Pelvic Limb Muscles Research Articles

EMGs DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ADOLESCENTS WITH AND WITHOUT LIMB LENGTH DISCREPANCY.

Limb length discrepancy (LLD) has been associated with stress fractures, biomechanic gait alterations, osteoarthrosis and other muscle-joint dysfunctions. Electromyographic patterns reflect the function of neuromuscular system. Abnormality may be evidenced by comparison with their opposite limb. Our aim was to evaluate differences in surface electromyography (EMGs) activity of paraspinal, pelvic and lower limb muscles, in adolescents with, and without LLD. Methods: 21 subjects with LLD and 19 without it were evaluated. LLD was diagnosed by clinical and X-ray methods for shortenings ≥ 1 cm. EMGs recordings both in rest and maximal isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC), were obtained from lumbar paraspinal (LPM), gluteus medium (GMM), tensor fascia lattae (TFLM), rectus femoris (RFM), semimembranosus (SMM) and soleus (SM) muscles in both sides of the body. RMS, MRV and PPA were analyzed. Differences were assessed by Student's ôtö test (α = 0.05). Results: Differences were found in MRV and RMS during MIVC in high LPM, between the short side in LLD group and the corresponding (ipsilateral) side in non-LLD group (mean ± S.E.) (365.14 ± 46.31 vs 250.42 ± 86.80; P = 0.03 and 503.04 ± 62.49 vs 330.52 ± 26.19; P = 0.01 respectively). Similar results were found for PPA in SMM (810.25 ± 108.67 vs 1273.05 ± 143.39; P = 0.008). TFLM showed differences in PPA between larger side in LLD and the corresponding side in non-LLD subjects (655.90 ± 88.89 vs 1018.15 ± 132.53; P = 0.02). In SM, PPA differences for both, short and large extremities, when compared with corresponding legs in control subjects were found, with P = 0.03 and P = 0.01 respectively. When short and large side in LLD subjects were contrasted, differences were found in GMMs PPA (404.38 ± 53.17 vs 297.47 ± 36.04; p = 0.05), TFLMs MRV and RMS (361.85 ± 34.67 vs 301.80 ± 31.44; p = 0.02 for MRV; 478.14 ± 47.22 vs 393.23 ± 40.15; p = 0.02 for RMS). The SMM only showed MRV differences (610.10 ± 79.79 vs 514.70 ± 52.53; P= 0.04). It is important to state that no significative difference between right and left muscles for MRV, RMS and PPA, were found in subjects with no LLD. Conclusions: There are selective differences between EMGs in accordance with the different functions performed by the studied muscles, both between short an large sides of LLD subjects, and with corresponding sides of controls. No EMGs differences were found between right and left side in non-LLD subjects. Supp. SIHGO-CONACYT 19990202027.

Pelvic limb musculature in the emu Dromaius novaehollandiae (Aves: Struthioniformes: Dromaiidae): adaptations to high-speed running.

Emus provide an excellent opportunity for studying sustained high-speed running by a bird. Their pelvic limb musculature is described in detail and morphological features characteristic of a cursorial lifestyle are identified. Several anatomical features of the pelvic limb reflect the emus' ability for sustained running at high speeds: (1) emus have a reduced number of toes and associated muscles, (2) emus are unique among birds in having a M. gastrocnemius, the most powerful muscle in the shank, that has four muscle bellies, not the usual three, and (3) contribution to total body mass of the pelvic limb muscles of emus is similar to that of the flight muscles of flying birds, whereas the pelvic limb muscles of flying birds constitute a much smaller proportion of total body mass. Generally, the pelvic limb musculature of emus resembles that of other ratites with the notable exception of M. gastrocnemius. The presence and arrangement of four muscle bellies may increase the effectiveness of M. gastrocnemius and other muscles during cursorial locomotion by moving the limb in a cranio-caudal rather than a latero-medial plane.

Concentrations of sulfadoxine and trimethoprim in plasma, lymph fluids and some tissues 24 h after intramuscular administration to angora goats

Summary This study was carried out to determine the concentrations of sulfadoxine and trimethoprim in plasma, lymph, and some tissues in goats after administration of a single recommended therapeutic dose. Five healthy, adult Angora goats were used. The drug combination, containing 200 mg sulfadoxine and 40 mg trimethoprim per millilitre, was given as a single IM injection at the recommended dose level, 15 mg/kg body weight for sulfadoxine and 3 mg/kg body weight for trimethoprim. The goats were slaughtered 24 hours after drug administration and samples were taken from liver, bone marrow, pelvic limb muscles, hepatic, thoracic duct, and the pelvic limb lymph fluids for analysis of drug concentrations by HPLC. The concentrations of trimethoprim in bone marrow, liver, pelvic limb muscles, hepatic lymph, the pelvic limb lymph, and thoracic duct lymph were found to be 6, 5, 4, 2, 5 and 15 times higher than those of plasma, respectively. Although the sulfadoxine concentrations in bone marrow, pelvic limb muscles, and liver were 2, 3 and 2 times higher than the plasm concentrations, respectively, the sulfadoxine concentrations in hepatic lymph, the pelvic limb lymph, and thoracic duct lymph were lower than those of plasma. The results show that the trimethoprim concentrations in lymph fluids were quite similar to those in tissues. However, the sulfadoxine concentrations in lymph fluids were different in each tissue.

Neurologic examination of sea turtles

Objective To determine whether neurologic examination techniques established for use on dogs and cats could be adapted for use on sea turtles. Design Prospective controlled observational study. Animals 4 healthy Green Turtles (Chelonia mydas), 1 healthy Kemp's ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys kempi), and 6 Green Turtles suspected to have neurologic abnormalities. Procedure Neurologic examinations were performed while sea turtles were in and out of the water and in ventral and dorsal recumbency. Mentation, general activity, head and body posture, movement and coordination, thoracic and pelvic limb movement, strength and muscle tone, and tail movement were observed. Thoracic and pelvic limb flexor reflexes and nociception, righting response, cranial nerve reflexes, clasp and cloacal reflexes, and neck, dorsal scute, cloacal, and tail nociception were tested. Results Results of neurologic evaluations were consistent for healthy sea turtles. Sea turtles suspected to have neurologic abnormalities had abnormal results. Clinical Implications Many of the neurologic examination techniques used to evaluate dogs and cats can be adapted and used to evaluate sea turtles. A standardized neurologic examination should result in an accurate assessment of neurologic function in impaired sea turtles and should help in evaluating effects of rehabilitation efforts and suitability for return to their natural environment. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 1997;211:1043–1047)

Idiopathic polyneuropathy in Alaskan malamutes.

Clinical and morphologic features of a progressive polyneuropathy in young mature Alaskan Malamutes are described. Clinical signs included progressive paraparesis, synchronous pelvic limb gait, exercise intolerance, hyperesthesia, hyporeflexia, muscle atrophy, and tetraplegia. Electromyographic testing revealed diffuse fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves in limb muscles, especially in muscles below the elbow and stifle. Pathologic findings in skeletal muscles and peripheral nerves included neurogenic muscle atrophy, focal or diffuse loss of myelinated nerve fibers, myelinoaxonal necrosis, and variable demyelination or remyelination. Ultrastructural changes included axonal degeneration, presence of numerous Büngner bands, and denervated Schwann cell subunits. The nature and distribution of abnormal electrophysiologic and pathologic findings were suggestive of a distal sensorimotor polyneuropathy, which we have termed idiopathic polyneuropathy of Alaskan Malamutes to distinguish this condition from hereditary polyneuropathy of Norwegian Alaskan Malamutes, last described in 1982.

Clinical variability of facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy in russia

One hundred forty-two patients (66 men and 76 women) from 20 autosomal-dominant pedigrees and 3 families including 5 "sporadic" cases were examined. A great similarity of clinical manifestations among those affected was noted. Clinical variability of phenotypes reflecting various phases of the disease and different expressions of the mutant gene were always within the limits of the identical final phenotype of the disease, namely the facio-scapulo-humero-peroneal-femoro (posterior group of the muscles)-gluteal (gluteus maximus). Thus, the clinically and genetically homogeneous group of patients with autosomal-dominant descending with a "jump" form of facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD), called facioscapuloperoneal dystrophy (FSPD), was examined. Among the observed cases we did not come across any having the autosomal-dominant gradually descending form of FSHD, called facioscapulolimb dystrophy (FSLD), in which the pelvic and proximal lower limb muscles get weak earlier than in the peroneal group (anterior tibial) muscles. We could not reveal the "pure" facioscapulohumeral phenotype of muscle weakness in 142 examined patients. A "pure" FSHD does not exist as a nosological entity. It represents only the syndrome which characterizes the initial phase of FSLD, but not of the FSPD. It is quite probable that FSPD and FSLD which may be differentiated clinically are two different diseases connected with the mutation of allelic or even different genes. Linkage studies in FSPD and FSLD mapping genes would confirm this data.

Pathology of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae)

Pathology of Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Emus (<i>Dromaius novaehollandiae</i>)

Diagnosis of cauda equina abnormalities by using electromyography, discography, and epidurography in dogs.

Electromyography (EMG), L7-S1 discography and epidurography were investigated in 15 dogs with clinical signs of cauda equina dysfunction and in 7 control dogs without such clinical signs. Electromyography of paraspinal and pelvic limb muscles was done in 13 of 15 affected dogs. An L7-S1 discogram followed by an epidurogram was performed in all 22 dogs using 20% iopamidol. Results of discograms, epidurograms, and gross necropsy examinations were normal in six of seven control dogs. The one dog in which these studies were abnormal had a mild L7-S1 disc protrusion that did not result in nerve root compression at necropsy. Electromyographic analysis was 100% accurate in predicting the presence or absence of cauda equina disease. None of the results of discograms were falsely negative. Twelve of 15 discograms in clinically affected dogs indicated dorsal disc protrusion, but 2 of these protrusions were found to be noncompressive at surgery (13% error). Abnormal epidurograms occurred in 9 of 15 clinically affected dogs. There was one false positive and two false negatives (20% error). Electromyography was a sensitive screening technique for the presence of cauda equina disease. Discography may be more sensitive for detection of L7-S1 disc protrusion than epidurography. An abnormal radiographic contrast study of the cauda equina may only be useful when combined with an abnormal EMG.

Canine Hip Dysplasia: Clinical Signs and Physical Diagnosis

Clinical signs of hip dysplasia include lameness, gait abnormalities, reluctance to exercise, and pelvic limb muscle atrophy with compensatory shoulder muscle hypertrophy. Because these clinical signs are not pathognomonic for CHD, a thorough orthopedic and neurologic examination is recommended for all patients with suspected CHD. Specific maneuvers, including the Barlow, Ortolani, and Barden's signs are useful to characterize the degree of coxofemoral laxity, both as screening tools in young puppies and as diagnostic aids in clinically lame dogs. None of the signs are definitive diagnostic tests for CHD, but they should be performed as sequential maneuvers in the veterinarian's workup for suspected CHD. Pelvic radiography is mandatory to definitively diagnose CHD but should not be the first step in the workup, because other diagnoses may be missed or concurrent conditions may coexist with dysplasia.

Anasarca and myopathy in ostrich chicks

Twenty ostrich chicks that died at, or within, 1 week after hatching were examined from 7 farms with poor (43 to 75%) hatchability. All chicks had anasarca and 15 had mild, generalised, acute degenerative changes in the complexus and pelvic limb muscles. One had fibrinoid degeneration of arterioles. Biochemical examinations produced no evidence of deficiencies of selenium, vitamin A or vitamin E. The syndrome was related to high relative humidity during incubation. Malpositioning also was a cause of embryo mortality.

Identification and anatomic categorization of the vascular patterns to the pelvic limb muscles of dogs

SUMMARY The vascular patterns to pelvic limb muscles were studied in 6 dogs (12 limbs) to identify muscles most suitable for transposition in the treatment of large wounds. Gross dissection of injected specimens and angiography were used to identify the vascular pedicles. The vascular peicles to several muscles were generally consistent, and any variations would not interfere with most muscle transfers. The cranial part of the sartorius, gracillis, semitendinosus, and rectus femoris muscles were identified as suitable candidates for transfer. The caudal part of the sartorius, cranial tibial, and long digital extensor muscles have segmentalized vascular patterns that would limit its arc of rotation.

Breed and sex effects on the development, distribution of muscle, fat and bone, and the partition of fat in pigs

SummaryDissection data from 341 carcasses collected over a period of 7 years at the Institute of Food Research, Bristol (Large White, 138 entire males and 112 females; Pietrain, 41 entire males and 31 females; Iron Age (European Wild Pig × Tamworth), 8 entire males and 11 females) were used to examine the growth of muscle, fat and bone in joints relative to the corresponding total tissue in the side, and the growth of the fat depots relative to total side fat.The musculature of Iron Age pigs was early maturing, as indicated by a particularly slow growth of pelvic limb and fast growth of neck and thorax muscles relative to total side muscle. As a consequence, Iron Age pigs had a lower percentage of pelvic limb and a higher percentage of neck and thorax muscles than the other breeds. Pietrains had proportionately the heaviest pelvic limb muscles, a result which was apparently independent of the overriding effect of maturity. However, considering the large difference in body shape (conformation) between Pietrain and Iron Age pigs, the differences in muscle weight distribution were small. Entire males had faster growing and heavier neck and thorax muscles than females. This was considered to be due to the effects of sex hormones. Entire males had proportionately less muscle in the pelvic limb.Within carcass fat, the order of increasing growth rate relative to total side fat was intermuscular fat &lt;; subcutaneous fat &lt;; perirenal-retroperitoneal fat. Pietrain and Iron Age pigs had higher relative growth rates for subcutaneous fat and lower relative growth rates for intermuscular fat than Large Whites, an indication of earlier maturity in carcass fat development. This was reflected in Iron Age pigs, but not Pietrains, in a particularly heavy weight of subcutaneous fat and light weight of intermuscular fat. Within the subcutaneous and intermuscular fat depots, the highest allometric growth coefficients were generally observed in the forequarter. There were no consistent breed effects on the distribution of subcutaneous fat whereas, in the intermuscular fat depot, Iron Age pigs had less fat in the earlier-maturing thoracic limb, and lumbar and abdominal joint. At the same weight of total side fat (8·80 kg), entire male Pietrains and Large Whites had more intermuscular and less subcutaneous fat than females. There was no sex difference in fat partition in Iron Age pigs.In all breeds, bone in the pelvic limb had the slowest relative growth. Similarly, the femur and the tibia-fibula were the two slowest growing bones of the four major limb bones examined. Otherwise, there was no consistent pattern of relative growth throughout the skeleton. Breed effects on relative growth within the skeleton and on bone distribution were small and considered to be of little commercial significance. Pietrains had the highest muscle: bone ratio in each of the four anatomical joints. Entire males and females had a similar relative growth and distribution of bones. Females had consistently higher muscle:bone ratios.

EFFECTS OF SEX, GENOTYPE AND NUTRITION ON THE RELATIVE GROWTH OF MUSCLES IN THE PIG

The effects of liveweight, breed, sex, diet and feeding level on muscle distribution were studied by comparing nine anatomical muscle groups dissected from the half carcasses of pigs from two studies. The first study consisted of 109 pigs representing barrows and gilts of three breed groups, fed two diets differing in energy and protein. The second study consisted of 72 barrows and gilts from two breed groups fed a low-energy diet at one of three feed levels. Animals were slaughtered at 23, 68, 91 or 114 kg liveweight. The results were compared with data from one other study. In pigs, major differentiation in muscle development appears to take place prior to 23 kg liveweight. Muscle differentiation appeared to follow functional demands. Muscles associated with mobility immediately after birth such as the distal limb muscles, developed early while those associated with greater locomotion and propulsion, such as the proximal pelvic limb muscles, developed later in life. Sex had little influence on muscle distribution between 23 and 114 kg liveweight. Proportion of abdominal muscles had apparently increased markedly prior to 23 kg liveweight and continued to be influenced by the level of feeding throughout. Breed differences in muscle distribution were observed for spinal, abdominal and distal thoracic limb muscles. Key words: Swine, muscle growth, muscle distribution

Studies on Broiler Breeding

In this investigation we expected to get some fundamental informations on the pattern of growth of cockerels and of changes of body conformations during their growing period from hatching to eleven weeks of age. Observations were done under natural and experimentally controlled conditions. In the latter case, cockerels were fed on quantitatively restricted diet for one week during early or late stages, to retard their growth. Two hundred and ten newly hatched White Leghorn male chicks were used. Four different feeding treatments were projected; first group was fed ad lib. as control, the second group (Treatment I), was given the restricted feed for a week at one week of age, the third group (Treatment II), was given the restricted feed for a week at two weeks of age, and the fourth group (Treatment III), was given the restricted feed for a week of eight weeks of age. After the period of feed restriction, all the groups were fed ad lib. Random samples of five or six cockerels were dissected and measured to analyse the growth and effects of feed restriction and following recovery in full feeding.1. Recovery from the effect of feed restriction for one week was partly achieved by an abnormally rapid growth. But this rapid growth did not continue for a long time, it disappeared before they could exceed the normal body growth in control at eleven weeks of age. In spite of their high growth rate and good efficiency of compensatory growth, they could not improve any feed efficiency.2. Changes of weight or length of parts of body in final stage or normal growth were expressed as a magnification of their initial values of day-old chicks. Magnifications were 3.0 in the weight of eyeball, 3.5 in the length of metatarsal bone, 14.2 in the weight of the edible visera including the heart, liver and gizzard, 26.0 in the weight of vertebral column, rib and hip bone, 33.3 in the weight of tarsometatarsus, 34.3 in the live weight, 36.7 in the weight of bone on femur-tibiotarsus, 59.3 in the weight of muscle on femur-tibiotarsus and 272 in the weight of pectoralis minor muscle. The lower magnification, the earlier growth completes. Namely, nerves make most rapid growth in the early stage and they followed by the growth of bones and of muscles. Such growth gradients were also found among bones or muscles. For example bones and muscles of femur-tibiotarsus grow earlier than bone of pelvic limb and pectoralis major muscle.3. Differences between the magnifications of length of metatarsal bone and of the weight of it show higher growth rate in length than weight.4. Early developing organs such as nerves and bones have the priority to grow even under restricted feeding. Recovery shows also different pattern between parts of the muscles or of the bones. Late developing organs or the parts of the same organ are affected more severely by the restricted feeding than early developing one, but recoveries of the former are quicker than that of the latter. Muscles and edible visera are likely to be affected but the latter recovered more rapidly.5. As treatmental group I, in which feed was restricted when their growth rate was highest, the effect of restriction was greater and severer than treatmental groups II and III where the restriction was practiced at the stages of lower growth rate. Treatment I was recovered slower compared with treatments II and III.6. Dressing percentages of all treatmental groups were lower immediately after restriction and after a week than control, while percentage of the weight of head and bone of tarso-metatarsus, weight of edible visera to live weight were also higher than control at each period mentioned above. The fact that the visera take priority in growth among the other organs may be concerned with their own metabolic and nutritional functions to support the whole growth of organs.

Mating Behavior and the Social Hierarchy in Small Flocks of White Leghorns

Mating Behavior and the Social Hierarchy in Small Flocks of White Leghorns