Research.
Every peer-reviewed study on fascia in one place — graded for strength of evidence, summarised in plain language for clinicians, researchers, and curious readers.
We grade studies from A to 1A+++ using the Fascia Research Database rubric — 1A+++ is the strongest.
Researchers behind the studies- A2020
Iliopsoas muscle thickness and pelvic alignment in pronated and normal foot postures
Zinat Ashnagar, Mohammad-Reza Hadian, Gholamreza Olyaei, Saeed Talebian, Asghar Rezasoltani, Hassan Saeedi, Mir Saeed Y…This study investigated whether chronic foot hyperpronation is linked to changes in pelvic alignment and iliopsoas muscle thickness. Researchers compared a group of women with pronated feet to a group with normal foot p…
Hyperpronation; Iliopsoas; Pelvic angle; Ultrasound imaging. - A2020
The relaxin family peptide receptor 1 (RXFP1): An emerging player in human health and disease
Ting-Yun Chen, Xiaoyun Li, Ching-Hsia Hung, Harinath Bahudhanapati, Jiangning Tan, Daniel J Kass, Yingze ZhangThis review article explores the relaxin hormone and its receptor, RXFP1, a signaling pathway known for its ability to soften ligaments and connective tissue. While relaxin shows potent antifibrotic potential in laborat…
RXFP1; alternative splicing; fibrosis; relaxin. - A2020
Ageing of the diaphragm muscle
Bruno Bordoni, Bruno Morabito, Marta SimonelliThis narrative review explores how the diaphragm, our main breathing muscle, is affected by aging. Like other muscles, the diaphragm can weaken and lose mass over time, a condition known as sarcopenia. This age-related…
fasciadiaphragmskeletal musclephrenic nervevagus nerve - A2020
Muscle Cramps
Bruno Bordoni, Kavin Sugumar, Matthew VaracalloMuscle cramps are involuntary, painful, and localized contractions of a muscle or muscle fibers, often felt as a palpable knot. While common in sports, their exact cause is not fully understood and likely depends on var…
Diagnosiscramp - A2020
Evaluation of scapular mobilization and comparison to pectoralis minor stretching in individuals with rounded shoulder posture: A randomized controlled trial
Maedeh Fani, Samaneh Ebrahimi, Ali GhanbariThis randomized controlled trial investigated treatments for rounded shoulder posture in 52 healthy students. Researchers compared the effects of scapular mobilization, pectoralis minor self-stretching, and a combinatio…
Mobilization; Pectoralis minor stretching; Rounded shoulder; Scapular kinematics. - A2020
Virtual reality in the rehabilitation process for individuals with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome: A systematic review
Jamile Benite Palma Lopes, Natalia de Almeida Carvalho Duarte, Roberta Delasta Lazzari, Claudia Santos OliveiraThis systematic review compiled research on virtual reality (VR) as a rehabilitation tool for children with cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. Researchers analyzed five high-quality studies and found that VR training, bo…
Cerebral palsy; Down syndrome; Movement analysis; Virtual reality. - A2019
Ultrasound Imaging of the Fascial Layers
Carmelo Pirri, Carla Stecco, Levent ÖzçakarThis publication, for which a full summary is not yet available, appears to discuss using ultrasound to visualize the body's fascial layers. Ultrasound imaging is a non-invasive technique that provides real-time views o…
ultrasound.fascial layers - A2019
Active Contractile Properties of Fascia
ROBERT SCHLEIP, WERNER KLINGLERThis narrative review explores how fascia, often seen as a passive tissue, can actively contract. Researchers point to the presence of cells called myofibroblasts within the fascia, which give it the ability to change i…
myofibroblast; fascia; connective tissue; contracture; stiffness; fibrosis - A2019
Glut-1 explains the evolutionary advantage of the loss of endogenous vitamin C-synthesis
Tabea C Hornung, Hans-Konrad BiesalskiUnlike many animals, humans cannot produce their own vitamin C. This study explores a potential evolutionary advantage of this loss. Researchers compared red blood cells from humans and pigs (who can make vitamin C) and…
glucose transporter; vitamin C; gulono-lactone-oxidase; vitamin C recycling - A2019
Hyaluronan/collagen hydrogels containing sulfated hyaluronan improve wound healing by sustained release of heparin-binding EGF-like growth factor
Stephan Thönes, Sandra Rother, Tom Wippold, Joanna Blaszkiewicz, Kanagasabai Balamurugan, Stephanie Moeller, Gloria Rui…This study investigated a new type of hydrogel designed to improve wound healing. Researchers combined collagen and hyaluronan (HA), a natural component of connective tissue, with a growth factor that stimulates skin ce…
Biomimetic material; Extracellular matrix (ECM); Fibroblasts; Heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-like growth factor (HB-EGF); Hyaluronan; Hydrogel; Sulfated hyaluronan; Surface plasmon resonance; Wound healing. - A2019
The diaphragm muscle manual evaluation scale
Bruno Bordoni, Bruno MorabitoThis technical report describes a new method for manually assessing the diaphragm's function, called the Manual Evaluation Diaphragm (MED) scale. The scale is designed to generate a value for the respiratory muscle's mo…
fasciaMyofascialdiaphragmSurgeryphrenic nerve - A2019
Quantifying muscle glycosaminoglycan levels in patients with post-stroke muscle stiffness using T1p MRI
Rajiv G Menon, Preeti Raghavan, Ravinder R RegatteThis study is the first to quantify the amount of hyaluronan, a key component for gliding movements within fascia. Researchers measured hyaluronan in tissue samples from various human anatomical sites and found that the…
hyaluronanStrokestiffnesshyaluronidase