BACKGROUND: Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is an important tool in the assessment of exercise practice. Assuming FMS lacks precise validity for assessing postural deficits, further research is needed to assess whether it is a sufficiently precise tool for analysing joint mobility. Research aims were to evaluate: convergent validity of Deep Squat (DS) - one of FMS tests - regarding joint mobility, using data from a three-dimensional motion analysis as a comparable method; DS\'s ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels.
METHODS: Sixty subjects were selected (23.6 ± 3.8 years). DS was performed according to FMS guidelines. Subjects\' performance in frontal and sagittal planes was recorded by two video cameras and subsequently scored by two FMS-certified evaluators. Three-dimensional motion analyses of DS were acquired by a Vicon Motion Capture System (200 Hz). Ten trials were acquired for each subject. Ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder angular positions in sagittal plane were determined from the FullBody PlugInGait model. Spearman\'s coefficient examined the correlation between angular positions and DS score. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the DS ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels by comparing different scores.
RESULTS: Negligible to moderate correlations were found between DS score and angular positions (-0.5 < r < 0.5). Only shoulder angular positions showed differences between score \"1\" and \"2\" (p < 0.05). Shoulder and hip angular positions showed no differences between score \"2\" and \"3\" (p < 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: DS yielded low convergent validity regarding joint mobility and did not show the ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels.

This study investigates the influence of the quality of the \"deep squat\" movement, adapted from the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) system, on the lower extremity movement pattern during baseball throwing, and its potential impact on throwing performance and propulsion efficiency. Twenty-two baseball players were recruited and categorized into two groups: 13 in the high-score squat group (HSS) and 9 in the low-score squat group (LSS), based on their deep squat screening results. This research explored disparities in ball velocity, propulsion efficiency, propulsion ground reaction force (GRF) characteristics, and throwing kinematics between these two groups. The findings revealed no significant difference in ball velocity between the groups. However, the LSS group demonstrated a lower propulsion GRF efficiency (p < 0.030, ES = 0.46), along with a higher vertical peak GRF (p < 0.002, ES = 0.66). In the pivot leg, the HSS group exhibited significantly lower impulse forces in the Impulse Fresultant (p < 0.035, ES = 0.45), throwing direction (p < 0.049, ES = 0.42), and vertical direction (p < 0.048, ES = 0.42). Additionally, the contribution to the ball velocity of the pivot leg was significantly greater in the HSS group, along with significantly better efficiency in Impulse Fresultant (p < 0.035, ES = 0.45), throwing direction (p < 0.053, ES = 0.41), and vertical direction (p < 0.032, ES = 0.46). In the leading leg, the HSS group demonstrated significantly lower impulse forces in the Impulse Fresultant (p < 0.001, ES = 0.69), throwing direction (p < 0.007, ES = 0.58), and vertical direction (p < 0.001, ES = 0.70). Moreover, the contribution to the ball velocity of the leading leg was significantly greater in the HSS group, accompanied by significantly better efficiency in Impulse Fresultant (p < 0.003, ES = 0.63), throwing direction (p < 0.005, ES = 0.60), and vertical direction (p < 0.021, ES = 0.49). In conclusion, this study suggests that squat screening is a valuable tool for assessing propulsion efficiency. Coaches and trainers should be mindful of players with low squat quality but high throwing performance, as they may face increased impact and injury risks in the future.

OBJECTIVE: Despite rising prevalence rates, no standard tool is available to identify individuals at risk of developing contractures. This study aimed to gain expert consensus on items for the development of the Observational Risk Assessment Tool for Contractures: Longitudinal Evaluation (ORACLE) for care home residents.
METHODS: A two-round, online modified Delphi study.
METHODS: Panellists were qualified healthcare professionals with a background in physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, and rehabilitation medicine.
METHODS: In the first round, the experts were asked to rate the predesigned list of items on a Likert scale while in the second round, consensus was sought in the areas of disagreement identified in the previous round.
RESULTS: The two rounds of the Delphi survey included 30 and 25 panellists, respectively. The average clinical and academic experience of the panellists was 22.2 years and 10.5 years, respectively. The panel demonstrated a high level of consensus regarding the clinical factors (10 out of 15 items); preventive care approaches (9 out of 10 items), and contextual factors (12 out of 13 items) ranging from 70% to 100%.
CONCLUSIONS: This Delphi study determined expert consensus on items to be included in a contracture risk assessment tool (ORACLE). The items were related to factors associated with joint contractures, appropriate preventive care interventions, and potentially relevant contextual factors associated with care home settings. The promise of a risk assessment tool that includes these items has the capacity to reduce the risk of contracture development or progression and to trigger timely and appropriate referrals to help prevent further loss of function and independence.

BACKGROUND: Stiff skin syndrome (SSS) is a rare disease characterized by sclerosis of the skin. Cases of both widespread and segmental SSS have been reported.
OBJECTIVE: To report the clinical and histopathological characteristics of a large series of SSS.
METHODS: We retrospectively analysed the clinical and histopathological characteristics of widespread and segmental SSS collected from a dermatology department. We also compared histopathology between segmental SSS and morphea.
RESULTS: Thirty-one cases, including three widespread SSS and 28 segmental SSS, were collected. Skin lesions of widespread SSS generally showed skin sclerosis concentrating over the lumbar, buttocks, thighs, proximal part of limbs, and shoulders with specific abnormal gait and posture. Skin lesions of segmental SSS generally showed sclerotic plaques involving the thigh, lumbar area and buttocks, associated with hypertrichosis, hyperpigmentation and a cobblestone appearance. Segmental SSS did not typically cause joint limitation or serious physical discomfort. Histopathologically, SSS showed proliferation of fibroblasts and sclerosis of collagen in the dermis or subcutaneous tissue. Compared with morphea, SSS showed more prominent proliferation of fibroblasts and completely lacked lymphocyte infiltration.
CONCLUSIONS: Segmental SSS represents the major variant of SSS. Histopathologically, SSS shows proliferation of fibroblasts, sclerosis and an absence of inflammation.

The present review paper aimed at discussing the current major issues in total ankle replacement, both the technical and biomechanical concepts, and the surgical and clinical concerns. Designers shall target at the same time restoration of natural ankle kinematics and congruity of the artificial surfaces throughout the range of motion. Surgeons are recommended to expand biomechanical knowledge on ankle joint replacement, and provide appropriate training and key factors to make arthroplasty a good alternative to arthrodesis. Moreover, adequate selection of patients and careful rehabilitation are critical. In the future, custom-made prosthesis components and patient-specific instrumentation are major developments for more complex cases.

Introduction: To explore the value of serum sirtuin-1 (SIRT1) in the diagnosis and evaluation of joint mobility of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: Serum was randomly obtained from 212 RA patients,210 non-RA patients and 58 healthy controls in a large tertiary first-class hospital in Jiangxi province from November 2021 to June 2022. The level of serum Sirt1,anti-cyclic citrulline polypeptide antibody (anti-CCP), anti-mutant citrulline vimentin antibody (anti-MCV), rheumatoid factor (RF),high-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), collagen triple helix repeat containing 1 (CTHRC1), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) were detected by ELISA, to explore the correlation between them and their value in the diagnosis and evaluation of joint range of motion of RA and statistically analyse their diagnostic efficiency. Results: ① The level of all markers was higher in the RA group than in the non-RA group and the healthy controls (p < 0.05). ② The AUC of the SIRT1 was 0.882, second only to the anti-MCV and anti-CCP. ③ The anti-CCP showed the highest sensitivity to RA diagnosis of 0.948. The specificity and positive predictive value of SIRT1 for the diagnosis of RA were the highest, which are 0.959 and 0.934 respectively. ④ In serial combination, SIRT1/anti-CCP、SIRT1/anti-MCV showed the highest specificity.SIRT1/anti-CCP in parallel combination had the highest sensitivity. ⑤ SIRT1 showed a significant correlation with other markers and DAS28 scores (p < 0.01). Conclusion: SIRT1 can be used as a new serological marker for RA diagnosis, which has a significant correlation with RA joint mobility and has a certain reference value in RA differential diagnosis, providing a new detection basis for RA differential diagnosis.

Joint range of motion (RoM) analyses are fundamental to our understanding of how an animal moves throughout its ecosystem. Recent technological advances allow for more detailed quantification of this RoM (e.g. including interaction of degrees of freedom) both in ex vivo joints and in vivo experiments. Both types of data have been used to draw comparisons with fossils to reconstruct locomotion. Salamanders are often used as analogues for early tetrapod locomotion; testing such hypotheses requires an in-depth analysis of salamander joint RoM. Here, we provide a detailed dataset of the ex vivo ligamentous rotational joint RoM in the hindlimb of the fire salamander Salamandra salamandra, using a new method for collecting and visualising joint RoM. We also characterise in vivo joint RoM used during walking, via scientific rotoscoping and compare the in vivo and ex vivo data. In summary, we provide (1) a new method for joint RoM data experiments and (2) a detailed analysis of both in vivo and ex vivo data of salamander hindlimbs, which can be used for comparative studies.

Quantifying joint range of motion (RoM), the reachable poses at a joint, has many applications in research and clinical care. Joint RoM measurements can be used to investigate the link between form and function in extant and extinct animals, to diagnose musculoskeletal disorders and injuries or monitor rehabilitation progress. However, it is difficult to visually demonstrate how the rotations of the joint axes interact to produce joint positions. Here, we introduce the spherical frame projection (SFP), which is a novel 3D visualisation technique, paired with a complementary data collection approach. SFP visualisations are intuitive to interpret in relation to the joint anatomy because they \'trace\' the motion of the coordinate system of the distal bone at a joint relative to the proximal bone. Furthermore, SFP visualisations incorporate the interactions of degrees of freedom, which is imperative to capture the full joint RoM. For the collection of such joint RoM data, we designed a rig using conventional motion capture systems, including live audio-visual feedback on torques and sampled poses. Thus, we propose that our visualisation and data collection approach can be adapted for wide use in the study of joint function.

Research on biomechanics in rowing has mostly focused on the lumbar spine. However, injuries can also affect other body segments. Thus, the aim of this pilot study was to explore any potential variations in the kinematics of the cervical spine during two different stroke rates on the rowing ergometer in young rowers.
Twelve young rowers of regional or national level were recruited for the study. The experimental protocol consisted of two separate test sessions (i.e., a sequence of 10 consecutive strokes for each test session) at different stroke rates (i.e., 20 and 30 strokes/min) on an indoor rowing ergometer. Kinematics of the cervical spine was assessed using an inertial sensor capable of measuring joint ROM (angle of flexion, angle of extension, total angle of flexion-extension).
Although there were no differences in the flexion and total flexion-extension movements between the test sessions, a significant increase in the extension movement was found at the highest stroke rate (p = 0.04, d = 0.66).
Young rowers showed changes in cervical ROM according to stroke rate. The lower control of the head during the rowing stroke cycle can lead to a higher compensation resulting in an augmented effort, influencing sports performance, and increasing the risk of injury.

BACKGROUND: The standardized geriatric assessment of the upper extremities is often limited to measurement of hand strength. The only other instrument mentioned in the S1 guidelines on level 2 geriatric assessment is the 20 cents test (20-C-T); however, in addition to strength and fine motor skills, successful hand placement is a prerequisite for self-care.
OBJECTIVE: The 8‑point reaching range test (8P-GRT) was developed for standardized separate testing of sides in a seated person concerning hand positioning relevant to daily living. The purpose of the study was to determine quality criteria of the 8P-GRT in geriatric hospital patients.
METHODS: Between 31 July 2019 and 23 September 2019, a total of 82 inpatients were examined at the Hospital Red Cross Lübeck Geriatrics Center using the 8P-GRT, shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI), a questionnaire on self-care activities corresponding to the hand positions of the 8P-GRT, hand strength measurement and the 20-C‑T.
RESULTS: The interrater reliability was 0.99 and the retest reliability was 0.95 for the right side and 0.90 for the left side. On the individual level a ceiling effect (both sides score 8) occurred in 4.1% (n = 3) but no floor effect was observed. The internal consistency (Cronbach\'s alpha) of the two-factorial test according to factor analysis was 0.78 (right) and 0.76 (left). Each of the other tests correlated more closely with the 8P-GRT on the right side, whereby the correlation was highest with the abovenamed questionnaire (-0.72), followed by the SPADI (-0.60).
CONCLUSIONS: A standardized survey of hand strength, fine motor skills and active positioning of the hand (e.g., 8P-GRT) synthesizes the main aspects of upper extremity functioning into an overall picture.
UNASSIGNED: HINTERGRUND: Das standardisierte geriatrische Assessment der oberen Extremitäten beschränkt sich häufig auf die Messung der Handkraft. Als einziges weiteres Instrument nennt die S1-Leitlinie zum geriatrischen Assessment der Stufe 2 den 20-Cents-Test (20-C-T). Neben Kraft und Feinmotorik ist jedoch das erfolgreiche Platzieren der Hand eine Voraussetzung für die Selbstversorgung.
UNASSIGNED: Zur standardisierten seitengetrennten Überprüfung des alltagsrelevanten Positionierens der Hand im Sitzen wurde der 8‑Punkte-Greifraum-Test (8P-GRT) entwickelt. Die Studie diente der Ermittlung von Gütekriterien des 8P-GRT bei geriatrischen Krankenhauspatienten.
METHODS: Zwischen dem 31.07.2019 und dem 23.09.2019 wurden im Krankenhaus Rotes Kreuz Lübeck – Geriatriezentrum 82 stationäre Patienten mithilfe des 8P-GRT, des Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), einem zu den Handpositionen des 8P-GRT korrespondierenden Fragebogen zu Aktivitäten der Selbstversorgung, der Handkraftmessung und dem 20-C‑T untersucht.
UNASSIGNED: Die Interrater-Reliabilität betrug 0,99, die Retest-Reliabilität 0,95 für die rechte und 0,90 für die linke Seite. Auf die Person bezogen, trat ein Deckeneffekt (beidseits Score 8) bei 4,1 % (n = 3) auf; kein Bodeneffekt wurde beobachtet. Die interne Konsistenz (Cronbachs α) des gemäß Faktorenanalyse zweifaktoriellen Tests betrug 0,78 (rechts) bzw. 0,76 (links). Jeder der anderen Tests korrelierte enger mit dem 8P-GRT auf der rechten Seite, wobei die Korrelation mit dem oben genannten Fragebogen am höchsten war (−0,72), gefolgt vom SPADI (−0,60).
CONCLUSIONS: Eine standardisierte Erhebung der Handkraft, Feinmotorik und aktiven Positionierung der Hand (z. B. 8P-GRT) fügt die Hauptaspekte der Funktionsfähigkeit der oberen Extremitäten zu einem Gesamtbild zusammen.