Sports Sciences Commons^™

The Correlation Between Acl Injury & Concussion, Brandon Michael Phillips

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Concussion (also known as mild traumatic brain injury) is a neurological injury that occurs after a blow to the head or neck area and can have affects to movement based on the severity of the injury. Mild traumatic brain injury has possible linkage to an increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. The purpose of this thesis was to assess the impact of prior concussion on lower extremity mechanics that are associated with risk of ACL injury. A total of 11 individuals with prior history of concussion and 11 healthy individuals without prior history of concussion (56.5 months since …

Line Hops And Side Hold Rotation Tests Load Both Anterior And Posterior Shoulder: A Biomechanical Study, Margie K. Olds, Nicole Lemaster, Kelsey Picha, Cody Walker, Nicholas R. Heebner, Timothy L. Uhl

Sports Medicine Research Institute Faculty Publications

Background: Clinical tests should replicate the stressful positions encountered during sport participation. Evaluating the kinetic and electromyographical demands of clinical tests enables clinicians to choose appropriate tests for specific sports.

Purpose: To describe the shoulder forces and muscle activation levels during closed chain functional tests of Line Hops (LH) and Side Hold Rotation (SHR).

Study Design: Descriptive biomechanical study.

Methods: Ten asymptomatic participants were examined in a university laboratory. Two functional tests were evaluated using three-dimensional video analysis and electromyography to measure shoulder forces, moments, and muscular activity levels.

Results: SHR produced a peak average posterior translation force of 4.84 …

Mechanical Deviations And Verbal-Cue Altered Gait In The Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome Population, Walter Menke

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) is an abnormal physical hip morphology that causes functional changes and pain during gait. Mechanical gait differences in this population require further biomechanical investigation to elucidate characteristics unique to this group. Fixed speed gait trials were performed on force plates and analyzed in addition to isokinetic strength testing to find a multitude of biomechanical variables including joint moment, joint power, joint work, and peak joint angle. This work has discovered evidence of muscular deficits at the hip, specifically hip extension, as well as knee joint power contributions to gait when compared to controls. These findings suggest …

Influences Of Functional And Psychological Factors On Biomechanics Following An Anterior Cruciate Ligament (Acl) Reconstruction, Chelsey Roe

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Objective: The aims of this research were to identify gaps in the literature related to return to sport (RTS) test batteries following primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) (Aim 1) and define recovery in athletes from 4-9 months after ACLR across three domains: 1) psychological recovery and biomechanics (Aim 2), 2) rehabilitation quantity and biomechanics (Aim 3), and 3) functional performance and biomechanics (Aim 4). Ultimately, the results of this research would quantify recovery following ACLR in athletes with a desire to RTS and identify objective criteria throughout rehabilitation prior to RTS.

Participants: Twenty-two post-ACLR athletes 17 females, 8 males, …

Connecting The Pieces: How Low Back Pain Alters Lower Extremity Biomechanics And Shock Attenuation In Active Individuals, Alexa Johnson

Theses and Dissertations--Rehabilitation Sciences

Low back pain in collegiate athletes has been reported at a rate of 37% from a wide array of sports including soccer, volleyball, football, swimming, and baseball. Whereas, in a military population the prevalence of low back pain is 70% higher than the general population. Compensatory movement strategies are often used as an attempt to reduce pain. Though compensatory movement strategies may effectively reduce pain, they are often associated with altered lower extremity loading patterns. Those who suffer from chronic low back pain tend to walk and run slower and with less trunk and pelvis coordination and variability. Individuals with …

Reliability And Validity Of A Biomechanically Based Analysis Method For The Tennis Serve, Natalie L. Myers, W. Ben Kibler, Leah Lamborn, Belinda J. Smith, Tony English, Cale A. Jacobs, Timothy L. Uhl

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Background: An observational tennis serve analysis (OTSA) tool was developed using previously established body positions from three-dimensional kinematic motion analysis studies. These positions, defined as nodes, have been associated with efficient force production and minimal joint loading. However, the tool has yet to be examined scientifically.

Purpose: The primary purpose of this investigation was to determine the inter-observer reliability for each node between two health care professionals (HCPs) that developed the OTSA, and secondarily to investigate the validity of the OTSA.

Methods: Two separate studies were performed to meet these objectives. An inter-observer reliability study preceded the …

The Effects Of Golf Stance On The Peak Knee Adduction Moment During The Golf Swing, Quenten L. Hooker

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

INTRODUCTION: The knee joint is one of the most frequently injured structures in the game of golf. The loads experienced by the knee during the golf swing are typically greater than those experienced during walking. In particular, a heightened lead limb peak external knee adduction moment has been linked to the progression of medial compartment knee osteoarthritis (OA). Altering movement patterns is a common strategy that can be used to reduce loading on the knee joint but has received little attention during the golf swing. Also, while such manipulations may be beneficial from an injury prevention perspective, they may have …

The Effects Of A Hip Flexor Stretching Program On Running Kinematics In Individuals With Limited Passive Hip Extension, Jeff H. Mettler

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

INTRODUCTION: Tightness of the hip flexor muscle group may contribute to altered sagittal plane kinematics of the lumbo-pelvic-hip (LPH) complex during dynamic movements. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of a three-week home-based stretching program on passive hip extension (PHE), as well as on active hip extension (AHE), anterior pelvic tilt (APT), and lumbar spine extension (LSE) when running. METHODS: Twenty healthy subjects with limited PHE underwent a 3D gait analysis both prior (PRE) and following (POST) a three-week static hip flexor stretching program. RESULTS: Following the stretching program, peak PHE increased significantly (P < 0.001), while no significant improvements were reported in AHE, APT, or LSE. In addition, no relationship was found between the change in PHE with either the change in AHE, APT, or LSE. Finally, a high relationship was observed between AHE and APT during running (r = 0.83, p < 0.001), and low relationships were observed between APT and LSE (r = -0.41, p = 0.08) and AHE and LSE (r = -0.34, p = 0.15). CONCLUSION: A three-week static stretching program of the hip flexor musculature resulted in an increase in PHE, but the sagittal plane kinematics of the LPH complex during running remained unchanged. The correlations observed between AHE, APT, and LSE suggest there is a kinematic relationship between the hip, pelvis, and spine.

Biomechanical Analysis Of Race Walking Compared To Normal Walking And Running Gait, Jaclyn D. Norberg

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

Human locomotion is phenomenon that is extraordinarily complex. It is evident that a complete description of locomotion involves consideration of kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity of the extremities in all of their various movements. Race walking (RW) is a form of upright locomotion that differs from normal walking and running by its form dictated by the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF). Despite the similarities to both normal walking (NW) and running (RU), RW has not been the subject of equally intensive investigations.

This study explores the comprehensive biomechanics of race walking and how it compares to NW and RU. A …

Is There A Relationship Between Hip Structure, Hip Muscle Strength, And Lower Extremity Frontal Plane Kinematics During Treadmill Running?, Michael William Robinson Baggaley

Theses and Dissertations--Kinesiology and Health Promotion

INTRODUCTION: Excessive hip adduction (HADD) has been associated with a number of lower extremity overuse injuries, and it has been suggested that it may be the result of reduced strength of the hip abduction musculature. Hip structure has been postulated to influence both hip abduction (HABD) strength and HADD. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between hip structure, HABD strength, and frontal plane kinematics during running. METHODS: Peak isometric HABD strength, lower extremity kinematics, femoral neck-shaft angle (NSA), and pelvis width-femur length (pw-fl) ratio were recorded for 25 female subjects. Pearson correlations (P < .05) were performed between variables. RESULTS: A fair relationship was observed between femoral NSA and HABD strength (r = …