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Quadriceps femoris muscle voluntary isometric force production and relaxation characteristics before and 6 months after unilateral total knee arthroplasty in women

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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

The purpose of the present prospective intervention study was to evaluate voluntary isometric force production, relaxation and activation capacity of the quadriceps femoris (QF) muscle before and 6 months after unilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA). TKA was performed in ten women with primary knee osteoarthritis (OA) using the condular endoprostheses. Isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) force, rate of force development at 50% of MVC (RFD50) and their ratio to body mass, half-relaxation time (HRT) and voluntary activation (VA) of the QF muscle were recorded in patients for operated and non-operated leg before and 6 months after TKA. Established characteristics were compared with data on the dominant leg of ten age- and gender-matched controls. The clinical examination was performed using the Knee Society System (KSS) scores and pain intensity was assessed by visual analogue scale. MVC force in operated leg was lower (P < 0.05) before and 6 months after TKA as compared with the non-operated leg (31 and 32%, respectively) and controls (48 and 44%, respectively). Patients had lower (P < 0.05) VA of the QF muscle in operated leg 6 months after TKA as compared to controls. Significant increase (P < 0.05) of KSS clinical scores and the tendency for the increasing of explosive force production of QF muscle in the operated leg were observed 6 months after TKA (RFD50 was 60% lower before TKA and 40% lower 6 months after surgery as compared to controls). When compared with the preoperative value, HRT prolongation (P < 0.05) was noted 6 months after TKA in QF muscle of both legs in patients. Therefore, the present study confirmed that patients with knee OA had reduced force generation ability of QF muscle before TKA and the improvement of explosive force was noted 6 months after surgery.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science, project No 0182130S02 and Estonian Science Foundation, grants No. 6214 and 6218. We declare that the experiments comply with the laws of Estonia.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Exercise Biology and Physiotherapy, University of Tartu, 5 Jakobi Street, Tartu, 51014, Estonia

    Helena Gapeyeva, Nele Buht, Jaan Ereline & Mati Pääsuke

  2. Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, 78 Tiigi Street, Tartu, 50410, Estonia

    Helena Gapeyeva, Jaan Ereline & Mati Pääsuke

  3. Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, University of Tartu, Puusepa 8, Tartu, 51014, Estonia

    Katrin Peterson & Tiit Haviko

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  1. Helena Gapeyeva
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  2. Nele Buht
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  3. Katrin Peterson
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  4. Jaan Ereline
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  5. Tiit Haviko
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  6. Mati Pääsuke
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Correspondence to Helena Gapeyeva.

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Gapeyeva, H., Buht, N., Peterson, K. et al. Quadriceps femoris muscle voluntary isometric force production and relaxation characteristics before and 6 months after unilateral total knee arthroplasty in women. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 15, 202–211 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-006-0166-y

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