The exclusion criteria: Patients who (a) had heart, liver, renal,
gastrointestinal or endocrinological diseases, malignancy, rheu-
matoid arthritis, gout, or a previous fracture of the lower limbs, (b)
were not able to perform exercises or tests due to medical or
musculoskeletal problems, (c) had neurological or medical
conditions causing locomotor disability were excluded from the
study.