Exploring the issue of 'functionality' in isokinetic dynamometry

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Sports Science

Background:

• Strength is crucial for physical performance, injury prevention, and rehabilitation.
• Isokinetic dynamometry is the gold standard for strength measurement, offering adjustable parameters.
• Current methods face criticism for lacking functional relevance due to arbitrary speed selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the functional relevance of isokinetic dynamometry in assessing strength.
• To inform the development of bespoke data collection protocols for isokinetic testing.
• To enhance the clinical utility of isokinetic dynamometry by aligning it with functional movement demands.

Main Methods:

• Biomechanical analysis of walking gait to determine functional movement demands.
• Identification of angular velocities for concentric and eccentric knee flexor and extensor actions during gait.
• Application of these findings to design a tailored isokinetic data collection protocol.

Main Results:

• Concentric knee flexor and extensor demands during walking occurred at an average angular velocity of 70°·s^-1.
• Eccentric knee flexor and extensor demands during walking occurred at average angular velocities of 192°·s^-1 and 165°·s^-1, respectively.
• These velocities differ significantly from arbitrarily selected speeds in standard isokinetic testing.

Conclusions:

• Bespoke isokinetic data collection protocols, informed by biomechanical analysis of functional movements, significantly enhance testing efficacy.
• Tailoring isokinetic testing to specific clinical goals, such as post-knee replacement gait, improves functional relevance.
• This approach optimizes strength assessment for better rehabilitation outcomes and performance prediction.