Athletes need to be able to rapidly engage their muscles to promote optimal movement during play. Following arthroscopic meniectomy it is important to ensure proper strength, balance and power prior to an athlete returning to sport. However, this research article suggests that an individual who underwent arthroscopic menisectomy is at risk for a decrease in the ability to rapidly engage the quadriceps muscle due to an impairment in neural mechanisms. Should the athlete return to play without being able to produce a rapid contraction of their quadriceps muscle, they could be at risk for further injury. Addressing the athelte’s ability to rapidly contract the quadriceps should now be considered an important part of the athlete’s rehabilitation following menisectomy. The research article did not discuss which ballistic exercises should be used in addressing the decrease in rapid contraction of the quadriceps muscle. One could speculate that adding in exercises like the push press that requires an explosive knee extension, hip extension movement would be one such movement that would address this limitation in the athlete’s recovery. Cobian D. et al. Knee extensor rate of torque development before and after arthroscopic partial menisectomy, with analysis of neuromuscular mechanisms.
This article assessed the reliability of the Hip Stability Isometric Test (HipSIT) and its practical use in women with patellofemoral pain syndrome. The HipSIT was found to have high inter and intrarater reliability (98.1%). In addition, due findings that support its use in evaluating the hip abductors, ER and extensors of the hip, it is more practical to use when evaluating the hip muscle strength of all the hip stabilizing muscles than completing three isolated hip strength tests. Like all of the special tests physical therapists utilize, the use of the HipSIT should be used in conjunction with functional movement. If during functional movement, a clinician believes there to be an asymmetry in the strength of the athlete’s hip stabilizers, the HipSIT test could be utilized to support clinical hypothesis. In addition, this test will provide support to guide a clinican’s therapeutic exercise program should they find asymmetries in hip strength. Almedia G et al. Reliability and validity of the hip stability isometric test (HIPSIT): a new method to assess hip posterolateral muscle strength.