Cooper H, Dodds W N, Adams I D, DeDombal F T, Steele V A
Rheumatol Rehabil. 1981 Nov;20(4):211-8. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/20.4.211.
The tape-measure is frequently used by the medical profession to assess muscle function following injury. It is assumed that increasing limb girth is reflected by increasing muscle power and strength; but this assumption is empirical and may not in practice be justified. The relationship between thigh circumference and muscle strength and power, measured as the torque produced on an isokinetic dynamometer, was assessed in 64 subjects--24 non-injured sportsmen and 40 injured sportsmen. The correlation between the torque produced at the knee by the knee extensors and flexors and the thigh circumference at three levels was not significant in either group. Comparison of the injured with the non-injured limb also failed to show any correlation. By contrast, in eight subjects, repeated measurements over a six to eight month period showed a significant relationship between change in thigh circumference and change in quadriceps power. It is concluded that a single measurement of circumference at the same point in both thighs of a subject with unilateral injury should not be used as an assessment of muscle function. Serial measurements, however, at the 4 and 10 cm levels may be of value as an index of quadriceps power. Reasons for this are discussed.
卷尺经常被医疗行业用于评估受伤后的肌肉功能。人们认为肢体周长增加反映了肌肉力量和强度的增加；但这一假设是基于经验的，在实际中可能并无依据。在64名受试者（24名未受伤的运动员和40名受伤的运动员）中评估了大腿周长与肌肉力量和功率（以等速测力计产生的扭矩来衡量）之间的关系。在两组中，膝关节伸肌和屈肌在膝关节处产生的扭矩与三个水平的大腿周长之间的相关性均不显著。受伤肢体与未受伤肢体的比较也未显示出任何相关性。相比之下，在8名受试者中，在6至8个月的时间内进行的重复测量显示，大腿周长的变化与股四头肌功率的变化之间存在显著关系。结论是，对于单侧受伤的受试者，在其双大腿相同部位进行单次周长测量不应被用作肌肉功能的评估方法。然而，在4厘米和10厘米水平进行连续测量可能作为股四头肌功率的一个指标具有价值。文中讨论了其原因。
