Peak Angular Velocity Research Articles

Biomechanics of Pitching With Emphasis Upon Shoulder Kinematics

The American Sports Medicine Institute conducts research to increase understanding of mechanisms involved in upper extremity injuries to throwing athletes. This paper presents a qualitative overview of pitching and a detailed quantitative description of arm motion about the shoulder during this highly dynamic activity. Data on kinematics of arm motions about the shoulder are presented for 29 elite throwers. The major motion about the shoulder is external/internal rotation. Scapulothoracic and glenohumeral flexibility permit the arm to reach an externally rotated position of 175 degrees. Approximately 30 msec before release, the arm internally rotates 80 degrees, reaching peak angular velocities near 7,000 degrees/sec. In rehabilitation of injured throwers, there is a need to appreciate the highly dynamic nature of this skill and to attempt to simulate these dynamic motions and loads as part of the final phase of treatment before the athlete returns to competition.

Improvement in kinematic characteristics and coordination following stroke quantified by linear systems analysis

The kinematic characteristics of standing up were studies during recovery following stroke. Patients with a diagnosis of hemiplegia were videotaped on two occasions: when they could first stand up independently and again when they could stand up and sit down three times in 10 seconds with no observable asymmetry. Peak angular velocity of the affected hip and knee joints increased, movement time decreased and the spectrum of the movement shifted towards higher frequencies. The velocity signals became smooth and bell-shaped, whereas initially they had multiple peaks. The hip and knee joints became almost perfectly coupled, whereas previously there was significant independent activity at each joint. However, the coordinative relation between the joints was a simple algebraic one with no significant dynamics and this did not change as the ability to stand up improved. The kinematic changes observed in the stroke patients mirrored those of normal motor skill acquisition.

The horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex in the hemilabyrinthectomized guinea-pig

The horizontal vestibulo-ocular reflex (HVOR) in the alert guinea-pig elicited by sinusoidal rotations and by velocity steps was studied with scleral search coil measurement between 3 and 7 days (short term) and between 35 and 160 days (long term) after hemilabyrinthectomy. Animals of the short-term group were always tested after spontaneous nystagmus in darkness had disappeared. The HVOR gain in response to sinusoidal rotations (peak angular velocity: 40 deg/s) in the short-term group was bilaterally depressed compared to normal animals. The HVOR phase showed a shift towards larger phase leads over the whole frequency range tested (from 0.05 to 3 Hz). In addition, both the mean number of fast phases per half-cycle of sinusoidal rotation and the mean amplitude were reduced. HVOR responses to velocity steps at a constant acceleration of 300 deg/s2 up to final velocity (0 to 100 deg/s) and of 1000 deg/s2 up to final velocity (0 to 300 deg/s) were depressed bilaterally and asymmetrically such that the gain for rotation towards the intact side greatly exceeded that obtained for rotation towards the lesioned side. Finally, the latency of the vestibular responses was increased and the time constant reduced for both sides of rotation. The HVOR gain values for sinusoidal rotations in the long-term group were lower than normal but higher than in the short-term group: they were asymmetric as a result of a greater compensation for rotation towards the intact side. Neither the phase lead nor the HVOR latency and time constant recovered values close to normal. Finally, the mean number of fast phases per half-cycle remained depressed although the mean amplitude recovered. These results demonstrate that in the guinea-pig, the dynamic deficits show a certain degree of recovery after unilateral labyrinthectomy. However, compared to the compensation of the static deficits previously quantified, the rate of recovery is much lower. This suggests that different processes may be involved in the compensation of the static and dynamic deficits.

振子様視運動性眼振に関する研究

Pendular optokinetic nystagmus(P-OKN) was studied with the use of a rotating optic cylinder, artificial visual field defects and a rotating chair. The optokinetic stimuli consisted of twelve stripes rotating with a variable velocity (pendular rotation). The pendular rotation was applied at a frequency of 0.1 Hz and a peak velocity of 120 degrees/sec. Artificial visual field defects were made with contact lenses to simulate foveal vision, peripheral vision, and hemianopsia. Rotation of the chair was applied at 2 and 8 degrees/sect at a uniform angular acceleration and a peak angular velocity of 100 and 160 degrees/sec.1. At the same absolute speed of the optical cylinder, nystagmus was larger in the accelerating phase than in the decelerating phase. The P-OKN field was on the quick phase side during cylinder acceleration and on the slow phase side during cylinder deceleration.2. Foveal and peripheral vision had the same effect on P-OKN. With foveofugal optokinetic stimulation, P-OKN showed good release in the accelerating phase but poor release in the decelerating phase. With foveo-petal optokinetic stimulation, P-OKN release showed no relationship between acceleration and deceleration. With artificial visual field defects, the P-OKN field was on the quick phase side when visual function was good and shifted to the slow phase side when visual function was reduced.3. P-OKN was promoted when the head was rotated in the direction opposite to that of optical cylinder rotation. On the other hand, when the head and the optical cylinder both rotated in the same direction, P-OKN was inhibited. With head rotation at 2 degrees/sec2, promotion of P-OKN was stronger than inhibition. On the other hand, promotion was weaker than inhibition at 8 degrees/sec2. The field of optokinetic nystagmus was biased to the quick phase side (promotion) compared with the slow phase side (inhibition).

頭部に対する振子様回転の視運動性眼振に及ぼす影響

The influence of pendular head rotation on optokinetic nystagmus was studied with the use of a pendular rotating chair and an optic cylinder operated independently. Healthy subjects and patients with unilateral loss of vestibular function were examined.The pendular rotation and optokinetic stimuli were applied in both horizontal and vertical directions. The optokinetic stimuli consisted of 12 stripes rotating with applied uniform velocity of 90°/sec. The pendular rotation was applied at a frequency of 0.1 Hz and a peak angular velocity of 30°/sec.In healthy subjects, horizontal optokinetic nystagmus was promoted when the head rotated to the direction opposite to the optic cylinder rotation. On the other hand, when the head and optic cylinder rotated in the same direction, optokinetic nystagmus was inhibited.In patients with unilateral loss of vestibular function, a difference in response to ampullopetal and amupullofugal stimulation of the remaining intact labyrinth was seen. However, this difference gradually disappeared with compensation.In healthy subjects, vertical pendular rotation promoted and inhibited vertical optokinetic nystagmus.In patients with unilateral loss of vestibular function, promotion by vertical pendular rotation of vertical optokinetic nystagmus was the same as that in healthy subjects.The influence of active pendular head rotation on optokinetic nystagmus was studied with an optic cylinder fixed to the head. Inhibition of nystagmus during active pendular head rotation was weaker than that during passive pendular head rotation, but the effect on promotion was almost the same.

A kinematic analysis of recovery of the ability to stand up following stroke

The purpose of this study was to determine the change in some kinematic characteristics of standing up as patients recovered following stroke. Patients who have had a stroke resulting in a diagnosis of hemiplegia, but with no other involvement, were videotaped on two occasions; when they could first stand up independently and again when they could stand up and sit down three times in 10 seconds with no observable asymmetry. A kinematic analysis yielded angular displacement and velocity data from the affected hip and knee joints. The results indicate that the kinematic characteristics that changed significantly as the subjects improved their ability to stand up are related more to velocity than to angular displacement. Movement time decreased, peak angular velocities increased and the velocity profiles shifted towards normal. This implies that in the clinic, once a patient can stand up independently, improvement on this task will be promoted if motor training includes strategies that affect these temporal characteristics.

Multi-Joint Reaching Movements and Eye-Hand Tracking in Cerebellar Incoordination: Investigation of a Patient with Complete Loss of Purkinje Cells

Performance on an eye-hand tracking task and a multi-joint reaching movement to a visual target was studied in a patient with stable cerebellar ataxia and in control subjects. The patient subsequently died and a full neuropathological examination was performed. The neuropathological findings were similar to those seen in patients with paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, but no tumor was found at autopsy eight years after onset of the patient's cerebellar syndrome. A severe cerebellar cortical degeneration with complete Purkinje cell loss was demonstrated, whereas cerebellar nuclei and brainstem structures showed no neuronal loss. Tracking performance by the patient was characterized by abnormally large numbers of high velocity movements and hand direction reversals, and by excessive lagging of the hand behind the target in time. In the multi-joint reaching movement, the patient showed a delay in movement onset at the elbow joint compared to movement onset at the shoulder joint. The velocity profile of the movement at the shoulder joint was abnormal. The duration of the acceleration phase was poorly correlated with both peak angular velocity and the duration of the deceleration phase. One of the most striking findings was the inability of the patient to consistently produce the same movement direction from trial to trial while reaching to the same target. Our data suggests that the cerebellar cortex is involved in multiple aspects of motor control including visuomotor integration mechanisms.

Human perception of horizontal trunk and head rotation in space during vestibular and neck stimulation

The vestibular signal of head motion in space must be complemented by a neck signal of the trunk-to-head excursion in order to provide the individual with information on trunk motion in space. This consideration led us to study psychophysically the role of vestibular-neck interaction for human self-motion perception. Subjects (Ss) were presented with passive horizontal rotations of their trunk and/or head (sinusoidal rotations, f = 0.025 - 0.4 Hz) in the dark for vestibular and neck stimulation, as well as for combinations of both. Ss' perception was evaluated in terms of gain (veridical perception of stimulus magnitude, G = 1), phase, and detection threshold. (1) Perception of trunk rotation in space. During vestibular stimulation (whole-body rotation) and neck stimulation (trunk rotation with the head kept stationary) the frequency-transfer characteristics underlying this perception were very similar. The gain fell short; it was only about 0.7 at 0.4 and 0.2 Hz stimulus frequency and was further attenuated with decreasing frequency. In contrast, the phase was close to that of actual trunk position. The gain attenuation was found to be a function of the peak angular velocity of the stimulus, a fact, which we related to a 'velocity threshold' of the order of 1 deg/s. During the various vestibular-neck combinations used, Ss' perception was again erroneous, reflecting essentially the sum of its two non-ideal constituents. However, there was one noticeable exception; during the combination 'head rotation on stationary trunk', Ss veridically perceived their trunk as stationary (compatible with the notion that the sum yielded 'zero'). (2) Perception of head rotation in space. During vestibular stimulation, Ss' estimates showed the same non-ideal gain-vs.-frequency characteristics as described above for the trunk. Neck stimulation induced an illusion as if the head had been rotated in space. This neck contribution was such that, when it was combined with its vestibular counterpart during head rotation on stationary trunk, the perception became almost veridical. On closer inspection, however, this neck contribution was found to reflect the sum of two components; one was the non-ideal neck signal contributing to the perception of 'trunk in space', the other was an almost ideal neck signal of head-on-trunk rotation. (3) The results could be described by a simple model. In this model, the erroneous vestibular signal 'head in space' is primarily used to create an internal representation of 'trunk in space'.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Voluntary control of agonist premotor silence preceding limb movements of maximal effort.

The ability to gain voluntary control over agonist premotor silence through electromyographic (EMG) feedback was examined in healthy subjects performing maximal horizontal elbow flexions. Subjects exhibiting premotor silence on at least 50% of the pretest trials showed significantly greater peak angular velocity than subjects who produced the silent period on fewer than 20% of the trials during the pretest. The latter subjects acquired control of agonist premotor silence with practice and graphic feedback regarding their EMG patterns. The subjects who were the most successful in learning to produce the silent period increased their angular velocity to the level of the subjects who naturally exhibited the inhibition. The less successful subjects showed smaller increases in velocity. The data provide further evidence that premotor silence is primarily under central influence, that its control can be acquired, and that it may be functionally related to contractile rate.

VOLUNTARY CONTROL OF AGONIST PREMOTOR SILENCE PRECEDING LIMB MOVEMENTS OF MAXIMAL EFFORT

The ability to gain voluntary control over agonist premotor silence through electromyographic (EMG) feedback was examined in healthy subjects performing maximal horizontal elbow flexions. Subjects exhibiting premotor silence on at least 50% of the pretest trials showed significantly greater peak angular velocity than subjects who produced the silent period on fewer than 20% of the trials during the pretest. The latter subjects acquired control of agonist premotor silence with practice and graphic feedback regarding their EMG patterns. The subjects who were the most successful in learning to produce the silent period increased their angular velocity to the level of the subjects who naturally exhibited the inhibition. The less successful subjects showed smaller increases in velocity. The data provide further evidence that premotor silence is primarily under central influence, that its control can be acquired, and that it may be functionally related to contractile rate.

An analytical model of traumatic diffuse brain injury.

Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) with prolonged coma has been produced in the primate using an impulsive, rotational acceleration of the head without impact. This pathophysiological entity has been studied subsequently from a biomechanics perspective using physical models of the skull-brain structure. Subjected to identical loading conditions as the primate, these physical models permit one to measure the deformation within the surrogate brain tissue as a function of the forces applied to the head. An analytical model designed to approximate these experiments has been developed in order to facilitate an analysis of the parameters influencing brain deformation. These three models together are directed toward the development of injury tolerance criteria based upon the shear strain magnitude experienced by the deep white matter of the brain. The analytical model geometry consists of a rigid, right-circular cylindrical shell filled with a Kelvin-Voigt viscoelastic material. Allowing no slip on the boundary, the shell is subjected to a sudden, distributed, axisymmetric, rotational load. A Fourier series representation of the load allows unrestricted load-time histories. The exact solution for the relative angular displacement (V) and the infinitesimal shear strain (epsilon) at any radial location in the viscoelastic material with respect to the shell was determined.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Static and dynamic properties of synaptic transmission at the cyto-neural junction of frog labyrinth posterior canal.

The properties of synaptic transmission have been studied at the cyto-neural junction of the frog labyrinth posterior canal by examining excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) activity recorded intraaxonally from the afferent nerve after abolishing spike firing by tetrodotoxin. The waveform, amplitude, and rate of occurrence of the EPSPs have been evaluated by means of a procedure of fluctuation analysis devised to continuously monitor these parameters, at rest as well as during stimulation of the semicircular canal by sinusoidal rotation at 0.1 Hz, with peak accelerations ranging from 8 to 87 deg.s-2. Responses to excitatory and inhibitory accelerations were quantified in terms of maximum and minimum EPSP rates, respectively, as well as total numbers of EPSPs occurring during the excitatory and inhibitory half cycles. Excitatory responses were systematically larger than inhibitory ones (asymmetry). Excitatory responses were linearly related either to peak acceleration or to its logarithm, and the same occurred for inhibitory responses. In all units examined, the asymmetry of the response yielded nonlinear two-sided input-output intensity functions. Silencing of EPSPs during inhibition (rectification) was never observed. Comparison of activity during the first cycle of rotation with the average response over several cycles indicated that variable degrees of adaptation (up to 48%) characterize the excitatory response, whereas no consistent adaptation was observed in the inhibitory response. All fibers appeared to give responses nearly in phase with angular velocity, at 0.1 Hz, although the peak rates generally anticipated by a few degrees the peak angular velocity. From the data presented it appears that asymmetry, adaptation, and at least part of the phase lead in afferent nerve response are of presynaptic origin, whereas rectification and possible further phase lead arise at the encoder. To confirm these conclusions a simultaneous though limited study of spike firing and EPSP activity has been attempted in a few fibers.

Yaw direction neurons in the cat inferior olive.

1. Single units that responded to yaw rotation were recorded extracellularly in the caudal inferior olive (IO) of barbiturate-anesthetized cats. Of 276 neurons, 55 responded reliably to yaw, and extensive quantitative data were recorded from 25. 2. No yaw-sensitive IO neuron responded to somatosensory or auditory stimuli but two responded, though unreliably, to flash. 3. Yaw-sensitive IO cells fired at low (1-4 spikes/s), irregular rates during one direction of rotation. Though cells responded reliably during yaw, firing rates varied considerably from cycle to cycle. Rotation speed and acceleration were not represented in any cell's firing rate. 4. Eighty five percent (47/55) of yaw-sensitive cells fired during contralateral rotation, 9% (5/55) during ipsilateral rotation, and 6% (3/55) fired from late in the ipsilateral phase of a sinusoidal oscillation to the middle of the contralateral phase. 5. Responses were tested to 0.1-Hz sinusoidal yaw oscillations with a range of peak angular velocities (1-200 degrees/s). Thresholds were not sharp because of the cycle to cycle variability in response rates but were estimated using averaged responses. The peak rate of the most sensitive cell was driven to criterion (2 SD above spontaneous rate) by an oscillation with a peak velocity of 1 degrees/s. Other cells reached criterion between 5 and 50 degrees/s. 6. Sinusoidal oscillation at all frequencies tested (0.01-0.5 Hz) elicited approximately the same firing rates. Even at 0.01 Hz cells responded well. Responses lagged acceleration by approximately 25 degrees at 0.01 Hz and shifted to later parts of the cycle as frequency increased so that firing lagged acceleration by approximately 200 degrees at 0.5 Hz. 7. Histological reconstruction showed that yaw-sensitive neurons were recorded in olivary subnucleus beta (N beta), the dorsal cap of Kooy (DC), the posterior medial region of the medial accessory division of the inferior olive (MAO), and in the medial-lateral center of the caudal MAO. 8. Yaw-sensitive neurons in the inferior olive provide a signal to the cerebellum that indicates the direction of passive rotation over a wide range of velocity and acceleration. The signal from individual neurons does not reliably encode either rotation velocity or acceleration. Yaw-sensitive IO neurons are therefore unlike other central vestibular neurons but are similar to somatosensory IO cells which signal the presence, but not the intensity of a stimulus.

EMG activity of the leg extensor muscles with special reference to mechanical efficiency in concentric and eccentric exercise.

Integrated electromyographic (IEMG) activity of the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis muscles were recorded when normal male subjects performed isolated concentric and eccentric exercises on a special "sledge" apparatus, which was connected to a force plate. Four different submaximal energy levels were investigated in both exercise types. A single set of exercise included 80 contractions. The net mechanical efficiency was computed from the force plate record (mechanical work) and from the analysis of expired air (energy expenditure). The results indicated that IEMG activity increased with increasing knee angular velocity or mechanical work in concentric exercise, but in eccentric exercise IEMG stayed at very low levels at all energy levels. The net mechanical efficiency of concentric exercise was on the average 19.4% +/- 2.8%, and it did not change much with change in the narrow range of peak angular velocities. In eccentric exercise, however, mechanical efficiency increased in all subjects with increasing mechanical work or stretch velocity reaching in many instances values over 100%. This increase in mechanical efficiency was characterized by very low IEMG activity, which stayed approximately the same at all efficiency levels. In concentric exercise IEMG, energy expenditure and mechanical work changed in parallel when exercise intensity was increased.

Eye movement responses to combined linear and angular head movement.

Lateral eye movements evoked by linear head motion were evaluated in human subjects by subtracting the eye movement responses to head-centred angular oscillation in the dark, about a vertical axis, from the responses evoked by similar oscillation with the head displaced 30 cm eccentrically from the axis. The centred oscillation gave a purely angular stimulus whereas the eccentric oscillation gave an additional tangential linear acceleration acting laterally to the head. The stimuli used were relatively unpredictable, enveloped sinewaves at 0.02 to 1.2 Hz, 60 degrees/s peak angular velocity, 0.004 to 0.24 g peak tangential acceleration, and subjects were either given no instructions or were told to imagine fixating on targets at 60 cm or 5 m distance. Eye movements of significantly higher velocity were evoked in the eccentric position, particularly at the higher frequencies and when subjects imagined near targets. The increase in velocity of eye movement was attributed to the linear stimulus and probably derives from stimulation of the otolith organs. The frequency response of the gain (degree/s/g) of these movements gave an approximate slope of -1, indicating that the eye velocity bears a constant proportionality to linear head velocity. The findings are in accord with the theoretical prediction that eye movements compensating for linear head motion should only be required for viewing near targets. These otolithic influences on eye movements could either the mediated by a direct "otolith-ocular reflex" which is subservient to viewing conditions, or, alternatively, the otolith signals may modify the activity of other oculomotor mechanisms.

The role of intersegmental dynamics during rapid limb oscillations

The interactive dynamic effects of muscular, inertial and gravitational moments on rapid, multisegmented limb oscillations were studied. Using three-segment, rigid-body equations of motion, hip, knee and ankle intersegmental dynamics were calculated for the steady-state cycles of the paw-shake response in adult spinal cats. Hindlimb trajectories were filmed to obtain segmental kinematics, and myopotentials of flexors and extensors at each of the three joints were recorded synchronously with the ciné film. The segmental oscillations that emerged during the paw-shake response were a consequence of an interplay between active and passive musculotendinous forces, inertial forces, and gravity. During steady-state oscillations, the amplitudes of joint excursions, peak angular velocities, and peak angular accelerations increased monotonically and significantly in magnitude from the proximal joint (hip) to the most distal joint (ankle). In contrast to these kinematic relationships, the maximal values of net moments at the hip and knee were equal in magnitude, but of significantly lower magnitude than the large net moment at the ankle joint. At both the ankle and the knee, the flexor and extensor muscle moments were equal, but at the hip the magnitude of the peak flexor muscle moment was significantly greater than the extensor muscle moment. Muscle moments at the hip not only acted to counterbalance accelerations of the more distal segments, but also acted to maintain the postural orientation of the hindlimb. Large muscle moments at the knee functioned to counterbalance the large inertial moments generated by the large angular accelerations of the paw. At the ankle, the muscle moments dominated the generation of the paw accelerations. At the ankle and the knee, muscle moments controlled limb dynamics by slowing and reversing joint motions, and the active muscle forces contributing to ankle and knee moments were derived from lengthening of active musculotendinous units. In contrast to the more distal joints, the active muscles crossing the hip predominantly shortened as a result of the interplay among inertial forces and gravitational moments. The muscle function and kinetic data explain key features of the complex interactions that occur between central control mechanisms and multi-segmented, oscillating limb segments during the paw-shake response.

3D Kinematics and Kinetics of the Golf Swing

Three-dimensional kinematics and kinetics for a double pendulum model golf swing were determined for 6 subjects, who were filmed by two phase-locked Photosonics cameras. The film was digitally analyzed. Abdel-Aziz and Karara's (1971) algorithm was used to determine three-dimensional spatial coordinates for the segment endpoints. Linear kinematic and kinetic data showed similarities with previous studies. The orientation of the resultant joint force at the wrists was in the direction of motion of the club center of gravity for most of the downswing. Such an orientation of the force vector would tend to prevent wrist uncocking. Indeterminate peak angular velocities for rotations about the X axis were reported. However, these peaks were due to computational instabilities that occurred when the club was perpendicular to the YZ plane. Furthermore, the motion of the club during the downswing was found to be nonplanar. Wrist uncocking appeared to be associated with the resultant joint torque and not the resultant joint force at the wrists. Torques reported in this study were consistent with those reported by Vaughan (1981).

Biomechanics of baseball pitching. A preliminary report.

Fifteen professional major league pitchers were filmed with high speed cinematography. One hundred forty-seven pitches were analyzed using an electromagnetic digitizer and a microcomputer. Three phases of throwing were studied: cocking, acceleration, and follow-through. The cocking phase is the period of time between the initiation of the windup and the moment at which the shoulder is in maximum external rotation. This phase occurs in approximately 1500 ms, and the shoulder is brought into an extreme position of external rotation. The acceleration phase and the initial stages of the follow-through phase produce extraordinary demands on the shoulder and elbow. The acceleration phase begins with the throwing shoulder in the position of maximum external rotation and terminates with ball release. This phase occurs in approximately 50 ms, and peak angular velocities averaging 6,180 deg/sec for shoulder internal rotation and 4,595 deg/sec for elbow extension were measured. The follow-through phase begins at ball release and continues until the motion of throwing has ceased. This phase occurs in approximately 350 ms.

EMG activity and kinematics of human cycling movements at different constant velocities

Surface electromyographic (EMG) activity was recorded from the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior in the human lower extremity while subjects performed bicycling movements over a range of constant pedalling velocities. Kinematics of knee and hip cyclical movements were analyzed from 16 mm film. The reciprocal pattern of activation in agonist and antagonist muscles and timing of EMG initiation relative to knee joint were studied. Reciprocal activation of rectus femoris and biceps femoris muscles was generally observed to occur during the mid-extension or mid-flexion phase of knee movements. This timing of activation pattern coincided well the period of peak angular velocity and zero angular acceleration. As pedalling speeds approached maximum, activation times of the bifunctional, biarticular rectus femoris, biceps and gastrocnemius muscles were considerably advanced in phase relative to knee joint angles, whereas, EMG initiation of monofunctional, single joint, tibalis anterior and vastus medialis muscles maintained a relatively stable knee position-activation time relationship. At higher velocities, biceps femoris EMG activity was characterized as having a double burst pattern of activation. A less distinctive double burst pattern was seen in the rectus femoris EMG at higher cycling speeds. EMG pattern analysis of the rectus femoris and biceps femoris muscles revealed an earlier onset of activity for both muscles during maximum cycling velocities, relative to cyclical phases of the knee joint angle. Considerable overlapping of the EMG bursts was seen beyond pedalling rates of 1 Hz. Co-contraction between rectus femoris and biceps femoris muscles could be observed during the acceleration period involving an abrupt switch to maximum pedalling performance. When co-contraction was observed, the joint angular acceleration curves observed during the knee flexion period accounted for a larger portion of a single cycle, and were more irregular than the angular accelerations observed during knee extension.

Breaststroke swimmer's knee. A biomechanical and arthroscopic study.

The cause of the breaststroke swimmer's knee with medial pain of the knee joint has not been clearly identified. Breaststroke swimmers with knee pain were, therefore, examined arthroscopically. None showed any other disorders of their knees than medial synovitis in seven of nine swimmers. Since structural abnormalities could be ruled out, biomechanical analyses utilizing cinematographic techniques were used to study patients swimming in a special flume with the speed set at 90% of their best competitive performance. The results indicate that the extension and flexion and also in some cases the hip abduction and adduction movements of the whip kick were performed with high peak angular velocities. No significant differences in swimming technique among the six patients studied and three controls could be observed. It is concluded that a combination of high angular velocities at the hip and knee and external rotation of the tibia relative to the femur repeated in excessive amounts might be the primary cause for the medial synovitis documented in these patients. The breaststroker's knee thus seems to be an overuse syndrome.