Background and Objectives: Muscle properties are critical for performance and injury risk, with changes occurring due to physical exertion, aging, and neurological conditions. The MyotonPro device offers a non-invasive method to comprehensively assess muscle biomechanical properties. This systematic review evaluates the reliability of MyotonPro across various muscles for diagnostic purposes. Materials and Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in Medline (PubMed), Ovid (Med), Epistemonikos, Embase, Cochrane Library, Clinical trials.gov, and the WHO International Clinical Trials platform. Studies assessing the reliability of MyotonPro across different muscles were included. A methodological quality assessment was performed using established tools, and reviewers independently conducted data extraction. Statistical analysis involved summarizing intra-rater and inter-rater reliability measures across muscles. Results: A total of 48 studies assessing 31 muscles were included in the systematic review. The intra-rater and inter-rater reliability were consistently high for parameters such as frequency and stiffness in muscles of the lower and upper extremities, as well as other muscle groups. Despite methodological heterogeneity and limited data on specific parameters, MyotonPro demonstrated promising reliability for diagnostic purposes across diverse patient populations. Conclusions: The findings suggest the potential of MyotonPro in clinical assessments for accurate diagnosis, treatment planning, and monitoring of muscle properties. Further research is needed to address limitations and enhance the applicability of MyotonPro in clinical practice. Reliable muscle assessments are crucial for optimizing treatment outcomes and improving patient care in various healthcare settings.
28 June 2021 in Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy
In clinical practice, only a few reliable measurement instruments are available for monitoring knee joint rehabilitation. Advances to replace motion capturing with sensor data measurement have been made in the last years. Thus, a systematic review of the literature was performed, focusing on the implementation, diagnostic accuracy, and facilitators and barriers of integrating wearable sensor technology in clinical practices based on a Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. For critical appraisal, the COSMIN Risk of Bias tool for reliability and measurement of error was used. PUBMED, Prospero, Cochrane database, and EMBASE were searched for eligible studies. Six studies reporting reliability aspects in using wearable sensor technology at any point after knee surgery in humans were included. All studies reported excellent results with high reliability coefficients, high limits of agreement, or a few detectable errors. They used different or partly inappropriate methods for estimating reliability or missed reporting essential information. Therefore, a moderate risk of bias must be considered. Further quality criterion studies in clinical settings are needed to synthesize the evidence for providing transparent recommendations for the clinical use of wearable movement sensors in knee joint rehabilitation.
The global COVID-19 pandemic has led to drastic changes in the management of patients with rheumatic diseases. Due to the imminent risk of infection, monitoring intervals of rheumatic patients have prolonged. The aim of this study is to present insights from patients, rheumatologists, and digital product developers on the ongoing digital health transition in rheumatology. A qualitative and participatory semi-structured fishbowl approach was conducted to gain detailed insights from a total of 476 participants. The main findings show that digital health and remote care are generally welcomed by the participants. Five key themes emerged from the qualitative content analysis: (1) digital rheumatology use cases, (2) user descriptions, (3) adaptation to different environments of rheumatology care, and (4) potentials of and (5) barriers to digital rheumatology implementation. Codes were scaled by positive and negative ratings as well as on micro, meso, and macro levels. A main recommendation resulting from the insights is that both patients and rheumatologists need more information and education to successfully implement digital health tools into clinical routine.
17 August 2022 in Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are caused by both contact and non‐contact injuries. However, it can be claimed that non‐contact ones account approximately for 70% of all cases. Thus, several authors have emphasized the role of reduction of muscle strength as a modifiable risk factor referred to non‐contact ACL injury, with the latter being targeted by specific training interventions.The present paper wants to review the available literature specifically on the relationship between dynamic knee valgus, gluteal muscles (GM) strength, apart from the potential correlation regarding ACL injury.After a research based on MEDLINE via PubMed, Google scholar, and Web of Science, a total of 29 articles were collected and thus included.Additionally, this review highlights the crucial role of gluteal muscles in maintaining a correct knee position in the coronal plane during different exercises, namely walking, running, jumping and landing.