比較穿戴新式與傳統式護具對於網球肘患者之伸腕肌群肌力、肌電活化、及疼痛之差異

Effects of Novel and Traditional Elbow Braces on Wrist Extensor Strength, Electromyographic Values, and Pain Levels for Subjects with Tennis Elbow

緒論：網球肘是一種常見之手肘運動傷害，過去運動愛好者常使用網球肘護具保護受傷部位，這些護具是藉由壓迫肌肉，改變肌肉收縮時對受傷疼痛部位的拉扯，然而這樣的方式可能造成肌肉拉力分散而導致肌力下降的問題。因此，本研究之目的是設計一種新式的網球肘護具，並驗證對於網球肘患者的伸腕肌群肌力、肌電訊號、及疼痛的效果。方法：本研究共徵召14位受試者(6位網球肘患者，8位為健康者)，分別穿戴傳統肌肉壓迫式護具與新式肌肉夾擰式護具，進行未穿戴護具與穿戴護具之伸腕肌群肌電訊號、手腕用力時的視覺類比疼痛量表、及伸腕肌群肌力。使用重複量數二因子變異數分析進行統計分析。結果：結果顯示不論是在網球肘組或是健康組，在伸腕肌群肌力比值上，新式肌肉夾擰護具肌力均顯著大於傳統肌肉壓迫式護具(p<.05)，但是伸腕肌群肌電訊號比值則無差異(p>.05)。在手腕用力時的視覺類比疼痛量表則顯示穿戴傳統肌肉壓迫式護具與新式肌肉夾擰式護具均能顯著地使疼痛量表分數降低、改善疼痛問題(p<.05)。結論：本研究建議網球肘患者穿戴新式肌肉夾擰護具不會影響伸腕肌群的肌電比值，但是可增加伸腕肌群肌力、並降低疼痛。

Introduction: Tennis elbow is a common sports injury. Elbow braces are often used to protect the elbows of sports enthusiasts with the injury. Braces have been designed with a counterforce compression pad over the muscle belly of the wrist extensor muscles to reduce the pull force of the muscle contractions in the painful area. However, this design may reduce the strength of the wrist extensor muscles and athletic performance. Therefore, this study designed a novel tennis-elbow brace and determined its effect on wrist extensor strength, electromyography values of extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle, and pain levels for subjects with tennis elbow. Methods: Fourteen participants (six with tennis elbow and eight without) were recruited for this study. The wrist extensor strength, electromyography values of extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle, and pain scale scores during an activity were assessed under three conditions (no brace, wearing a traditional tennis-elbow brace, and wearing the proposed brace). Repeat measured two-way ANOVA was used to analyze the outcome results of wrist extensor strength, electromyography values of extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle, and pain scale scores among no brace, wearing a traditional tennis-elbow brace, and wearing the proposed brace condition. Results: The results showed that both groups had greater wrist extensor strength while wearing the proposed brace than wearing the traditional brace (p < .05). However, no difference existed in the electromyography values of the extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle between the novel and traditional braces conditions or between the groups (p > .05). The pain scale showed significantly reduced pain levels while wearing either brace compared with not wearing a brace (p < .05). Conclusion: This study indicated that wearing the proposed brace does not affect the electromyography values of the Extensor carpi radialis brevis muscle but does increase the strength of the wrist extensor muscles and reduces the pain associated with tennis elbow.