well as the coefficient of determination R2. [Results] There is a weak but significant correlation between age or body mass index of the test subjects and the SPL. There is no statistically significant correlation between posture parameters and the SPL. Children and adolescents with posture weakness do not exhibit a changed SPL. [Conclusion] Therefore, therapy of poor posture must be considered separately from therapeutic measures for the improvement of balance skills.

Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research aims to publish findings of doctors at grass root level and post graduate students, so that all unique medical experiences are recorded in literature.