@article{DechBittmannSchaefer2020,
  author    = {Dech, Silas and Bittmann, Frank and Schaefer, Laura},
  title     = {Behavior of oxygen saturation and blood filling in the venous capillary system of the biceps brachii muscle during a fatiguing isometric action},
  series = {European Journal of Translational Myology},
  volume    = {30},
  journal   = {European Journal of Translational Myology},
  number    = {1},
  publisher = {Unipress},
  address   = {Padova},
  issn      = {2037-7460},
  doi       = {10.4081/ejtm.2019.8800},
  pages     = {79 -- 87},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {The objective of the study is to develop a better understanding of the capillary circulation in contracting muscles. Ten subjects were measured during a submaximal fatiguing isometric muscle action by use of the O2C spectrophotometer. In all measurements the capillary-venous oxygen saturation of hemoglobin (SvO2) decreases immediately after the start of loading and levels off into a steady state. However, two different patterns (type I and type II) emerged. They differ in the extent of deoxygenation (-10.37 ±2.59 percent points (pp) vs. -33.86 ±17.35 pp, P = .008) and the behavior of the relative hemoglobin amount (rHb). Type I reveals a positive rank correlation of SvO2 and rHb (? = 0.735, P <.001), whereas a negative rank correlation (? = -0.522, P <.001) occurred in type II, since rHb decreases until a reversal point, then increases averagely 13\% above the baseline value and levels off into a steady state. The results reveal that a homeostasis of oxygen delivery and consumption during isometric muscle actions is possible. A rough distinction in two types of regulation is suggested.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{BittmannDechAehleetal.2020,
  author    = {Bittmann, Frank and Dech, Silas and Aehle, Markus and Schaefer, Laura},
  title     = {Manual Muscle Testing—Force Profiles and Their Reproducibility},
  series = {Diagnostics},
  volume    = {10},
  journal   = {Diagnostics},
  number    = {12},
  publisher = {MDPI},
  address   = {Basel},
  issn      = {2075-4418},
  doi       = {10.3390/diagnostics10120996},
  pages     = {30},
  year      = {2020},
  abstract  = {The manual muscle test (MMT) is a flexible diagnostic tool, which is used in many disciplines, applied in several ways. The main problem is the subjectivity of the test. The MMT in the version of a "break test" depends on the tester's force rise and the patient's ability to resist the applied force. As a first step, the investigation of the reproducibility of the testers' force profile is required for valid application. The study examined the force profiles of n = 29 testers (n = 9 experiences (Exp), n = 8 little experienced (LitExp), n = 12 beginners (Beg)). The testers performed 10 MMTs according to the test of hip flexors, but against a fixed leg to exclude the patient's reaction. A handheld device recorded the temporal course of the applied force. The results show significant differences between Exp and Beg concerning the starting force (padj = 0.029), the ratio of starting to maximum force (padj = 0.005) and the normalized mean Euclidean distances between the 10 trials (padj = 0.015). The slope is significantly higher in Exp vs. LitExp (p = 0.006) and Beg (p = 0.005). The results also indicate that experienced testers show inter-tester differences and partly even a low intra-tester reproducibility. This highlights the necessity of an objective MMT-assessment. Furthermore, an agreement on a standardized force profile is required. A suggestion for this is given.},
  language  = {en}
}