The effects of changes in support and inclined boards on lower-extremity muscle activity.
Sangyong Lee, Yoon-Hee Choi, Janggon Kim
PMID 28626321WHAT IT FOUND
During standing knee-extension contractions, the unstable 20-degree inclined board produced the highest quadriceps activity in 15 healthy young men.
It also raised calf and front-of-shin activity compared with flat stable support. This is muscle activation, not a patient outcome.
Key findings
01During standing knee-extension contractions, quadriceps activity was highest on the unstable inclined board at 20 degrees.
02Calf and front-of-shin muscle activity was higher on the unstable flat support, stable inclined board, or unstable inclined board than on the stable flat support.
03All six measured lower-extremity muscles showed significant differences across the four surfaces.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only 15 healthy young men were studied, and the authors state this makes generalization problematic. Participants had no knee or ankle pain and had no medical history that could influence the experiment, so the findings do not describe injured or clinical populations. The outcomes were muscle activation during standing contractions, not strength, balance, walking, pain, or patient-reported function. The supplied text does not report randomisation, blinding, or the order in which the surfaces were tested. The study included adults resident in one region. Applicability to other populations is limited.
Declared interests
No funding or conflict-of-interest declaration appears in the supplied text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that this board improves knee rehabilitation. The study measured only muscle activation in 15 healthy young men, not strength, balance, walking, pain, or function.