Browsing by Subject "Injury"
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Item Injury and recovery rates of the aging athlete(2015-08) Lewkowski, Piotr; Tanaka, Hirofumi, Ph. D.; Castelli, Darla MThe precise rates of injury and recovery of the Masters athlete are not yet well known. Considering that older athletes are participating at greater rates now than ever before, and that these athletes are routinely setting age-specific records, there is greater incentive to illustrate the responses related to exercise and competition as it pertains to injury and recovery. The majority of the literature focuses on younger athletes, which may be due to the amount of attention this group of individual’s commands because of their physical capabilities and performance figures, but also due to their greater incidence of acute injury such as catastrophic failure of ligaments in the knee. This literature review therefore aims to elucidate some of the factors that may contribute to an older athletes seemingly different propensity for overuse injuries, as well as uncovering the precise rates of acute and chronic injury that the Masters athlete suffers.Item The prevalence and risks of injury for masters athletes : current findings(2015-05) Baker, Jeffrey Robinson; Tanaka, Hirofumi, Ph. D.; Castelli, DarlaRegular physical activity and exercise are important clinical tools that can be used to improve our health. This is especially true due to the prolonged lifespan of the average adult and the declines in physical function that are attributed to advancing age. Those functional detriments can be controlled or reversed via regular exercise, and as a result, the growth of competitive sports targeted to the elderly is on the rise. These events have created generations of Masters athletes. However, continued growth of and successful participation in these competitions may be limited by an unfounded belief that an increased risk of sports injury occurs as we age. This notion is not supported by the available scientific literature. The preponderance of epidemiological evidence demonstrates no age-associated increase in injury for Masters athletes. This remains true even when the research has focused on specific injury types such as connective tissue. To unequivocally answer question of whether elderly athletes are at a high risk of injury, future research will need to focus on providing more rigorous controls over activity levels and training status as both of these variables are likely confounding the current conclusions that can be drawn when comparing young and old athletes. It will also be beneficial to specifically study the association between altered muscle function, age and injury. This association has not been addressed within the Masters athlete population, but could provide potent insight into the aging process of habitual exercisers.Item Serum concentration levels of 25(OH)D and injury reports in NCAA Division I football players(2014-05) McGill, Lauren Elyse; Farrar, Roger P.Vitamin D deficiency has been linked with many health problems. Early research demonstrated the importance of vitamin D for bone health, but it may also play a larger role than first reported in muscle health and function. Specifically, low vitamin D may hinder athletic performance, as such evaluation of serum vitamin D levels in high volume training athletes has merit. The purpose of this study was to evaluate serum levels of 25(OH)D in college athletes to determine how many had levels below the recommended values. Data from student-athletes who were attending a large university in the south included: serum vitamin D levels, demographics information, and injury reports. Mean serum vitamin D level for the group was 34.17 ng/mL ± 0.88. Average injury for the group was 1.3± 0.14. The mean value of serum vitamin D for Caucasian players was 38.3 ng/mL ± 1.33 with a range of 23-59 ng/mL. The mean value of serum vitamin D for African American players was 31.16 ng/mL ± 1.08 with a range of 16-52 ng/mL. African American players had significantly lower serum vitamin D levels (p<0.01) than Caucasian players. Players with one or more injury had significantly lower serum vitamin D values (p<0.05) than players who had zero injuries. Forty-eight players (44.4%) had insufficient levels of vitamin D (20-31.9ng/ml). 60 players (55.6%) had values within normal limits (>32 ng/ml). Players with one or more musculoskeletal injury or fracture had significantly lower serum vitamin D levels (p<0.05) compared to players that had zero injuries. African American players had significantly lower serum vitamin D levels (p<0.01) compared to Caucasian players. It is important for athletes to monitor serum vitamin D levels and adhere to a supplementation protocol when levels are insufficient.Item The effects of fatigue on landing characteristics in college female and male recreational athletes(Texas Tech University, 2005-08) Smith, Michael Patrick; Felstehausen, VirginiaThe purpose of the first study (Chapter II) was to investigate the effects of fatigue and gender on frontal plane knee motion during drop-jump landing. Additionally, neuromuscular and ground reaction force performance characteristics that are thought to be related to the control of frontal plane knee motion were also investigated. The purpose of the second study (Chapter III) was to examine the relationships between static anatomical structural characteristics and frontal plane knee motion. Alterations in these relationships during fatigue were also investigated. Design of Chapter II: A two factor mixed repeated measures design was used to evaluate the gender and fatigue effects. Subjects were tested in a pre-fatigue state and then again in a fatigued state. A 2 X 2 mixed design repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA), with gender as the between-subjects factor and fatigue as the within-subjects factor, was performed. Fatigue, gender, and fatigue by gender interaction were tested at á = 0.05. Univariate F-tests of the dependent variables were undertaken to establish where significance was present. Design of Chapter III: A correlation matrix was constructed to determine the relationship among the dependent variables and between the dependent and independent variables. Following generation of the correlation matrix the two variables that showed the highest positive relationship were used in a linear regression model to determine the predictive value of the variables. Subjects: Twenty-six (14 women and 12 men) healthy active volunteers of average height and weight, between the ages of 18 and 35 years old, participated in the study. Measurements for Chapter II: All subjects completed 10 pre-fatigue landings from a 50cm height onto a force platform. The fatigue protocol followed and included repeated bouts of isometric contractions of the quadriceps in the squat position with the knee flexed to 60°. Subjects were deemed adequately fatigued when there force production fell below 50% MVC. Kinematic data was collected for frontal plane knee motion with an electric goniometer. Kinetic data was collected from the force platform on which the subjects landed. Surface EMG was collected from 5 muscles: vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, medial hamstring, lateral hamstring, and lateral gastrocnemius. Measurements for Chapter III: Four clinical measurements were taken: QA, ND, TFA, FT. Results Chapter II: The fatigue affect showed significance for the peak ground reaction force (F1,24 = 15.89; p < 0.05). No other variables were significant for a fatigue effect. No variables were significant for a gender effect. A significant interaction between fatigue and gender was found for the following variable: valgus range of motion from contact to maximum knee flexion (F1,24 = 7.35; p < 0.05), all other variables were non-significant. Results Chapter III: The correlation matrix for the non-fatigue group data revealed a significant relationship between FP30 and TFA (r = 0.39) and a significant positive relationship between FProm30 and TFA (r = 0.33) for the group. The correlation matrix for the fatigue group data revealed a significant positive relationship between FProm30 and TFA (r = 0.35) for the group. The correltation matrix for the men (non-fatigue) revealed a significant positive relationship between; FPmax and QA (r=0.61), FP30 and QA (r=0.55), and FPrommax and QA (r=0.51). During the fatigue condition, however, there were no significant relationships between the variables for the men. The correlation matrix for the women (non-fatigue) revealed a significant positive relationship between FProm30 and TFA (r=0.49). During the fatigue condition there were no significant relationships found for the women. None of the regression models yielded significant results. Conclusion: The results of this study are inconclusive. Peak ground reaction force significantly decreased with fatigue. This is probably due to altered landing strategies during the fatigued state. Although some clinical measures had significant positive correlations with frontal plane motions, none were found to be predictors of frontal plane motion. More research needs to be done in order to further examine the frontal plane motion variables and to determine the role they play in non-contact ACL injuries.Item The epidemiology and etiology of visitor injuries in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park(Texas A&M University, 2006-04-12) Heggie, Travis WadeThe U.S. National Park Service has recognized visitor health and safety as an important component of protected area management. Despite this recognition, research investigating visitor health and safety issues in national parks is lacking. In order to improve the understanding of the factors contributing to visitor injuries, the purpose of this study was to: 1) identify the distribution of injuries in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, 2) examine the relationship between visitor factors and the severity of visitor injuries in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, 3) examine the relationship between environmental factors and the severity of visitor injuries in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, and 4) determine the effectiveness of sign placement and indirect supervision on controlling visitor injuries in the park. Data for this study consisted of 5,947 incident reports recorded in Hawaii Volcanoes between January 1, 1993 and December 31, 2002. The results found that even though 26% of the injuries in the park occur in frontcountry regions, 53% of all visitor injuries took place at the Eruption Site. As well, 130 of the 268 (49%) fatalities occurred on roadway environments and 1,179 of the 1,698 (69%) severe injuries occurred at the Eruption Site. Logistic regression analysis used to examine the relationship between visitor factors and injury severity in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park found that female visitors, visitors wearing minimal footwear and clothing, and visitors carrying no flashlight and minimal drinking water are factors significantly associated with fatal injuries. Visitors wearing minimal footwear and clothing, visitors carrying no flashlight and minimal drinking water, visitors entering restricted areas, visitors with pre-existing health conditions, and visitors aged 50-59 years of age are factors significantly associated with severe injuries. Logistic regression analysis found no built environment factor to be significantly associated with visitor fatalities or severe injuries. However, darkness and rugged terrain were significantly associated with visitor fatalities. Chi-square tests of independence found the combined treatment of sign placement and indirect supervision to have no effect on reducing the frequency and severity of visitor injuries at the Eruption Site.Item The influence of quadriceps muscle forces and tibial plateau geometry on anterior cruciate ligament strain during in-vitro simulated jump landing(2009-08) Breighner, Ryan E.; Hashemi, Javad; Schutt, Robert; Ekwaro-Osire, StephenA frequent injury in both sport and recreational activities is a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament or ACL. The ACL is a ligament in the knee that connects the femur to the tibia. It prevents excessive anterior tibial translation and contributes to overall knee joint stability. However, when excessively strained the ligament may rupture. One frequently debated theory of ACL injury is the quadriceps pull mechanism. The principle of this theory is that quadriceps muscles can be applied quickly enough and to such high force levels that the muscles themselves causes injury. To provide insight into this mechanism, as it pertains to jump landing tasks, an in-vitro simulation study was conducted. Additionally, tibial plateau geometric parameters (TPGPs) were evaluated to assess their potential effects on ACL strain during jump landing. A purpose built dynamic knee loading simulator was previously designed and constructed for the testing of human cadaver knees. This machine allows for the simulation of two key phases of jump landing: (1) flight phase, in which anticipatory muscle forces are applied in preparation for landing, and (2) landing phase, where ground contact is made and ground reaction forces are generated. Testing protocols were developed to measure strain in the anterior cruciate ligament using a differential variable reluctance transducer (DVRT) under a variety of pre-landing muscle force levels and kinematic constraints. Quadriceps and hamstrings muscle forces were used as they comprise the two major muscle groups that act on the knee. Nine human cadaver knees (age: 55.1 ± 11 years; 5 male, 4 female) were tested under unopposed quadriceps pre-activation forces (QPFs), low hamstrings forces coupled with QPFs, a restricted hip motion condition, and two different pre-landing valgus angles. After testing, a photographic technique was used to measure three tibial plateau geometric parameters; the slopes of the medial and lateral regions of the tibial plateau and the depth of the medial tibial plateau. Correlation analyses and multiple linear regression techniques were used to assess the effect of muscle forces, kinematic constraints, and TPGPs on ACL strain. In all tests, pooled results showed that ACL strain due to QPF application correlated positively with the level of QPF (p < 0.001). Additionally, ACL strain during the simulated landings showed a significant negative correlation with QPF (p = 0.035). Lastly, total strain (pre-landing + landing) showed no significant correlation with QPF (p = 0.685). Multiple regression models including TPGPs showed that they were all significant predictors of at least one type (pre-landing, landing, or total) of ACL strain. This study yielded two major findings: (1) the quadriceps-pull mechanism may not be a viable mechanism of non-contact ACL injury during jump landing, and (2) tibial plateau geometry was shown to influence ACL strain behavior during dynamic activities. The results of this study show that quadriceps muscle forces do not appreciably affect the level of total ACL strain during jump landing. This finding opposes much of the current literature on the quadriceps-pull mechanism, however the combined effects of QPF increasing pre-landing ACL strain and decreasing landing ACL strain illustrate how this is possible. ACL strain increases under increasing QPF prior to landing, but the increase in muscle forces also increases joint reaction forces in the knee, promoting stability during the landing phase of a jump.Item The influence of stretching and educational messages on measures of neuromuscular control and the perceived importance of stretching(Texas Tech University, 2006-12) Rogers, Toby; Felstehausen, Virginia; James, C. Roger; Brismee, Jean-Michel; Sizer, Phillip S.; Couch, SuePre-exercise stretching has the potential to influence the ability of the active muscular control system to dynamically stabilize affected joints during high-risk athletic maneuvers. Likewise, even though controversial research evidence exists regarding the role of stretching, many athletes continue to perform pre-exercise stretching and continue to believe it is important to engage in this practice, suggesting an underlying psychosocial interaction. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to: (1) explore the influence of pre-exercise stretching on measures of neuromuscular control of the lower extremity during landing; (2) evaluate the relationship between historical educational messages about pre-exercise stretching and current perceptions of its value; (3) evaluate the relationship between subjects’ perceptions and actual performance outcomes; (4) investigate the influence of the type of warm-up intervention on subjects’ perceptions of its value; and (5) evaluate the influence of current educational messages on perceptions of the value of pre-exercise stretching. Forty-four college-age recreationally active individuals participated in a clinical control trial design requiring one day of testing involving a warm-up followed by a vertical drop jump test before and after a stretching intervention or rest period. The stretch-intervention group participated in a 16 minute stretching routine, while the control group rested for the same time period. Pre and Post-intervention measurements of electromyography (EMG), knee and hip kinematics, ground reaction force (GRF), and muscle flexibility of the dominant lower extremity were examined for both groups. The EMG, kinematic, and GRF measurements were gathered during the first landing phase of a vertical drop jump test. Upon completion of the second vertical drop jump test, subjects completed a survey instrument utilizing a standard visual analogue scale to evaluate perceptions. Inferential statistical analyses demonstrated no significant differences between the stretching and control groups in EMG, kinematic, GRF or flexibility measurements as a result of the stretching intervention. Additionally, correlation analyses found no relationship between what the subjects had been taught regarding the value of pre-exercise stretching and their perception of its value, yet a positive relationship was found between perceptions and the actual vertical drop jump measures. Finally, inferential statistical analyses revealed that written educational messages significantly altered subjects’ perceptions of the value of pre-exercise stretching. Based on these findings it was suggested that a moderate stretching routine prior to a landing task may not negatively influence the ability of the neuromuscular system to safely control joint motion during landing. Likewise, it was concluded that current educational messages can alter perceptions of the value of pre-exercise stretching and perceptions about a specific warm-up routine may influence performance outcomes, possibly as a result of a heightened state of self-efficacy.