Congratulations to Vesna Fabjan, our Slovenian cross country skier who finished 3rd yesterday in the individual sprint event at the Sochi Winter Olympic Games in Sochi. We have been cooperating with Vesna in the field of muscle diagnostics and training optimization during her preparations for Sochi and are proud to have contributed to her success. She will bring home Slovenia’s 1st Bronze medal and second medal overall for Slovenia of these Games. We’re confident more medals from the Slovenian team will follow. Congratulations also to Peter Prevc for Silver in ski jumping, Teja Gregorin for Bronze in the biathlon and Tina Maze for Gold in downhill.

The Isokinetic Football Medicine Strategies Conference and Football Sciences Summit are specifically designed for the specialists in injury prevention who are daily dealing with training and competitive football. On Saturday 22nd of March, we will hold our workshop entitled “Upgrade clinical evaluation of joint injuries with selective functional muscle diagnostics”. The workshop will be led by Dr. Massimo Manara, specialist in sports medicine, who has been working with many renowned footballers in Parma F.C., Spezia Calcio, Aspetar and with the Qatar National Football Team. You can find more information on the summit website.

On the basis of extensive research work for the last couple of months we are now honored to provide new services in the field of knee assessment, low back evaluation and force transmission through joins. The research work was conducted by renown experts in the field of physiotherapy and data analysis, Stef Harley . His work has been financed by European Social Fund and Slovenian Ministry of Economic Development and Technology

KNEE FUNCTIONAL SYMMETRY ASSESSMENT

THE METHOD
Upper legs consist of two opposing or antagonistic muscle groups – hamstrings and quadriceps. Together they move knee and hip joints and stabilize the knee. The knee is designed to work with everything working in perfect harmony, but when muscle balance is disrupted, undue stress is placed on the joint. In most sports hamstrings tend to be underdeveloped and weaker than quadriceps.

CONSEQUENCES OF BAD FUNCTIONAL KNEE SYMMETRY:

• Increased risk for an injury
• Hamstring tear
• ACL damage
• Cartilage damage
• Lower movement efficiency
• Lower movement economy

ANATOMY AND FUNCTION
The biceps femoris, semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles make up the hamstrings and are located on the back of the thigh. Front thigh muscles, or quadriceps, are the rectus femoris, vastus medialis, vastus intermedius and vastus lateralis. Hamstrings extend the hip and flex the knee, whereas the quadricepses flex the hip and extend the knee. Both muscle groups stabilize the knee, especially during dynamic activities.

MEASUREMENT
TMG 100 system is used for assessment of Vastus medialis (VM), Vastus lateralis (VL), Rectus femoris (RF) and Biceps femoris (BF) contractile properties.

 

LOW BACK MUSCLES FUNCTIONALITY EVALUATION

THE METHOD
Muscle functionality is defined as combination of of left and right muscle (erector spinae) symmetry, amplitude of muscle response and muscle fatigue. With this measurement we evaluate symmetry (contraction time, relaxation time), amplitude (displacement) and fatique of erector spinae muscles.

HOW IT WORKS?

1. MEASUREMENT
Measurement accurately measure muscle contraction time, relaxation time and displacement that are indicators for symmetry and fatigue.

2. ANALYSIS
Muscle response is compared to muscle on the other side (left-right) and to reference response. We observe if the measured muscle is within acceptable range of reference values.

3. INTERVENTION
Every measured parameter is indicator for different type of muscle properties. With this measurement we can predict and estimate long and short term low back problems as hernia, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, etc.

 

FORCE TRANSMISSION THROUGH KNEE JOINT

THE METHOD
Mechanical properties of the Muscle-tendon complex (MTC) are an important element of human performance study. We measure vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, quadriceps tendon and patellar tendon during squatting.

HOW IT WORKS?

1. MEASUREMENT
We accurately measure force transmitted through knee joint with tension of quadriceps muscles, quadriceps and patellar tendon in squatting.

2. ANALYSIS
Using muscle contraction (MC) method and sensor in our measurement, we focus on force transmission from the quadriceps muscles and tendon to the patellar tendon and ensuing reaction force transmitted to the tibia. We measure knee torque and compare it to MC signals.

3. INTERVENTION
A primary aim in training and rehabilitation is gaining balanced and simultaneous muscle and tendon adaptation.

BENEFITS
•Fast and user-friendly
•Noninvasive
•Highly repeatable
•Objective
•Immediate display of results

 

Our senior consultant visited Russian distributer Eaglesports to provide additional support prior the Winter Olympic Games in Socchi. Eaglesports is one of the Games’ sponsors and we are delighted that also our products are part of this outstanding event.

Our Korean distributor Sangwoo Scientific will exhibit TMG100 diagnostic product at the Seoul International Sports & Leisure Industry Show 2014, that will take place on February 20th-23rd at COEX Mall. You can find more information of official website of Spoex.

Borf d.o.o., a Serbian company with widespread network in the Balkan region and successful distributor of InBody body composition analyzer‎ on the area of former Yugoslavia, became a member of our distribution network. Our newest partner will take care for the distribution of our products in Serbia as well as other countries in the Balkan region.

A link between sacro-iliac (SI) type pain and alterations in biceps femoris recruitment affecting lumbopelvic stability has been widely described. In TMG100 tensiomyography assessments of patients with SI complaints it is common to find significant bilateral differences in biceps femoris contraction properties. Most often the biceps femoris on the affected side will have a longer contraction time (Tc) than on the opposite side. This suggests that, during walking and running, the affected muscle produces its peak power later than on the opposite side potentially placing excessive stresses on the SI joint. It is common practice to prescribe activation exercises to acutely and chronically decrease contraction time, with the aim to firstly increase fast motor unit activation and secondly to increase the fast fiber type ratio in the biceps femoris. During therapeutic exercise and rehabilitation training it is important to avoid excessive local muscle fatigue since this would only further increase the functional imbalance between both biceps femoris muscles, thus leading to a further deterioration of lumbopelvic stability and possible onset of discomfort. In order to define the appropriate dose of exercises, i.e. number of repetitions and sets, TMG100 is used to monitor the muscle’s response to the activation exercise. After each short set of repetitions TMG100 parameters are checked; a decrease in contraction time and increase in radial displacement suggest muscle potentiation, while an increase in contraction time and decrease in radial displacement suggest local muscle fatigue. When the latter is detected during this simple test, we can determine the dose of exercise that can be done before local muscle fatigue sets in, safeguarding the positive effects of rehabilitation training on lumbopelvic stability. TMG100 tensiomyography can also be used to monitor resting contraction times before each rehabilitation session; decreases in contraction time suggest chronic changes in muscle fibre type ratios towards fast fibre types, which should contribute to improvements in lumbopelvic stability in the long term. In these cases TMG100 tensiomyography not only provides deeper insights into possible disorder mechanisms, but it also serves as a tool to monitor the effects of rehabilitation training on specific muscles so that training programmes and schedules can be optimized for higher efficacy and efficiency in rehabilitation training.

We have recently added a new client in the field of medicine to our growing list of specialist centers. The University Medical Center Göttingen now has our TMG 100 system integrated into their arsenal of diagnostic tools. The system will be used for the research work in the field of medicine and rehabilitation.

The summit is specifically designed for the specialists of injury prevention (in particular team coaches, athletic trainers, sports scientists, physiotherapists and students), who are daily dealing with training elds and playing footballers. During the 2nd Science of Football Summit the most important initiatives enacted and coordinated by FIFA – Medical Assessment and Research Centre (F-MARC) on the topic of prevention will be discussed. World-renowned exercise and sports scientists actively working with F-MARC will discuss over general aspects and practical consequences of the prevention philosophy of the last 20 years.

During the Isokinetic conference, we will held TMG research presentations and workshop with the title “Upgrade clinical evaluation of joint injuries with selective functional muscle diagnostics”.

First order is now being shipped to Japan’s distributor Inter-Reha Co.,Ltd.. For more information you can visit their website. Inter-Riha is well established distributor on the market of sport performance and rehabilitation products for more than 20 years and has more than 50 sales oriented personnel.