2.5. Muscle Function Assessment
CONTRACTION, CONTRACTIONS
Participants were seated on a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer at a position where the femoral epicondyle of the tested leg was aligned with the machine’s axis of rotation. The ankle strap of the machine was positioned 5 cm proximal to the test leg’s medial malleolus, and the ankle and thigh of the test leg were strapped firmly to the machine to isolate the movement of the quadriceps. The range of motion of the test leg was set at 60° for concentric and eccentric contractions and fixed at 75° for isometric contractions using the dynamometer’s goniometer. Participants performed five maximal eccentric, isometric and concentric contractions with each contraction type separated by one minute of passive rest. Participants maintained five seconds of maximal effort during each isometric contraction. The torque during concentric contractions was measured at an angular velocity of 30°/s. The absolute peak torque from the five contractions for each movement was recorded.