Original Article

Evaluation of physical performance in musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases with jumping mechanography

Yannis Dionyssiotis¹, Grigorios Skarantavos², Inga Kantaidou³, Maria-Christina Papadatou¹, Panayiotis Papagelopoulos⁴, Antonios Angoules⁵, Jannis Papathanasiou⁶, George P. Lyritis⁷

1. 1^st Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department, National Rehabilitation Center EKA, Ilion, Athens, Greece
2. Rheumatology and Bone Unit, 1^st Department of Orthopedics, General University Hospital ATTIKON, Chaidari, Greece
3. Physiotherapy Department, Municipality of Neapoli – Sykies, Thessaloniki, Greece
4. 1^st Department of Orthopedics, Athens University School of Medicine, General University Hospital ATTIKON, Chaidari, Greece
5. Department of Medical Laboratories, Technological Educational Institute of Athens, Egaleo, Athens, Greece
6. Department of Kinesitherapy, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Sofia, Bulgaria
7. Hellenic Osteoporosis Foundation, Kifissia, Greece

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Keywords: Sarcopenia, Jumping mechanography, Rheumatic diseases, Osteoporosis, Menopause

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Abstract

Objective: Low muscle function is a component of sarcopenia. Rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases are related to increased muscle loss and decreased muscle performance. Our purpose was to study muscle function among pre and postmenopausal women and women with rheumatic diseases. Methods: Two hundred fifty seven women were included in the study: Group POST OST included 61 osteoporotic postmenopausal women under treatment with osteoporotic drugs and calcium/vitamin D supplements (mean age 65±9.6 years), group POST HEALTH consisted of 117 healthy postmenopausal women (mean age 62.9±9.8 yrs), Group RHEUM included 20 women with rheumatic diseases (mean age 58.85±13yrs), and group PRE included 59 healthy premenopausal women (mean age 35±7.6 yrs). For the measurement of objective parameters of movement (Force, velocity, Power), we used the mechanography system in Leonardo platform (Novotec, Germany). Personal Power (Power/Weight) was also calculated. Results: Height was decreased with age, while body mass index (BMI) and weight were significantly increased. In groups POST OST, POST HEALTH, RHEUM, all measured parameters were statistically decreased in comparison with group PRE. No statistical significance was found among POST HEALTH and POST OST women. Conclusions: Jumping mechanography can be proposed as a novel tool to assess physical performance in musculoskeletal and rheumatic diseases. It offers to the clinician additional information, while quantitatively assesses muscle function, for assessing sarcopenia.

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