Effects of Circuit Aerobic Exercise Training on Innate Immune Function in Inactive Men

Background and Purpose: Excessive carrying angle (CA) may increase the risk of medial elbow injuries due to overloads on the soft tissue. Research has shown that the thickness of ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in pitchers will be increased due to valgus loads after throwing training. Medial forearm muscles can decrease the medial elbow joint space and protect the UCL from being stretched. However, the effect of finger flexors contraction on stabilizing medial elbow in subjects with excessive CA is unknown. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the effects of the finger flexor contraction on medial elbow joint space and UCL thickness in female subjects with excessive and normal CA. Methods: Eight healthy females (age: 21.0 ± 1.4 years) with CA below 14° were recruited as nCA group, and another nine (age: 21.2 ± 1.6 years) with CA beyond 14° were recruited as eCA group. Participants were asked to lie in supine position with their shoulder abducted to 90° and elbow flexed to 30°. The width of the medial elbow joint space and the thickness of the UCL on dominant side were measured by ultrasonography (HS1, Konica, Japan) in three conditions: at rest, 0.3 kg of valgus load, and 0.3 kg of valgus load with gripping by 40% of maximal grip strength. Results: The narrower joint space was shown under valgus load with grip contraction (3.6 ± 0.3 mm) compared to without grip contraction (3.7 ± 0.3 mm) in the nCA group. Similarly, a narrower joint space was also shown under valgus load with grip contraction (3.5 ± 0.3 mm) compared to without grip contraction (3.5 ± 0.4 mm) in the eCA group. However, there was no significant difference between the two groups. Conclusions: The effects of finger flexor contraction on medial elbow joint space are similar between healthy females with normal and excessive CA. Clinical Relevance: Future study needs to evaluate the alterations in overhead athletes or patients with excessive CA. The effects of muscle contraction should be considered as a factor contributing to elbow stability during clinical evaluation.