Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons^™

Using Noninvasive Calibrated Cuff Plethysmography To Observe The Effects Of Cold-Water Immersion On Arterial Compliance, Rita M. Grigorian

Biomedical Engineering: Graduate Reports and Projects

As the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases continues to exponentially grow in populations across the globe, the necessity of determining underlying factors, effective methods of diagnoses, and universally available preventive measures also grows. Early detection of endothelial dysfunction, a proven precursor of cardiovascular diseases, can be extremely impactful in encouraging preventative measures and early intervention before medical conditions become chronic. In recent years, ice plunging, a form of cryotherapy involving full body immersion in cold water, has gained popularity within circles of fitness and health practitioners, gaining the interest of people of all backgrounds. Certain parallels observed between the human physiological …

Comparison Of A Dynamic Ankle Orthosis To A Walking Boot For Preserving Ankle Joint Motion And Reducing Tibial Bone Load And Strain, Perri Johnson Jr.

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Tibial stress fractures are a common overuse injury accounting for 21.9 – 69% of stress fractures among runners and 24 – 51.2% of stress fractures in military cadets. Current treatment involves wearing a walking boot for 3 – 12 weeks, which limits ankle motion and causes lower limb muscle atrophy. A Dynamic Ankle Orthosis (DAO) provided a distractive force that offloaded the ankle and retained sagittal ankle excursion during walking. It remains unclear how tibial loading is affected by a walking boot or the DAO. This thesis presents a feasibility study confirming the offloading effects of the DAO on tibial …

Comparison Of Landing Biomechanics Between Different Competitive Levels Of Irish Dance, Jade Shields

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Abstract

Objectives: To determine differences in lower limb landing biomechanics and lower extremity function scale scores between champion levels, in young female Irish dancers.

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: McDade-Cara School of Irish Dance

Participants: 12 Open Champion (OC) level female Irish dancers (11.9 ± 3.37 years) and 9 Preliminary Champion (PC) Irish dancers (13.5 ± 3.37 years) performed the landing error scoring system test (LESS), and completed the lower extremity functional scale (LEFS) and a descriptive data questionnaire

Main outcome measures: LESS scoring sheet and LEFS PRO

Results: No significant differences found between OC and PC levels on …

Science-Based Regulation Of Pharmacological Substances In Competition Horses, Jacob Machin

Theses and Dissertations--Toxicology and Cancer Biology

Current testing methodologies within equine forensic toxicology focus on arbitrary thresholds and zero-tolerance policy. Modern analytical chemistry’s limits of detection are low enough that oftentimes femtogram-per-milliliter amounts of a substance can readily be identified in both blood and urine of a horse. For most pharmacologically relevant compounds, these concentrations have no relevance to pharmacological effect. It is therefore crucial that testing methodologies to determine appropriate thresholds and cut-offs be developed that are driven by biological activity rather than arbitrary limits of detection. This dissertation looks to address this by suggesting a system of calculated Effective Plasma Concentrations by which a …

Aci-35 And Aadvac1 Active Immunotherapy As Preventative Treatment Options For Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Emily C. Boehlein

Selected Honors Theses

One of the most common, as well as one of the most dangerous injuries amongst athletes today is mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), commonly known as concussion. Aside from physical symptoms such as nausea, dizziness, and headaches; concussions have can have longterm effects on brain physiology. A common neurological disease that can result from multiple concussions is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), characterized by symptoms such as severe depression, anxiety, confusion, and aggression; amongst others.1 On the cellular level, CTE is classified by a unique pathway that leads to the hyperphosphorylation of tau protein and subsequent clumping of tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles …

Identifying Metabolites As Markers Of Fatigue In Athletes, Christopher D. George

Honors Theses

Fatigue in athletes caused by inadequate rest and other stressors can be severely detrimental to their health, and yet there is no reliable way to measure and track fatigue. Many classical measures of fatigue like body mass and resting heart rate are not reliable ways to track the physical fatigue of an athlete because they can change with many factors. In addition, it is not known how academic stress on top of physical stress affects fatigue. Metabolomics is a relatively new area of study and tracking metabolites offers the possibility to produce biomarkers to assess fatigue. This study collected saliva …

Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction With Traditional Docking Compared To Novel Surgical Techniques, Kayley D. Guy, Brendon P. Mcdermott, Kaitlin Gallagher, Tyrone Washington

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: Ulnar Collateral Ligament Reconstruction (UCLR) is a surgical procedure on one of the main ligaments that provides normal stability for the elbow joint against excessive valgus stress. Damage to this ligament is common in athletes performing overhead throwing activities, primarily baseball players, due to excessive valgus stress during the throwing motion. The most common form of treatment for this type of injury is reconstructive surgery of the ligament, especially if athletes wish to return to sport participation. This type of surgery is extremely invasive and requires extensive post-operative rehabilitation in order to facilitate return to play. To date, many …

Does An Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture Become A Patient's Achilles Heel In The Long-Term?, Michaela Cm Khan

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

It is unknown if deficits in the involved limb following acute Achilles tendon rupture (AATR) persist in the long-term, or differ between patients treated operatively or non-operatively. This study investigated 43 patients 15±1 years post-AATR from a previous randomized controlled trial (RCT) that compared operative and non-operative treatment. Structural characteristics in the Achilles tendon and surrounding musculature were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging. We also performed physical examinations and evaluated performance-based and patient-reported outcomes. Overall, there were substantial differences between the involved and uninvolved limbs in most outcomes. Some outcomes improved over time from the initial RCT to the final …

Innovative Care Of Individuals In The Athletic Training Room: A Case Series, Kathryn E. Young

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

This work follows three unique cases of athletic injuries and/or injuries in patients. These cases were selected because of the innovative nature of the rehabilitation process conducted by the sports medicine team via the athletic training room or the unique nature of the injury/case.

The first is a concussion sustained from a motor vehicle accident in a collegiate female thrower. This is unique because it’s a non-sport related concussion handled as an athletic trainer would handle a sports related concussion. It also demonstrates a new unique protocol for concussion management.

The second case is a patient with two complete anterior …

Effect Of Long-Duration Standing And Sitting On Vascular Function, Zackary Vaughan

Health, Human Performance and Recreation Undergraduate Honors Theses

Background: An increase in sedentary lifestyle is a growing problem as it has a negative impact on vascular function leading to significantly higher risk of myocardial infarction and cardiovascular disease mortality. Both standing and sitting for extended periods of time affect endothelial function in lower leg vasculature. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) are two variables that allow us to quantify endothelial function. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of long-duration sitting versus standing on lower body vasculature as assessed by PWV and FMD. Methodology: This study included 13 men and …

Different Effects Of Static And Vibrating Foam Rollers On Ankle Plantar Flexion Flexibility And Neuromuscular Activation, Brianna G. Mazzei

Honors College Theses

The relatively new implementation of vibration into foam rollers was developed in response to the positive feedback of whole-body vibration treatment and foam rolling therapy. The purpose of the study is to research the changes in range of motion and myoelectric activity of the ankle dorsiflexors in female NCAA Division I swimmers when using a vibrating foam roller in comparison to a static foam roller. Combining the self-myofascial release with the increased blood flow and muscle temperature exerted from vibration could possibly enhance the effects of foam-rolling treatment. The different effects of ankle flexibility and motor unit activation after static …

Validity And Reliability Of The Ymca Submaximal Cycle Test Using An Electrically Braked Ergometer, Justin Kidd

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Purpose: To test the effect of using an electrically braked ergometer on the validity and reliability of the YMCA submaximal cycle test.

Methods: 22 male and 13 female subjects ages 19 to 31 completed one maximal treadmill test and four submaximal cycle tests to measure and estimate VO_2max, respectively. The maximal tests involved recording heart rate and VO₂ during graded exercise until volitional fatigue; an actual max was verified when two out of the following criteria: respiratory Exchange Ratio > 1.1, VO₂ plateau (< 150 ml/min increase in VO₂ during final stage), and achievement of 90% age-predicted HR max (or completed …

A Comparison Of Hamstring Injury Recovery Rates In Male And Female Athletes, Amanda Hall

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Excerpt from Introduction

Hamstring injuries are among the most common muscular injuries sustained by athletes across multiple levels of various sports (Askling et al). Most hamstring injuries occur during similar movements and under similar conditions, where the muscle is required to be explosive. Thus, athletes that participate in sports where “sprinting, kicking, or high-speed skilled movements” are required, experience an increased likelihood of suffering a hamstring injury (Erickson and Sherry). After injury, athletes are then subjected to different methods of rehabilitation to heal and strengthen the afflicted area. However, some athletes take longer than others to return and impatience may …

E-Visits For Early Post-Operative Visits Following Orthopaedic Surgery Can They Add Efficiency Without Sacrificing Effectiveness, William G. Jeffery

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

We asked 217 sport surgery and 135 total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients to complete a questionnaire (e-Visit) before attending their two and six-week post-operative appointment. Our primary objective was to use the questions asked of patients prior to their appointment to develop a model that could be used as web-based e-Visit to predict early post-operative adverse events. Gold standard comparison was the surgeon’s opinion as to the presence or absence of an event at follow-up. Secondary objective was evaluation of a simplified model. We found good area under the curve (AUC) statistics (0.76 (95% CI 0.69 - 0.84) and 0.80 …

Perceptions Of Ncaa Division I Baseball Pitchers On Treatment Modalities For Pitching Arm Health, Thomas Williams

Graduate Theses

Throwing athletes of all sports have similarities, even if the sport itself is very different. Throwing an object creates a great amount of stress on the body, particularly at the shoulder and the elbow. A baseball pitcher should train and compete in all three planes of movement-sagittal, frontal and transverse. Training for throwing athletes has two main goals: to increase throwing power and to reduce throwing injuries. Analyzing training habits of a throwing athlete includes an understanding of the modalities they perform in order to prevent potential injuries from occurring. Baseball pitchers are extremely susceptible to throwing injuries, and must …

An Examination Of Step Frequency And The Running Readiness Scal As Predictors Of Running-Related Injury In Collegiate Cross-Country Athletes, Jenna D'Errico

Undergraduate Distinction Papers

The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between step frequency, the Running Readiness Scale, and Running-Related Injury rate among the Otterbein cross-country team during the Fall 2016 season. Step frequencies were calculated for each athlete at a preferred and pre-determined pace. As a part of the running Readiness Scale assessment, each athlete completed a series of screening tasks to assess body alignment, weight distribution, and muscular endurance. Each participant logged their running and injury history throughout the season using the Otterbein Run Tracker app. The researchers hypothesized that higher step frequencies and Running Readiness Scale pass rates …

Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor Response During Endurance Cycle Training: Impact Of Carbohydrate And Protein Supplementation, Jordan L. Parker

Senior Honors Projects, 2010-2019

Purpose: Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is part of the superfamily of neurotrophins including: nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4). Recent evidence suggests that aerobic activity can increase BDNF levels both during and following exercise. Likewise, dietary habits have been shown to alter BDNF levels. However, nothing is known about the effect of BDNF levels during aerobic activity under specific dietary interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of specific macronutrient supplementation on BDNF levels during aerobic exercise. Methods: We had the opportunity to determine BDNF levels in blood samples obtained from two …

The Effect Of Therapeutic Horseback Riding On Balance And Self-Efficacy In Children With Developmental Disabilities, Alexandra Smola, Lauren Hurley

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

Therapeutic horseback riding (THR) has positive health related outcomes in children with developmental disabilities. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of a 10-week THR intervention on balance and task-specific self-efficacy in children with developmental disabilities. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and the physical stress theory guided the quasi-experimental study. A pre-test post-test design (N=20) was implemented with a 10-week THR class at a riding center in Midwest United States. The first research question was: In children with developmental disabilities ages 5 to 18, does one 10-week session of THR affect balance? With time 1 balance mean at …

The Effects Of Training Programs Using Free Weights And Free Motion Machines On Strength In Untrained College-Age Females, Katherine Milton

Graduate Theses

No abstract provided.

Maximal Femoral Artery Blood Flow During Cycle Ergometry, Tucker W. Squires

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

MAXIMAL FEMORAL ARTERY BLOOD FLOW DURING CYCLE ERGOMETRY

Chairperson: Matthew Bundle Ph.D.

The delivery of oxygen to working muscle in order to support aerobic respiration has long been recognized as one of the critical elements conferring endurance performance. Oxygen is transported from the environment to the active cells by the cardiovascular system, which is classically understood to deliver progressively greater amounts of gas to support increased levels of aerobic metabolism. However, the vast majority of existing studies have used modes of exercise that activate relatively small volumes of muscle and consequently have relatively small demands for oxygen delivery. We measured …

Force And Power Development In Free Weight Resistance Training Vs. Band Resistance Training, Joseph Jablonski

Morehead State Theses and Dissertations

A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of Health, Wellness, and Human Performance of the College of Science and Technology Morehead State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Joseph Jablonski on April 16, 2014.

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome, Jacqueline Knowles

Thinking Matters Symposium Archive

The purpose of this project is to examine an exercise-­‐based approach to rehabilitating an athlete with medial tibial stress syndrome. It presents specific exercises that can be used, and focuses on resolving the core of the problem instead of just addressing the symptom. This review attempts to provide a long-­‐term solution rather than providing a quick fix.

Concussions: Education For Coaches And Safe Return To Play For Athletes, Catherine Fettkether

Honors Program Theses

Head injuries can occur due to a variety of reasons, including falls, auto accidents, and contact sports. In 2010 the Center for Disease Control reported that 2.5 million traumatic brain injuries occurred in the United States. Any injury the body sustains requires that a person take the appropriate steps to have the most successful outcome. Appropriate action with an injury is not just limited to recovery, but being aware of the potential injury and acting accordingly. This is even more important when the injury is sustained by the brain. A situation in which brain injuries are becoming a larger issue …

Short Term Sensory And Vascular Responses To Physical Agent Modalities And Exercise In Healthy Volunteers And Patients With Distal Radius Fracture., Shaguftha Shaik

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Currently, there is weak evidence on the effectiveness of different rehabilitation regimens following distal radius fracture (DRF). This thesis evaluated sensory and vascular effects of exercise, thermal and ultrasound interventions that can be used in the mobilization phase (cast removal) after DRF.

Methods

• This thesis includes 3 studies. The first study compared responses to Immersion in Cold water Evaluation (ICE) in the DRF and uninjured hands. Skin blood flow (Sbf), skin temperature (temp.) and sensory perception thresholds (sPT) at 2000Hz for A –beta fibres and at 5 Hz for C fibres were obtained before, immediately after ICE and 10 min …

Beach Wheelchair Project, Rory Aronson, Joshua Marcum, Samuel Coyne, Alex Hayes, Alexa Colburn, Max Hessel, Benedikt Strauss, Marvin Rimmele, Marco Pietsch

Mechanical Engineering

The Beach Wheelchair, Sandcrawler, is a machine intended to help give people with disabilities the full beach experience. The non-profit organization Bridge II Sports sponsored this project, and tasked us with developing the design and fabricating a prototype. This chair has several features including a linkage mechanism that raises and lowers a chair relative to an external frame, hand crank drive with Gates Carbondrive belt and sprockets, buoyant Wheeleez balloon tires, and much more.

Evaluation Of The Anterior Talofibular And Calcaneofibular Ligament In Relation To Supination Ankle Sprains, Peter Tran

Biomedical Engineering

Ankle injuries have always posed an issue to a number of athletes. Sports that involve running and jumping accumulate about 25% of injuries correlating to ankle sprains. In most ankle sprains the inversion (supination) of the ankle cause damage to lateral ligaments. The two most common lateral ligaments to experience damage are the anterior talofibular (ATFL) and calcaneofibular (CFL) ligaments. The methods of taping and ankle braces have allowed athletes to prevent recurring sprains from occurring. However, sprains can still occur even when one or both methods are applied. The purpose of each method is to restrict the range of …

Kinematic And Spatiotemporal Analysis Between Sprint Drills And Maximal Sprinting, Julianne Cappadona

PTHMS Undergraduate Publications

Purpose: To determine if any kinematic differences exist between two common sprint drills (A- and B-drills) and maximal sprinting. Methods: 12 collegiate sprinters (19.17±1.11 y/o) granted informed consent were filmed performing two 40-meter sprints, A-skips, and B-skips. Three-dimensional motion analysis tracked the coordinates of 24 reflective markers and resulting joint kinematics were computed. Results: Statistical analysis revealed that sprinting yielded a significantly lower maximum hip flexion (p=0.015) but a significantly higher minimum ankle angular velocity (p=0.012) and step rate (p=0.000) value than A-drills. When compared to B-drills, sprinting values were significantly lower in maximum hip flexion (p=0.047), minimum knee flexion …

Choice Response Time Differences Between Recently Recovered Concussed And Healthy Student-Athletes, Tiffen Tapia-Lovler

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Some 1.6 to 3.8 million sports-related concussions occur annually in the United States. Utilization of test batteries and exercise protocols are recommended to ensure athletes recover completely. Many batteries involve response time (RT) tests, which show response time increases post concussion. A major limitation of RT tests is that all are done in static position. Additionally, many studies show a lingering effect on RT. The addition of RT tests to check for lingering symptoms could be beneficial. The purpose of this study was to see if significant differences could be found in RT tests involving dynamic movement between healthy studentathletes …

Kinesio Taping On Short-Term Changes In Shoulder Strength In Healthy Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial, Dario A. Callegari, Cristobal E. Cordova, Julia R. Dunievitz

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Study Type: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Introduction:

Kinesio tape is an elastic tape used in various settings and it is purported to assist in strengthening weakened muscles. The mechanism behind this claim is neuromuscular facilitation. The purpose of this study was to determine if the claims of Kinesio tape would be supported in its role in strength enhancing properties.

Methods:

Twenty-nine healthy, untrained male and female college-aged individuals participated in this study. Two baseline measurements assessing shoulder external rotation (ER) strength were collected using isokinetic dynamometry. Subjects were then randomized into two groups, Kinesio tape with ER strengthening (KT-Ex) and …

Utah State University Return To Play Criteria Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Surgery, Benjamin Hamilton

All Graduate Plan B and other Reports, Spring 1920 to Spring 2023

An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee is a very traumatic experience. Most of these injuries will be a complete rupture of that ligament, and because of the nature of the ligament, the repair process will require surgery; however, a small number of athletes have learned how to successfully stabilize the ACL-deficient knee and return to activity (Hartigan et al, 2010). For the thousands of athletes who undergo surgery to repair their ACL, this is in hopes they can return to physical competition and an active lifestyle. The ACL is also repaired in hopes of preventing …