Browse

You are looking at 11 - 20 of 10,198 items for :

  • Athletic Training, Therapy, and Rehabilitation x
  • Refine by Access: All Content x
Clear All
Free access

Forty Years of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics: A Message From the Editor

Katherine A. Boyer

Restricted access

Unveiling the Distinctions: Computer Versus Sport-Specific Neurocognitive Tests

Benedict Gondwe, Pieter Heuvelmans, Anne Benjaminse, Daniel Büchel, Jochen Baumeister, and Alli Gokeler

Context: Traditional assessments of high-order neurocognitive functions are conducted using pen and paper or computer-based tests; this neglects the complex motor actions athletes have to make in team ball sports. Previous research has not explored the combination of neurocognitive functions and motor demands through complex tasks for team ball sport athletes. The primary aim of the present study was to determine the construct validity of agility-based neurocognitive tests of working memory (WM) and inhibition. Methods: Twenty-seven athletes (5 females; mean age 24.2  [4.7] y; height 183.6 [9.1] cm; body mass 77.5 [11.2] kg) participated in the construct validity assessments that included computer-based tests (working memory capacity and stop-signal reaction time) and sport-specific assessments performed on the SpeedCourt system. Results: Construct validity analysis of sport-specific working memory yielded acceptable construct validity (r = .465, P < .05), whereas the sport-specific stop-signal task resulted in low construct validity (r = .179, P > .05). The poor construct validity results highlight the large variance between computer-based and sport-specific neurocognitive assessments. Conclusion: Sport-specific assessments are more complex and include more degrees of freedom potentially due to athletes’ center of mass displacement during task execution. These findings suggest that future research should focus more on the development of sport-specific assessments. These should include the cognitive and motor demands encountered during practice and competition, not use computer-based/pen and paper assessments for return to play decisions.

Restricted access

Isometric Back Extensor Endurance and Chronic Low Back Pain in University Athletes: A Cross-Sectional Study

Sumbul Ansari and Saurabh Sharma

Context: Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is a common problem among university athletes, negatively affecting their performance and overall health. Deconditioned back muscles due to CLBP can reduce endurance. However, there is limited research on CLBP in university athletes, especially comparing those with and without the condition. Additionally, the connection between back muscle endurance and CLBP in university athletes is unclear, and there is insufficient data on normal levels of back muscle endurance. The present study aimed to establish normal back extensor muscle endurance values in university athletes, both with and without CLBP, and to investigate the link between back extensor endurance and CLBP. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: The study included 90 university-level athletes (45 with CLBP and 45 without CLBP; age: 18–30 y). Athletes underwent assessments on demographics, sports, and CLBP-related factors, as well as the Sorensen test. Appropriate statistical tests were applied to the obtained data. Results: Results showed a significant difference (P < .001) in Sorensen test holding duration between athletes with and without CLBP. The correlation analysis revealed a significant association (r = −.79, P = .02) between Sorensen test time and CLBP. Conclusions: University athletes with CLBP exhibit lesser back extensor endurance than those without CLBP. There is a significant association between CLBP and Sorensen test hold time. The study’s implications include using the Sorensen test for CLBP prediction and tracking therapeutic advancements in clinical practice.

Restricted access

Bone Stress Injury Epidemiology and Risk Factors in Female Off-Road Runners: A Systematic Review

Richard Stennett, Volker Scheer, and Kelly Kaulback

Background: Off-road running is a growing sport with little research investigating injury profiles of female participants. Bone stress injuries (BSIs) are a particularly detrimental injury with little known about their incidence and risk factors in female off-road runners. Objective: Collate and review the available evidence reporting epidemiological data and risk factors associated with BSI in female off-road runners. Design: Systematic literature review, without meta-analyses. Data Sources: MEDLINE OVID, PubMed, SPORTDiscus, and MEDLINE EBSCO. Searches were finalized in July 2024. Eligibility Criteria: Studies that reported injury surveillance statistics and/or risk factors associated with BSIs in female off-road runners. Results: Seventeen eligible studies were included, of which all reported surveillance statistics and 2 reported risk factors associated with BSI among 897 female runners. Owing to the scarcity of data, cross-country runners were included in the population of off-road runners. Most BSIs were high severity and in the lower leg, with an overall incidence ranging from 0 to 34.39 BSIs per 100,000 athlete-exposures and prevalence ranging from 0% to 40.9%. Study characteristics were reported alongside risk of bias, quality, and level of evidence assessment outcomes from varying tools. Eight significant intrinsic risk factors were associated with BSIs in female off-road runners: increasing age, disrupted menstruation, previous BSI, increased female triad risk, and lower calcium, vitamin D, and calorie intake. Discussion: Limited by the number of studies available reporting data on the specific target population, which highlights the need for performing high-quality prospective studies in the future, this review summarizes the current epidemiological data and risk factors associated with BSIs in female off-road runners.

Restricted access

Illnesses and Diseases Constitute a Quarter of Medical Conditions in an Under-21 National Football Team

Panu H. Nordback

Context: There is a minimal number of studies of under-21-year-old national football teams, and the literature is injury centric. Particularly, current knowledge is deficient regarding noninjurious medical conditions, such as illnesses and diseases. Design: The objectives of this study were to analyze the descriptive characteristics of injuries and illnesses or diseases encountered in an under-21 football team during 2 European championship qualification tournaments. Methods: Medical records of 2 consecutive men’s Union of European Football Associations European Under-21 Championship qualification competition tournaments were retrospectively analyzed for the study from September 2015 to October 2018. All match- and training-related injuries, illnesses, and diseases were analyzed and further categorized. Results: In the 20 international caps played within 13 separate events, the players encountered 81 injuries and 26 other conditions, illnesses, or diseases requiring medical attention. In total, 25 injuries and 5 diseases led to attendance inability. The incidence of injury was 0.6 per match and disease 0.3 per day. Many overuse injuries appeared during prematch training and in relation to previous history. Twenty-four percent of all medical conditions during 2 qualification tournaments were illnesses or diseases. The injury and disease incidences were low and mild or moderate rather than severe. Conclusions: A variety of illnesses and diseases constitute a quarter of conditions requiring medical attention in an under-21 national football team. Attendance at under-21 national team events can be stated as safe as the incidence and severity rates are low.

Restricted access

Injury Frequencies in College Recreational Sports: 2013–2014 Through 2018–2019

Rebecca Carson, Christopher D. Ingersoll, and L. Colby Mangum

University recreation centers offer various sport programs and activities. However, injury surveillance data in this setting is lacking. The purpose of this study was to describe injury frequency for college recreational athletes by year, semester, indoor/outdoor locations, playing surface type, activity, injury type, body region, and body part. 2,202 injuries were documented with a higher injury frequency observed during fall semester, on turf fields and court surfaces, and during intramural sports. Musculoskeletal injuries were highest among all activities and head/concussion injuries had a high frequency for organized sports, which further supports employing medical professionals for collegiate recreational sport activities.

Restricted access

Psychological Responses Among Individuals Undergoing Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Surgery

Airi Naoi, Yasukazu Yonetani, Yoshinari Tanaka, and Shuji Horibe

This study elucidated how previous surgery experience, coping, and optimism influenced the mood of patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction surgery. Additionally, it examined the relationships among age, preoperative mood, and postoperative mood. Sixty-four patients (n = 42 men, n = 22 women; age range = 18–51 y) who underwent ACL reconstruction surgery at one hospital in western Japan completed questionnaires before and after surgery. Results revealed that patients who underwent previous ACL reconstruction surgery reported higher tension-anxiety (P < .01) and total mood disturbance (TMD) (P < .05) than did patients who underwent primary surgery. Additionally, tension-anxiety, anger-hostility, TMD (P < .001), depression-dejection, fatigue, and confusion (P < .01) assessed before surgery were significantly reduced after surgery, and preoperative mood was positively related to postoperative mood. Furthermore, positive interpretation was negatively related to TMD before surgery (P < .05), and evading one’s responsibility was positively related to TMD after surgery (P < .05). Therefore, psychological support might be necessary for patients who underwent previous ACL reconstruction surgery and patients who evade responsibility. The results of this study will help sport medicine professionals identify several individual factors that are related to psychological responses of patients who underwent ACL reconstruction surgery.

Restricted access

A Characterization of Physical Activity in People Living With Advanced Multiple Sclerosis

Julia Ludgate, Thomas Edwards, Katherine Cardwell, Afolasade Fakolade, and Lara A. Pilutti

Little is known about physical activity (PA) participation in people with advanced multiple sclerosis (MS). The purpose of this study was to (a) characterize self-reported PA levels and (b) explore how PA levels might differ based on sociodemographic (e.g., gender) and clinical (e.g., MS clinical course) characteristics in people with advanced MS. We used a cross-sectional online survey design with 101 participants. PA was measured using the Physical Activity Scale for Individuals With Physical Disabilities. The mean score on the scale was 4.5 (SD = 5.9) metabolic equivalent hours per day. There was a significant difference in scores based on employment, population density, living situation, disability, and assistive-device type (all p < .05). PA levels were higher in those who were employed, lived alone, required bilateral support for mobility, and were manual wheelchair users (all p < .05). This study highlights low PA levels in people with advanced MS and potential variables that might impact PA in this MS subgroup.

Restricted access

The Utility of Therapeutic Cooling in Sport-Related Concussion: A Critically Appraised Topic

Haley M. Chizuk, Kendall Marshall, Jake Zipp, William Sardinia, Michelle L. Zafron, John J. Leddy, and Riana R. Pryor

Clinical Scenario: Sport-related concussions (SRC) can have a substantial impact on quality of life, necessitating cost-effective interventions to accelerate recovery. Ice or cooling therapy after SRC may be such an intervention; however, this area of research has not been well studied. This critically appraised topic focuses on the impact of ice and cooling therapy on SRC outcomes. Clinical Question: Does ice or cooling therapy reduce symptom burden or recovery time compared with standard care in athletes after SRC? Summary of Key Findings: Four studies met inclusion criteria. In two studies, elite athletes reported reduced symptom burden and returned to sport faster when a cooling intervention was applied immediately compared with standard treatment. The other two studies found that adolescent athletes had reduced symptom burden when a cooling intervention was applied within a few days of injury when combined with standard treatment. Clinical Bottom Line: Immediate cooling after SRC may reduce symptoms and facilitate recovery in adolescent and elite athletes. Strength of Recommendation: There is limited evidence to suggest that cooling therapy reduces symptom burden and facilitates SRC recovery. More research is needed to determine the potential mechanism of action and optimize treatment timing, frequency, and duration.

Restricted access

Comparing the Hip and Lumbar Joint Range of Motion in Patients With Lower Lumbar Disc Herniation and Healthy Subjects

Mahdieh Mirzapour, Omid Shahpari, Neda Mostafaee, Saeed Akhlaghi, and Majid Shahbazi

Background: One possible factor contributing to low back pain is hip range of motion (ROM). However, there is inconstancy in published studies, which may be due to the heterogeneity of patients. Therefore, the present study focuses on the relationship between hip ROM and lower lumbar disc herniation (LLDH). Method: A cross-sectional study involved 52 participants between 18 and 65 years old. Two digital inclinometers were utilized to measure the ROM of the lumbar and hip joints in all study participants. For each outcome, 2 measurements were conducted, and the mean of the 2 measurements was utilized for analysis. The level of statistical significance was established at P ≤ .05. Results: The difference in all ROM between the 2 groups is significant except for dominant hip flexion (P < .05). Lumbar flexion was reduced in LLDH compared with healthy individuals (P = .003). The findings manifested a significant correlation between right lumbar rotation and nondominant hip abduction (P = .05, R = .388) and between left lumbar lateral bending and nondominant hip flexion (P = .008, R = .510). Conclusion: Patients with LLDH have reduced hip ROM and lumbar flexion compared with healthy individuals. The study showed correlations between hip and lumbar ROM and emphasized the significance of evaluating hip ROM in LLDH for assessment and treatment planning.