Ice Skaters Research Articles

The Expression of the Force-Length Properties of the Gastrocnemius in Ice Hockey Players.

Leonard, C and Challis, JH. The expression of the force-length properties of the gastrocnemius in ice hockey players. J Strength Cond Res 38(9): 1635-1639, 2024-Although the force-length properties of muscles have an approximately parabolic shape, in vivo not all the force-length curve is necessarily used, only a portion of the curve is expressed (i.e., ascending, plateau, or descending regions of the force-length curve). The number of sarcomeres in series in a muscle fiber affects the expressed section of the force-length curve; this number can be influenced by the nature of activity the muscle experiences. It was hypothesized that the reduced range of motion ice skaters experience, because of the constraints imposed by the ice skates, that the gastrocnemii of a group of ice skaters will adapt and will more frequently express in vivo the plateau of the force-length curve compared with a nonspecifically trained population. Twelve NCAA Division I female ice hockey players volunteered for the study. Their maximum isometric ankle plantarflexion moments were recorded for 6 ankle angles and 3 knee angles. Exploiting the biarticularity of the gastrocnemius, the expressed sections of the subject's force-length curves were determined. Six subjects operated over the ascending limb, 5 operated over the plateau region, and 1 over the descending limb. This frequency of distribution for ice hockey players was statistically different to the distribution measured for 28 nonspecifically trained subjects from a previous study ( p < 0.0001). These results likely reflect morphological differences between the 2 groups for their gastrocnemii, potentially arising from the limited range of gastrocnemius length feasible in ice-skates. These results have implications for the specificity of their off-ice training for ice hockey players.

Assessment of Dynamic Balancing Performance of Synchronized Ice Skaters With Sudden Provocation Test via Principal Component Analysis

Background: Balancing performance can be affected by regular and high-level athletic training, which has not been fully explored in synchronized ice skaters. This study aimed to analyze the dynamic balancing performance by assessing the principal and compensatory movements performed during the sudden provocation tests and evaluating the parameters that characterize the platform’s motion. Method: Twelve young female synchronized ice skaters and 12 female age-matched controls participated. Sudden provocation tests were completed three times in bipedal stance and in single-leg stances, and sport-specific fatigue session was inserted between the repetitions. Results: Significantly more time was necessary to recover balance for both groups after the fatiguing sessions (p &lt; .05). Interestingly, skaters performed less effectively in the simplest condition (bipedal stance) than the control group (p &lt; .05). The principal component analysis showed that the first principal movement was the same for both groups. The skater group used the upper body and arms more often to compensate, while the control group’s recovery strategy consisted mainly of abduction of the elevated leg. The damping ratio and the relative variance of the first principal movement showed a negative correlation (p &lt; .05), suggesting that those with superior balancing effectiveness recruited more compensatory movements.

Particularities of data mining in medicine: lessons learned from patient medical time series data analysis

Nowadays, large amounts of data are generated in the medical domain. Various physiological signals generated from different organs can be recorded to extract interesting information about patients’ health. The analysis of physiological signals is a hard task that requires the use of specific approaches such as the Knowledge Discovery in Databases process. The application of such process in the domain of medicine has a series of implications and difficulties, especially regarding the application of data mining techniques to data, mainly time series, gathered from medical examinations of patients. The goal of this paper is to describe the lessons learned and the experience gathered by the authors applying data mining techniques to real medical patient data including time series. In this research, we carried out an exhaustive case study working on data from two medical fields: stabilometry (15 professional basketball players, 18 elite ice skaters) and electroencephalography (100 healthy patients, 100 epileptic patients). We applied a previously proposed knowledge discovery framework for classification purpose obtaining good results in terms of classification accuracy (greater than 99% in both fields). The good results obtained in our research are the groundwork for the lessons learned and recommendations made in this position paper that intends to be a guide for experts who have to face similar medical data mining projects.

Skater's Cramp: A Possible Task-Specific Dystonia in Dutch Ice Skaters.

ABSTRACTBackgroundSkater's cramp is an involuntary lower leg movement in skilled speed skaters. We aim to evaluate whether skater's cramp is compatible with task‐specific dystonia.MethodsA case‐control study tested 5 speed skaters exhibiting symptoms of skater's cramp and 5 controls. Affected skaters completed a standardized questionnaire and neurological examination. Video analyses included skating normally, intensely, and with extra mass around the skater's ankles. An Inertial Motion Capturing (IMC) device mounted on both skates provided angular velocity data for both feet.ResultsMedian time of onset of skater's cramp occurred after 12 (range 3–22) years of speed skating. Skater's cramp appeared as task specific; its onset was sudden and correlated to stress and aberrant proprioception. Symptoms presented acutely and consistently during skating, unilaterally in 4 and bilaterally in 1 skater. Visually, skater's cramp was an active, patterned, and person‐specific jerking of a skater's foot, either exo‐ or endorotationally. It presented asymmetrically, repeating persistently as the foot neared the end of the swing phase. The skater's affected leg had a longer swing phase (median, 1.37 [interquartile range {IQR}, 0.35]/1.18 [IQR, 0.24] seconds; P < 0.01), a shorter glide phase (median, 1.09 [IQR, 0.25]/1.26 (IQR, 0.29) seconds; P < 0.01), and higher angular velocity during the jerking motion. Symptoms remained constant irrespective of speed or extra mass around the ankle (P > 0.05). No significant differences between legs were detected in the control group.ConclusionsObserved clinical, visual, and kinematic data could be an early and tentative indication of task‐specific dystonia.

긍정심리자본이 선수의 직무만족과 팀 몰입에 미치는 영향 : 빙상 종목 사례를 중심으로

긍정심리자본이 선수의 직무만족과 팀 몰입에 미치는 영향 : 빙상 종목 사례를 중심으로

Determination of physical, physiological and nutritional parameters of elite athletes in esthetic sports

Aim: Nutritional deficiencies occur in elite athletes in aesthetic branches who suffer from intensive training programs and strict weight control. Increased disability, the weakening of the immune system, menstrual disorders and increased risk of bone fracture due to abnormal bone mineralization impair the quality of life and threaten the health of athletes. The purpose of this study was to determine body composition, nutrition and hydration status, bone mineral density levels and some physiological parameters in athletes interested in aesthetic sports. Material and Methods: The study was participated by a total of 15 healthy artistic gymnasts, ice skaters and ballet dancers aged 18 and over and 10 individuals of similar age and physical qualities as the control group. The body composition, resting metabolic rate, hydration status, bone mineral density, nutritional habit and menstruation period of the athletes were assessed and some health parameters in blood about bone metabolism, anaemia and infection were evaluated. Results: It was found that the athletes’ daily energy consumption and dietary intake of vitamin-mineral levels, vitamin D, Ca and Fe, are inadequate for especially female athletes. The fat ratio was higher and carbohydrate ratio was lower than the recommended daily energy distribution of athletes, 2/3 of athletes were dehydrated. The athletes did not have menstrual irregularities and eating disorder behaviours. The highest bone mineral density was in athletes, especially in gymnastics, while the lowest was in the control group. Conclusion: Although the athletes have higher values than the controls, due to insufficient energy, low carbohydrate and calcium intake and low bone density of female athletes, especially female athletes are suggested keeping under control for risk of female athlete triad.

A Pedagogical Model for the Doppler Effect with Application to Sources with Constant Accelerations

Kinematic models are often very useful. The back and forth throw of a ball between two ice skaters may help us appreciate the meson exchange theory of Yukawa. If the skaters throw the balls at each other, they move backward, which is equivalent to a repulsive force between them. On the other hand, if they snatch the ball from each other, the result will be akin to an equivalent attractive force between them. Such illustrative models may help us understand advanced concepts.

Anthropometry, Physical Fitness and Coordination of Young Figure Skaters of Different Levels.

The aim of the present study was to identify anthropometric, physical, coordinative and ice-skating specific characteristics that discriminate young elite ice skaters from non-elite skaters and their non-skating peers. 32 skaters aged 9-12 years old (11 elites and 21 non-elites) voluntarily participated in the study. They were submitted to 5 anthropometric, 7 physical, 3 coordination and 5 ice-skating specific tests. Reference values of a representative healthy non-skating sample were taken from the Flemish Sports Compass dataset. Figure skaters appeared to be predominantly average mature (93.8%), were lighter and leaner than the reference sample, and demonstrated better physical characteristics and motor coordination. There was no difference between the elite and non-elite group regarding maturity status and anthropometric or physical parameters. Still, elite skaters scored better than non-elites on the coordination tests jumping sideways and tended to do so on the moving sideways test. Profiles of figure skaters differ clearly from a reference population, while non-sport-specific motor coordination tests allow discrimination between elite and non-elite skaters. The relevance of these findings with respect to talent detection and identification in young ice skaters are discussed.

Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History by Tony Hadland and Hans-Erhard Lessing (review)

Reviewed by: Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History by Tony Hadland and Hans-Erhard Lessing Bruce Epperson (bio) Bicycle Design: An Illustrated History. By Tony Hadland and Hans-Erhard Lessing. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2014. Pp. 576. $34.95. This new book is the first accurate international history of the morphology of the bicycle to appear in English. It is not deeply analytical, nor does it try to be, except on a few select topics on which the authors are acknowledged experts. It is essentially a reference book. By admission, it does not include pre-1945 developments outside Europe or North America. But it does assemble a vast amount of information previously available only from small-press books, specialty journals, conference proceedings, and non-English-language sources, including those from Asia. It does so clearly and accurately, providing extensive citations and a complete bibliography, although many of the sources will tax even the most experienced and tenacious interlibrary loan specialist. Ostensibly, the book is organized by subject area, such as drive systems, suspensions, lighting, military bicycles, etc., but in actuality the first half is a chronological narrative of cycle development from simple, human-powered, wheeled devices such as the wheelbarrow, on past the draisine—a “walking machine” resembling a bicycle without cranks or pedals, to the [End Page 983] early front-wheel-powered velocipede. The second half does begin to break down its organization into discrete subsystems, frequently taking retrospective glances back to the era of the ordinary and the early safeties before following each development forward into the twenty-first century. Without intending to, the authors give weight to the theory that the bicycle is not an invention at all, but the discovery of an idea: that a two-wheel, single-track machine, given the proper geometry, can be made stable enough to remain upright while peddling, but sufficiently responsive to change directions when desired. The draisine, developed about 1817, has often been given short shrift. Karl von Drais was inspired by ice skaters, and in the hands of an experienced and athletic user on a smooth road, a good draisine was hardly a walking machine. A rider would have looked more like a trained rollerblader: gently swaying from side to side, strides ten to thirty feet apart, the tiller gently manipulated by the fingertips to compensate for each leg thrust as the forearms lay on a padded dashboard. It would have been obvious to any such user that the machine could easily balance while gliding. Ideas for a foot-powered front wheel were everywhere: grindstones, treadle-powered bow saws, even kids’ tricycles. Why did it take so long to put the two ideas together? It probably didn’t. The “invention” of the front-drive bicycle in 1866–67 was more likely the near-simultaneous dissemination in France and the United States of an idea that had been discovered and forgotten many times before, in many places. The crucial elements weren’t technical but, once again, social: an American patent system deliberately kept cheap and easy to use, and business laws that facilitated venture-capital-style investment in France. Probably the most fascinating part of this book is the specific point-by-point roster of deliberate forgeries, falsifications, perjuries, and hoaxes that have been perpetrated over the years. Rigid two-wheeled walking machines in France in 1791? Seventeenth-century cherubs on velocipedes in an English stained-glass church window? A Scottish treadle-and-rod rear-drive bicycle built by a Glasgow foundryman in 1842? All false, and intentionally so. Oh, and Leonardo’s sketch of a bicycle? A forgery, probably done between 1966 and 1969. In fact, the narrative history of the bicycle repeated most often in the United States was prepared by the attorneys for a large Boston bicycle firm engaged in a lawsuit in the mid-1880s to prove the validity of their patent (they lost). However, you won’t if you make this your basic deskbook for bicycle technology. It’s not deep, and it’s not colorful, but it’s broad, complete, well-written, accurate, and extensively lists additional sources of information. Its biggest defect is that it’s almost a century late. [End Page 984...

Injuries and disorders among young ice skaters: relationship with generalized joint laxity and tightness.

This study retrospectively investigated 192 teenage speed and figure skaters with prior injuries documented by an athletes’ questionnaire, who underwent a physical examination to assess their muscle tightness and generalized joint laxity. In all athletes, the degree of muscle tightness and joint laxity were measured by a standardized physical examination. A descriptive report of the types of injuries showed a predominance of fractures, ligament injuries, enthesitis, and lower back pain. Approximately 5% of all skaters tested positive for tightness, while 25.8% of figure skaters and 15.2% of speed skaters had generalized ligamentous laxity. Statistical testing showed an association between ankle sprains and muscle tightness, and an association between knee enthesitis and muscle tightness in skating athletes. There was also an association between lower back pain and generalized joint laxity, which held true only for the male skaters.

Vestibular adaptation in ice skaters depends on discipline rather than age: some considerations about navigational control

Clear-cut differences have been described in both postural control and ocular reflexes in ice figure skaters between dancers and singles. We have previously shown that at least in long-trained athletes (that to say senior athletes) these kinds of adaptations depend on the tasks specific to each ice skating discipline providing evidence of interdependent mechanisms for vestibular control of clockwise and counter-clockwise oculomotion. The aim of this study was to determine if vestibuloocular adaptation depends on age or on discipline. The study group comprised 23 right-handed athletes from the Junior Italian National Figure Skating Team. They were divided into two groups: 8 dancers (4 girls and 4 boys, mean age 15.7 years), and 15 singles (8 girls and 7 boys, mean age 15.6 years). Rotational ocular reflexes were recorded by bitemporal DC-coupled electro-oculography as slow phases of per-rotatory nystagmus during rotation in the dark (rotational vestibuloocular reflex) and in the light (rotational visuovestibuloocular reflex). For both tests only directional preponderance was considered because the previous study showed the most clear-cut difference between dancers and singles. Our results support the idea that navigational strategies in ice skaters are dependent mainly on discipline rather than on age (that to say years of training). In particular, vestibular adaptation was independent of age while visuovestibular adaptation was dependent on age and represents a “dynamic internal model” of the relationships among visual, vestibular and proprioceptive inputs into the central processing system that depend on specific stimuli induced by different discipline-dependent activities.

Frozen corneas in the desert: a case report

This is a rare case of freezing of the corneas in extremely cold conditions. A large proportion of the worlds’ population inhabits areas where frequent exposure to subzero temperatures is common. Early recognition, appropriate referral and treatment of frozen corneas may help to minimize any potential complications that can develop later on, as well as reduce pain and suffering for the patient. A 39-year-old white man presented with a 48-h history of severe bilateral ocular pain, redness and photophobia. He denied any recollection of infection, trauma or foreign body entering the eyes, and his symptoms started after boarding a long-haul flight from Canada to the United Arab Emirates. During his stay in Canada the patient had frequently participated in winter sports, and right up until departure, had been exposed to an extremely cold outdoor environment. On examination he was found to have bilateral diffuse staining of the corneal epithelium. No other cause of such corneal injury could be found from the history or clinical examination, and his features were thought to be due to corneal freezing with subsequent thawing of tissue. He was started on intensive ocular lubricants, topical antibiotics, together with a mydriatic agent and topical non-steroidal anti-inflammatories. Subsequently his symptoms and visual acuity rapidly improved. After 1 week his unaided visual acuity was back to 6/6 and he was subsequently discharged. Freezing of the corneas is uncommon and occurs in individuals who have kept their eyes open in high-wind-chill and freezing temperatures without protective goggles. Soldiers, pilots, skiers, bicyclists, ice skaters, and snowmobilers and mountaineers are at particular risk. Treatment focuses on controlling inflammation and preventing secondary infection, and includes cycloplegia, eyelid closure with a dressing, topical lubricants, antibiotics and steroids. The prognosis is favourable provided there has been no damage deep to Bowman's layer. Severe keratitis may require lamellar and penetrating keratoplasty. Corneal freezing injuries should be kept in mind in emergency rooms particularly in areas where outside temperatures are extremely cold, and where members of the public are routinely exposed to high wind chill such as participants in winter sports and also military personnel. Educating these groups of people about potential injuries to cold is important for prevention of lasting permanent damage to the ocular structures and other tissues in the body.

Skin Conditions in Figure Skaters, Ice-Hockey Players and Speed Skaters

Figure skaters, ice-hockey players and speed skaters experience a range of dermatologic conditions and tissue-related injuries on account of mechanical trauma, infectious pathogens, inflammatory processes and environmental factors related to these competitive pursuits. Sports medicine practitioners, family physicians, dermatologists and coaches should be familiar with these skin conditions to ensure timely and accurate diagnosis and management of affected athletes. This review is Part I of a subsequent companion review and provides a comprehensive review of mechanical dermatoses experienced by ice-skating athletes, including skater's nodules and its variants, pump bumps, piezogenic pedal papules, talon noir, skate/lace bite, friction bullae, corns and calluses, onychocryptosis, skater's toe and skate blade-induced lacerations. These injuries result from friction, shear forces, chronic pressure and collisions with surfaces that occur when athletes endure repetitive jump landings, accelerated starts and stops and other manoeuvres during rigorous training and competition. Ill-fitting skates, improper lacing techniques and insufficient lubrication or protective padding of the foot and ankle often contribute to the development of skin conditions that result from these physical and mechanical stresses. As we will explain, simple measures can frequently prevent the development of these conditions. The treatment of skater's nodules involves reduction in chronic stimulation of the malleoli, and the use of keratolytics and intralesional steroid injections; if malleolar bursitis develops, bursa aspirations may be required. Pump bumps, which result from repetitive friction posteriorly, can be prevented by wearing skates that fit correctly at the heel. Piezogenic pedal papules may be treated conservatively by using heel cups, compressive stockings and by reducing prolonged standing. Talon noir usually resolves without intervention within several weeks. The treatment of skate bite is centred on reducing compression by the skate tongue of the extensor tendons of the anterior ankle, which can be accomplished by use of proper lacing techniques, increasing pliability of the skate tongue and using protective padding, such as Bunga Pads™. Anti-inflammatory medications and cold compresses can also help reduce inflammation. Friction bullae are best managed by careful lancing of painful blisters and application of petrolatum or protective dressings to accelerate healing; preventative measures include the use of well fitting skates, proper lacing techniques and moisture-wicking socks. Corns and calluses are similarly best prevented by the use of well fitted skates and orthotic devices. Symptomatic, debridement reduces the irritant effect of the thick epidermis, and can be accomplished by soaking the area in warm water followed by paring. Application of creams with high concentrations of urea or salicylic acid can also soften callosities. Cases of onychocryptosis benefit from warm soaks, antibiotic ointments and topical steroids to reduce inflammation, but sometimes chemical or surgical matricectomies are required. Preventative measures of both onychocryptosis and skater's toe include cutting toenails straight across to allow for a more equal distribution of forces within the toe box. Finally, the prevention and treatment of lacerations, which constitute a potentially fatal type of mechanical injury, require special protective gear and acute surgical intervention with appropriate suturing. The subsequent companion review of skin conditions in ice skaters will discuss infectious, inflammatory and cold-induced dermatoses, with continued emphasis on clinical presentation, diagnosis, treatment and prevention.

Performing arts medicine – Instrumentalist musicians Part I – General considerations

Performing arts medicine is a relatively new specialty addressing the medical needs of dancers, musicians, ice skaters, and gymnasts. This paper focuses on the role of healthcare providers in the diagnosis and therapeutic management of instrumentalist musicians. Musicians are at high risk for developing painful musculoskeletal problems, including pain and overuse injuries, entrapment and peripheral neuropathies, and focal dystonias. Musicians' careers are threatened, when they are no longer able to play their instrument because of pain and dysfunction. To appreciate music-related injuries, it is important that clinicians are familiar with the context of musicians' injuries and disorders. This is the first paper in a series of three. This paper discusses the importance of taking an extended history. The typical history procedures need to be broadened when interviewing musicians, and should include instrument-specific questions, and questions regarding practice habits, education, repertoire, and employment. The second article addresses the physical examination, while the third article provides three case reports of musicians with hand problems, which serve to illustrate the points made in the first two articles. The articles are illustrated with several tables and photographs of musicians to assist the reader in assessing instrumentalist musicians and determining the most appropriate course of action.

Postural control modifications induced by synchronized ice skating

Some papers investigated the effects of specialized trainings on postural control adaptation. Particularly, several studies have been performed in ballet dancers. To our knowledge postural control in ice skaters, in general, has not yet been studied. Synchronized skating is an internationally recognized form of figure skating in which a team of 16 athletes, usually female, skate together. Similarities exist between the training regimens of synchronized skaters and ballet dancers with the major difference being that the skaters must maintain postural control during high velocity movement across the ice, that can be viewed as a destabilizing surface. In the present paper we compare static postural control in Synchronized skaters and a control group of physically fit individuals who had not received any on ice training or specialized balance training in order to investigate if the specialized type of activity that synchronized skaters regularly participate on ice may modify postural control. Posturography (Tetrax by Sunlight, Israel) was recorded from 18 female synchronized skaters (mean 21.5 years of age), members of the Italian National Synchronized Skating Team. The control group consisted of 15 females (mean age 22.5 years). The parameters considered in this study were dimensionless values. They were: stability indicator (ST) which represents the status of the general postural stability: stability was lower in skaters than in controls in all conditions even not significant (p=0.10); weight distribution, expressed as an index named “Weight Distribution Index” (WDI). Synchronized skaters unexpectedly showed higher WDI values (less balance) than the Controls under the less challenging rigid pressure plate conditions. Yet, when place on the more challenging 10 cm foam padded pressure plate, the Skaters had lower WDI values than the Controls (better balance).

Aquatic Cross Training for Athletes: Part II

SUMMARY THE CURRENT ROUNDTABLE ISTHE FIRST PART OF A 2-PARTSERIES THAT IS DESIGNED TOEXAMINE THE USE OF AQUATICEXERCISE TRAINING, SUCH ASDEEP-WATER RUNNING. SEVERALEXPERTS IN THE FIELD OFAQUATIC EXERCISE HAVE BEENBROUGHT TOGETHER TO DIS-CUSS ISSUES RELATED TO THEUSE OF AQUATIC EXERCISE INTHE TRAINING PROGRAMS OFATHLETES AND VARIOUS OTHERPOPULATIONS.INTRODUCTION A growing interest in the effectsof performing exercise inaquatic environments has re-sulted in an increase in the occurrenceof scientific inquiry on the topic(2,3,5,9). Several studies have focusedon the short-term (4) and long-term (8)effects of exercising in aquatic environ-ments on both youngand older womenand men. Research in this area hasfocused on the effects of training inaquatic environmentsoncardiovascular(2,3,8) and muscular adaptations(6,7,9).Several researchers and practitionershave suggested that aquatic cross-training may be a useful tool forathletes. In particular, deep-water run-ning has received a lot of attention as itoffers a unique training stimulus thathas the ability to maintain aerobicperformance as well as decreasing thestress of the training environment (1).Interestingly, the use of deep-waterrunning appears to supply an effectivecardiovascular training stimulus withboth healthy and injured individuals(1). When individuals are restrictedfrom land-based exercise, the use ofaquatic-based cross-training with mo-dalities such as deep-water runningappears to offer an alternative exercisemethod that has the ability to translateto running performance.The current roundtable is designed toexplore the concept of aquatic cross-trainingandhowitmightbeusefultothestrength and conditioning professional.QUESTION 1: DOES THELITERATURE SUPPORT AQUATICCROSS-TRAINING IN ATHLETES?Becker: While there is not a massivebody of literature that speaks directlyto this question, there is literature thatsupports the potential value of aquaticexercise as a cross-training mode (17).Aquatic cross-training has been usedextensively in a variety of sports, butparticularly with track and field ath-letes,becauseaqua-runningissimpletotrain and the potential value has beenmore extensively researched (7,12,20).While aquatic cross-training can pres-ent a very significant aerobic challengeto the athlete, there are differences inmotor activity, muscle recruitment,and cardiovascular performance (6).Lindle-Chewning: Many professionalathletes including boxers, ice skaters,tennis players, baseball players, andrunnershavecross-trainedinthewater.Although these athletes have reportedsuccess with aquatic cross-training,there is little scientific evidence tosupport these athletes’ claims for themajority of these sports. In the 1990s,there was a flurry of scientific researchinvestigating the viability of deep-waterrunning/jogging as a cross-trainingmodality (1–3,6,11,12). In general, themajority of these studies suggest thatadding deep-water running to anathlete’s training regimen has thepotential to increase fitness and ulti-mately improve performance.Huff: Several research studies suggestthat aquatic exercise may be valuable asa mode of cross-training for certainathletes (7,9). These studies suggest thattechnique is a factor in the effectivenessaquaticexerciseasacross-trainingmodal-ity (4). The actual benefits of aquaticcross-training might be limited by theathletes’ experience with water exer-cise. Athletes that are encouraged touse aquatic cross-training must first betaught the proper technique and form.Additionally it may also be necessaryto use anintensity thatis similar to thatused during land-based training inorder foraquatic modalities to be effec-tive (1). The difficulty is that there aremany factors that influence the in-tensity of water exercise. One way toaccount for this is to educate theathlete about specific aquatic techni-ques that can alter the intensity ofexercises in the water.Sherlock and Sherlock: The aquatic fieldhas little supporting research to validatetestimonials provided by clinicians, pa-tients,and/orathletespromotingaquaticrehabilitation and/or cross-training.The most abundantly discussed re-search topic in the aquatic realm is the

Lesiones producidas en una pista temporal de patinaje sobre hielo

Introduction and objectivesRecreational ice-skating carries a high risk of injury because of the strong probability of falls. The aim of this study was to describe injuries and associated risk factors in a temporary ice rink. MethodsWe recorded all injuries produced in a temporary ice rink installed for 1 month in a town in Murcia. For all ice skaters injured, information on age, gender, body region injured, mechanism of injury, diagnosis, and ice skating experience was recorded. The data were gathered by staff from the Spanish Red Cross in the first aid facilities situated beside the ice rink. ResultsA total of 185 recreational ice skaters (95 females and 90 males) were injured. The most common injuries were slight injuries such as bruises (40%) and superficial wounds (28.2%). Fractures accounted for 1.6% of all injuries. Most skating-related injuries involved the wrist (29.2%), followed by the foot (13.0%) and the knee (10.8%). Most of the injuries were caused by falls (71%), mainly due to loss of balance (61.2%). Beginners appeared to be more prone to injury than experienced skaters. ConclusionsThe number of injuries was low compared with the total number of skaters and most of the injuries were slight.

Differences in the Risk Associated With Head Injury for Pediatric Ice Skaters, Roller Skaters, and In-Line Skaters

Differences in the Risk Associated With Head Injury for Pediatric Ice Skaters, Roller Skaters, and In-Line Skaters

Differences in the Risk Associated With Head Injury for Pediatric Ice Skaters, Roller Skaters, and In-Line Skaters

The goals were to describe the epidemiologic features of pediatric skating-related injuries sustained from 1993 to 2003 and to compare ice skating-related injuries with roller skating--and in-line skating-related injuries. An analysis of pediatric skating-related injury data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System of the US Consumer Product Safety Commission was performed. An estimated 1 235 467 pediatric skating participants presented to hospital emergency departments with injuries between 1993 and 2003. These children had a mean age of 10.9 years (SD: 3.2 years; range: 1-18 years), and 50.0% were male. The most common mechanism of injury was a fall (83.1%). Ice skaters sustained a greater proportion of head injuries (13.3%), compared with roller skaters (4.4%) and in-line skaters (5.0%). Ice skaters also experienced a greater proportion of concussions (4.3%), compared with roller skaters (0.6%) and in-line skaters (0.8%). The proportion of facial injuries among ice skaters was greater than the proportions among roller skaters and in-line skaters. The majority of roller skating-and in-line skating-related injuries were upper-extremity fractures (53.9% and 59.7%, respectively). Children < or = 6 years of age experienced a greater proportion of head and facial injuries than did older children in each skating activity. The epidemiologic features of pediatric ice skating-related injuries differ from those of roller skating--and in-line skating-related injuries. Children should wear helmets during all recreational skating activities, especially ice skating, because of the risk of serious head injuries. Wrist guards should be worn to protect against the common upper-extremity fractures sustained during skating.

Shoe rim and shoe buckle pseudotumor of the ankle in elite and professional figure skaters and snowboarders: MR imaging findings.

To review MR imaging of figure skaters and snowboarders presenting with painful soft-tissue swelling of the lateral supramalleolar region with a clinical provisional diagnosis of soft-tissue tumor. MR imaging was prospectively reviewed by two sub-specialized musculoskeletal radiologists. The findings were correlated with a second clinical review and examination of the shoe wear. The patients were four female athletes undergoing heavy training regimes, ranging in age between 16 and 25 years. Two patients were elite figure skaters, and two were professional snowboarders. Three patients had unilateral masses with pain, and one patient presented with bilateral clinical findings. MR imaging showed subcutaneous, focal soft-tissue masses of the supramalleolar region in five ankles at the same level above the ankle joint. MR imaging prompted a second clinical review and correlation with the shoe wear. The MR imaging findings correlated to the level of the shoe rim or shoe buckle in all patients, confirming the suspected MR imaging diagnosis of an impingement syndrome. All four sportswomen were training excessively, ignoring safety advice regarding training duration, timing of breaks, and shoe wear rotation. Ice skaters and snowboarders may present with persistent and disabling pain. On MR imaging, this corresponds to a focal soft-tissue abnormality, which may be due to subcutaneous fat impingement between the fibula and the shoe rim or shoe buckle.