Effect of hypokinesia and involutional processes on the specific force of lateral foot flexors under orthopedic pathology and in trained men from acyclic sports

Aim. The article deals with comparing strength indicators of shin muscles and anatomical cross-section area (ACSA) in persons with hypokinesia as a result of orthopedic pathology and in trained persons from acyclic sports. Materials and methods. We studied five groups of people. The first group (n = 12) consisted of patients aged 18.7 ± 1.23 years with a lengthened shin according to Ilizarov technique. The second group included apparently healthy patients of the same age not engaged in sports. The third group consisted of professional athletes-wrestlers aged 18.8 ± 1.99 years (n = 10). The fourth group comprised apparently healthy men, non-athletes aged 44.1 ± 5.38 years (n = 12). The fifth group included wrestlers aged 47.8 ± 5.89 years (n = 10). We established the moment of force (MF) in lateral and plantar foot flexors (LFF and PFF). We calculated the anatomical cross-section area of LFF using ultrasonography. We also established the specific force of LFF and PFF. Results. We established the decrease in the specific force of LFF in the affected shin by 36.9 % in comparison with a healthy shin. The specific force of LFF in young non-athletes and athletes of the same age varied between 41.6 ± 3.59 N•m to the right and 41.1 ± 5.22 N•m to the left. In the third group this parameter varied from 42.7 ± 9.44 N•m to 43.9 ± 7.90 N•m. In the older age groups, the specific force of LFF was higher than in young non-athletes and young wrestlers. The specific force of LFF in the affected shin varied from 2.8 ± 0.81 N•m/cm2, in a healthy shin - from 3.2 ± 0.62 N•m/cm2. The same parameter in young non-athletes varied from 3.9 ± 0.25 (to the right) to 3.9 ± 0.44 (to the left) (р 2 respectively. This is significantly lower than in young wrestlers. We registered the slightest changes in the moment of force of PFF in both shins (р function show_eabstract() { $('#eabstract1').hide(); $('#eabstract2').show(); $('#eabstract_expand').hide(); }