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Assessment – Nutrition-Focused Physical Exam to Detect Macronutrient Deficiencies
Published in Jennifer Doley, Mary J. Marian, Adult Malnutrition, 2023
The gastrocnemius is the major muscle at the back of the lower legs and is responsible for plantar flexion of the foot and the ankle. Again, with the patient’s leg propped up, inspect the muscles in the calf area for thinning or bulking of the gastrocnemius muscles. Ask the patient to flex their toes to engage the muscles and palpate by grasping the calf region. Thin to minimally defined muscles may indicate muscle loss. See Figures 6.17–6.22.
Exercise Selection
Published in Michael H. Stone, Timothy J. Suchomel, W. Guy Hornsby, John P. Wagle, Aaron J. Cunanan, Strength and Conditioning in Sports, 2023
Michael H. Stone, Timothy J. Suchomel, W. Guy Hornsby, John P. Wagle, Aaron J. Cunanan
The structure of 2nd class lever systems is largely different from 1st class levers. While both consist of the same components, 2nd class levers have the advantage of a longer force lever arm, which requires less force to be produced to complete a task relative to the resistance arm. An everyday example of this type of lever is a wheelbarrow. Previous literature has indicated that 2nd class lever systems are the least common within the human body (36). One of the most well-known examples is the ankle joint within the foot. Within this joint, the gastrocnemius muscle shortens to lift the resistance of the athlete’s body to perform plantar flexion and raise the heel off the ground. While the relative joint contribution of the ankle joint was only approximately 23% during maximal vertical jumps (knee: 49%; hip: 28%) (46), it is important to note that this joint still plays an important role in lower limb force production, especially when it comes to ballistic tasks (e.g., jumping, sprinting, change of direction, etc.).
Tissue coverage for exposed vascular reconstructions (grafts)
Published in Sachinder Singh Hans, Mark F. Conrad, Vascular and Endovascular Complications, 2021
Kaitlyn Rountree, Vikram Reddy, Sachinder Singh Hans
The gastrocnemius muscle is the most superficial muscle of the posterior lower leg. It is responsible for flexion of the knee and plantar flexion of the foot. Comprised of two heads, the medial head originates from the posterior surface of the distal femur just superior to the medial condyle and the lateral head arises from the upper posterolateral surface of the lateral femoral condyle. The muscle fibers converge distally and merge with fibers of the deeper soleus muscle, and insert on the calcaneus as the Achilles tendon. The lateral and medial sural arteries supply their respective heads of the gastrocnemius muscle, entering superiorly as branches from the popliteal artery. The unique vascular supply allows for independently pedicled flaps without the need for microvascular anastomosis.29
Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes syndrome: a case report
Published in Ultrastructural Pathology, 2023
Yong-Xin Ru, Li Ying, Shu-Xu Dong, Hui-Ming Yi, Liu Jing, Zhang Yongqiang
The patient was a 31-year-old male. He had complained of muscle weakness since childhood and his limbs (both upper and lower extremity) showed a significant loss of volume, making him appear emaciated. From the age of 20, he had a stroke-like episode once or twice a year, initiated by fatigue and complicated with headache, blurred vision, mental retardation, impaired movement of limbs and vomiting. These symptoms usually lasted more than one hour but the longest was 10 hours. He was hospitalized several times and the symptoms were often relieved by sedative and antispasmodic treatment. On July 1st, 2006, he experienced a similar stroke-like episode following a period of fatigue; there was progression to urinary incontinence, lethargy, and unconsciousness resulting in a fall. Following this, he was subjected to brain MRI and computed tomography, and a biopsy was taken from the gastrocnemius muscle.
Use of acellular dermal matrix in peripheral nerve reconstruction: an experimental study on rat sciatic nerve defect
Published in Journal of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery, 2023
Fatih Ceran, Ozgur Pilanci, Asuman Ozel, Gul Ilbay, Rukiye Karabacak, Mehmet Kanter, Konuralp Ilbay, Samet Vasfi Kuvat
After electrophysiologic recording, a longitudinal incision parallel to the fibers of the gastrocnemius muscle and the Achilles tendon was made. The gastrocnemius muscle was laid open through the dissections at both ends of the muscle in the femoral region, and along the Achilles tendon near the heel at the distal aspect. The muscle was excised through the incisions made at the origin and insertion points. Since the soleus muscle would not be included in the weight measurement, it was also resected. The excised gastrocnemius muscle was weighed using a precision balance and the result was compared to the muscle mass in the intact leg, which served as the control group. The gastrocnemius weight ratios were calculated according to the following formula:
Effect of inhibitory kinesiotaping on spasticity in patients with chronic stroke: a randomized controlled pilot trial
Published in Topics in Stroke Rehabilitation, 2022
Mahdad Mehraein, Zahra Rojhani- Shirazi, Ahmad Zeinali Ghotrom, Nasrin Salehi Dehno
Taping was employed by a qualified physical therapist in accordance with the recommendations of the Kenzo Kase’s kinesiology taping manual.15 A Y-shaped strip of KT (3NS TEX Tape, 3NS Inc, Korea) was applied to the calf muscles (Gastrocnemius/Soleus) from insertion to the origin of muscles with 25% of its maximal length tension in order to induce inhibitory effect. The basis of Y was anchored on calcaneus without tension with the subject in a prone position with the knee extended and the ankle in a neutral position. Afterward, the ankle was dorsi-flexed and the medial and lateral tails of Y were attached following the soleus muscle and the medial and lateral sides of gastrocnemius muscle.15 During ankle dorsiflexion, the therapist should not provoke spinal reflexes by touching the patient’s sole (Figure 1).