Isokinetic Exercise and Assessment.

Perrin DH. Champaign, IL 61825-5076, Human Kinetic Publishers inc, hardback, 212 pp, illus, $25.

Perrin has prepared a very complete and thorough text describing the uses and applications of isokinetic exercise. It has been several years since the last anthology on isokinetic exercise was published, and Perrin provides the reader with not only a comprehensive background on the history and development of isokinetics, but a variety of clinical applications of isokinetic exercises. In his preface, Perrin states he wants "to present both the art and science of isokinetics." He achieves this goal admirably in a well-written, insightful text that has applications for students, clinicians, and researchers who utilize and study isokinetic exercise.

The text is divided into two parts. Part 1 addresses the theory of isokinetic exercise. There are four chapters devoted to this topical area. Chapter 1 addresses the terminology used in isokinetics and describes both the normal and abnormal isokinetic curve, as well as the interpretation of isokinetic curve data. Chapter 2 describes the different isokinetic exercise devices that are available and concludes with a summary of the specifications and capacities of each of the isokinetic dynamometers. Chapter 3 provides the reader with some of the principles involved in isokinetic testing, from patient stabilization procedures to the design of testing protocols. The last chapter in part 1 details the methodology used in interpreting the data obtained in an isokinetic evaluation. Throughout this chapter and the entire text, Perrin cites the many scientific investigations that have utilized isokinetic exercise, and he has done an extremely thorough job in providing the reader with a very complete literature review and citations involved with isokinetic testing.

The second part of the text emphasizes the clinical applications of isokinetics and contains three chapters, Chapter 5 provides information about the isokinetic assessment and exercise for the upper extremity. Chapter 6 describes isokinetic assessment and exercise for the lower extremity, and the final chapter details the isokinetic assessment and exercise of the trunk. Each chapter is divided into specific sections on each joint within the extremity, and Perrin provides a variety of examples and detailed descriptions of the proper isokinetic setups, uses, and testing protocols for each movement of each specific joint. At the end of each of these three chapters, there are detailed tables of the normative values as provided by isokinetics research. Each table cites the data for an individual movement of a joint and includes the study and population, test velocity, joint position, dominant side correlation coefficient, and nondominant side correlation coefficient (where available). In addition, there are several other tables detailing test-retest reliability coefficients of isokinetic assessment of peak torque, gravity correction, torque data per body weight, and isokinetic torque production following injuries.

In Isokinetic Exercise and Assessment Perrin shares his knowledge and years of experience in the field of isokinetic exercise in a well-written, comprehensive text, and it can serve as a valuable learning resource for students in physical therapy, athletic training, and exercise science. The text will also serve clinicians and exercise scientists alike with both a scientific basis for isokinetics as well as guidelines for its use in a variety of clinical applications.