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Ativação da Musculatura de Tronco e Coxa durante Agachamentos Unipodais em Mulheres com Dor Femoropatelar

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Ativação da Musculatura de Tronco e Coxa durante Agachamentos Unipodais em Mulheres com Dor Femoropatelar Abstract: The objective was to evaluate the muscle activity of the hip and knee stabilizers during different variations of the single-leg squat in females with and without Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome (PFP). This is a cross-sectional study in which 80 active female volunteers, aged 18-30 years, were evaluated and divided into two groups: PFP and Control. All volunteers underwent a physiotherapy assessment prior to electromyographic evaluation of the Internal Oblique (IO) and External Oblique (EO) muscles, bilaterally, quadriceps, and gluteus medius (GMed), during a single-leg squat held for 6 seconds; the squats evaluated were: conventional single-leg squat (SLS), squat with the use of a flexi-bar (SLS-Flexibar), and squat using an elastic band on the upper limbs (SLS-ELAS). The comparison between groups was performed using the independent t-test, and for the comparison between exercises, a one-way repeated measures ANOVA test was used, both with a significance level of 5%. The comparison between groups showed greater activation of the gluteus maximus (GMed) in the SLS-Flexi-bar and SLS-ELAS exercises in the PFP group compared to the control group. Regarding the comparison between exercises, in the PFPS group, an increase in quadriceps and GMed activation was observed during the AGAFlexi-bar and AGA-ELAS exercises compared to the AGA, with the AGA-Flexi-bar being superior to the AGA-ELAS. Therefore, the use of the Flexi-bar during single-leg squats is suggested to increase the activation of the knee and hip stabilizer muscles in the treatment of female individuals PFP.

Características musculoesqueléticas do quadril em corredores de rua: relação com o alinhamento do pé e com a magnitude do movimento pélvico no plano frontal durante a corrida

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Características musculoesqueléticas do quadril em corredores de rua: relação com o alinhamento do pé e com a magnitude do movimento pélvico no plano frontal durante a corrida Abstract: Running is a physical activity with a growing number of participants. The clinical reasoning in physical therapy for these runners considers the relationship between musculoskeletal characteristics of the hip and distal joints, such as the ankle–foot complex. In addition, this reasoning considers the influence of hip characteristics on pelvic kinematics. This dissertation is organized into two studies. The first study aimed to investigate the relationship between forefoot–shank alignment and hip musculoskeletal characteristics. The second study aimed to examine the relationship between the magnitude of frontal-plane pelvic motion and peak hip abductor torque in recreational runners. Both studies employed a cross-sectional observational design. Inclusion criteria were age over 18 years, at least 12 months of running experience, and at least one training session per week. Exclusion criteria were a history of lower-limb surgeries, musculoskeletal injuries in the month prior to data collection, musculoskeletal complaints on the day of testing, and any restrictions preventing data collection. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were identical for both studies. In the first study, clinical measurements of forefoot–shank alignment and passive hip stiffness were recorded; maximal isometric torque of the hip abductors and lateral rotators was assessed using a handheld dynamometer; and hip extensor performance was evaluated using the single-leg hamstring bridge (SLHB) test. In the second study, the same measure of maximal isometric hip abductor torque was used. Additionally, a two-dimensional kinematic analysis of pelvic drop during running at self-selected speed and at 3.3 m/s was conducted. Runners were characterized based on anthropometric data, physical activity level assessed by the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and running training characteristics. Results from the first study indicated that forefoot–shank alignment correlated with hip abductor (r = -0.293, p = 0.039) and lateral rotator performance (r = -0.318, p = 0.024), but was not correlated with passive hip stiffness (p = 0.569) or SLHB performance (p = 0.368). The second study showed no correlation between maximal isometric hip abductor torque and pelvic drop on either the dominant or nondominant side at both running speeds investigated (p > 0.05). In conclusion, greater forefoot–shank varus is associated with poorer performance of maximal isometric hip abductor and lateral rotator torque, reinforcing the relationship between proximal and distal characteristics of the lower limb. Finally, maximal isometric hip abductor torque is not related to peak frontal-plane pelvic drop. Other factors may contribute to this movement, and poorer abductor performance may be related to motion of other body segments.

Aspectos relacionados a percepção de dor e funcionalidade de indivíduos com disfunção femoropatelar

Fri, 12 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Aspectos relacionados a percepção de dor e funcionalidade de indivíduos com disfunção femoropatelar Abstract: Introduction: Patellofemoral pain (PFP) is highly prevalent among young adult females and is characterized by chronic, intermittent anterior knee pain that negatively affects functional activities. Although biomechanical factors have been extensively investigated, the contribution of psychosocial factors to functional performance remains insufficiently understood. Objectives: To identify differences in pain intensity, perceived function, and psychosocial factors between females with and without PFP, and to determine which psychosocial variables are most strongly associated with performance on functional tests. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 female participants (18–30 years), allocated into a PFP group (n = 50) and a control group (n = 50). The following variables were assessed: pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale), pain catastrophizing (Pain Catastrophizing Scale), positive and negative affect (PANAS), perceived function (Activities of Daily Living Scale), self-efficacy for pain and for exercise, and functional performance (Y-Balance Test, Triple Hop Test, and Vertical Jump Test). Independent samples t-tests were used for between-group comparisons. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to examine the association between biomechanical and psychosocial factors and performance on functional tests. Results: The PFP group demonstrated greater pain intensity (4.62 ± 1.58 vs 0.00 ± 0.00 cm; p < 0.001), higher catastrophizing (26.32 ± 8.26 vs 1.22 ± 2.46; p < 0.001), increased negative affect (23.02 ± 7.54 vs 15.78 ± 4.46; p < 0.001), lower self-efficacy for pain (44.98 ± 10.36 vs 59.74 ± 0.94; p < 0.001) and for exercise (6.20 ± 2.09 vs 8.82 ± 1.21; p < 0.001), and poorer functional performance (Y-Balance composite score: 68.75 ± 8.60 vs 82.71 ± 9.09%; Triple Hop: 213.36 ± 50.13 vs 289.47 ± 69.25 cm; Vertical Jump: 20.02 ± 4.68 vs 28.43 ± 6.57 cm; p < 0.001 for all comparisons). Pain intensity was the primary factor associated with functional test performance (R² = 0.38–0.42; p < 0.001). Exercise self-efficacy was associated only with Vertical Jump performance (β = 0.23; p = 0.03), whereas catastrophizing, negative affect, positive affect, pain self-efficacy, and perceived function were not significantly associated with functional test outcomes. Conclusion: Females with PFP exhibited reduced functional performance, greater catastrophizing, and lower self-efficacy compared to controls. Pain intensity was the main factor associated with functional test performance, demonstrating a greater influence than the other psychosocial variables assessed.

Impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 no desenvolvimento motor de crianças aos 36 meses de idade

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Title: Impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 no desenvolvimento motor de crianças aos 36 meses de idade Abstract: Introduction: Motor development is one of the main indicators of child health and can be influenced by biological, social, and environmental factors. The COVID-19 pandemic and gestational exposure to the SARS-CoV-2 virus may have affected neurodevelopment, especially in children born during this period. Objective: To evaluate the influence of gestational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic on motor development of children at 36 months of age. Materials and Methods: This was a cross-sectional study nested within a cohort initiated in 2021, with a non-probabilistic sample. Data collection took place between May and September 2024 in Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The initial cohort recruited postpartum women and neonates in five municipalities in the state of Minas Gerais starting in April 2021, with blood samples collected on filter paper to detect anti–SARS-CoV-2 IgG in the mother–child dyad. Newborns were considered exposed to the virus if they had positive serology, if their mothers had positive serology, or if their mothers had a positive RT-PCR result during pregnancy. Children aged 36 months who participated in the initial recruitment were included. Initially, a telephone-administered questionnaire was applied to assess economic classification, child routine, and family risk factors; clinical and anthropometric variables were recorded in person on the day of assessment. Motor development was evaluated using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children–2 (MABC-2), and children were classified into three motor performance zones: red (significant motor difficulty), amber (mild/moderate motor difficulty), and green (no motor difficulties). Analyses included descriptive statistics, bivariate tests, and multinomial classification regression. Results: The sample consisted of 57 children, of whom 30 (53%) were exposed to SARS-CoV-2 during pregnancy. In the multinomial regression analysis, gestational exposure to the virus (OR = 0.048; 95% CI 0.004–0.65; p = 0.023) and the child’s Body Mass Index (BMI) (OR = 0.23; 95% CI 0.07–0.75; p = 0.015) showed a significant association with MABC-2 classification. Non-exposed children and those with higher BMI had a lower probability of being at risk for motor difficulties compared with those without motor difficulties. Conclusion: Gestational exposure to SARS-CoV-2 was associated with a higher risk of motor difficulties at 36 months, whereas higher BMI was associated with a lower probability of motor difficulties. These findings reinforce the importance of continuous monitoring of children born during the COVID-19 pandemic to enable early identification of motor delays and timely implementation of physiotherapeutic intervention strategies.