Incidence Of Lower Limb Injuries Research Articles

Effects of Pilates Exercise Training on Static Balance and Lower Limbs Proprioception in Adult Females With and Without Flexible Flatfeet.

It is well known that flatfeet are associated with a higher incidence of lower limb injuries in different populations. Thus, we examine how Pilates exercise training affects static balance and ankle and knee proprioception in females with and without flexible flatfeet. Study Design. Case series; Level of evidence. This quasi-experimental study involves 91 healthy 18- to 25-year-old female university students. The Navicular Drop Test was used to diagnose flatfeet. Pilates included core strength, balance, and flexibility exercises for 16 weeks. Static balance was assessed using the sharpened Romberg test and ankle and knee joint proprioception were measured using joint position reproduction tests. The Wilcoxon test indicated within-group pre-post improvements in static balance, and ankle and knee joint proprioception in the Pilates and the healthy control group (P < .05). The between-group comparisons at post-test showed significant differences for joint position reproduction test of the dorsiflexion (P < .05, η2 = 0.10) and the plantarflexion (P < 0.05, η2 = 0.08) in favor of the healthy controls group. Joint proprioception of ankle and knee was positively correlated with increasing static balance in the healthy control group. The results showed that Pilates has the potential to improve static balance, and ankle and knee proprioception. However, it did not improve postural control and proprioception in individuals with flatfeet. Our findings advise combining Pilates with other interventions to develop flexible flatfeet in females. Level I.

Lower limb injuries in american football players in Poland.

The aim of the study was to determine the location and types of injuries in the lower limbs in American football players in Poland. The circumstances of the injuries were identified, with particular emphasis on the player's position on the field. Original questionnaire to investigate 70 consecutive Polish players was used. Analyses as a whole and divided into offensive and defensive players were carried out. Overall, injuries to both lower limbs accounted for 17.1%, injuries to the right lower limb to 37.2%, and injuries to the left limb to 29%. Ankle injuries were the most common, both offensive and defensive, accounting for 58.5% and 48.3% of lower limb injuries, respectively. Injuries to muscles, tendons and ligaments were more common in defensive players (55.2%), while in offensive sprains (52.5%), fractures (19.5%), and contusions (17.1%). The incidence of lower limb injuries was higher in general during training than competitions and in the case of offensive players (14.6%). Coaching American football increases the risk of foot injury, accounting for 10% of lower limb injuries. The obtained results indicate the need to strengthen the ligamentous-muscular complex of the lower limbs. Lower limb injuries are more common among offensive players than defensive. Offensive players are twice as likely to suffer from foot injuries. Lower limb injuries are more common during training, compared to competitions, both offensively and defensively.

Epidemiology evaluation of lower limb injuries in Kazakhstan

The study analysed prevalence of lower limb injuries and associated risk factors in Kazakhstan from 2012 to 2019. The information about lower extremity injuries (S70-S79, S80-S89, S90-S99 types) was obtained from the Republican Centre for Electronic Health. The gender ratio, age-period-cohort (APC), prevalence, and incidence of lower limb injury were calculated and analysed. Analysis showed an increase in the frequency of injuries to the lower limbs for the studied period. The observed trend was profound among the population over 55 years old. According to the APC analysis, children of both sexes had a tendency to lower limb injuries (with a peak of 10–15 years old). We found an association between age and the risk of lower extremity injuries. There is a sharp increase in lower extremity injuries rate at the age of 85 in both sexes. Modeling the cohort effects demonstrated the tendency of the risk for both sexes (more pronounced in the female population). We observed an increase in the number of injuries for the period studied with a peak in 2017–2018.

The Association of Visual Impairments of Elite Soccer Players with Concussion and Sports Injuries: A Prospective Cohort Study

Background: Visual skills play a pivotal role in athletic performance. However, in a professional setting, visual assessment is limited to a brief examination of visual acuity by the Snellen chart. This is while visual skills in sport comprise several other components. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the potential relationship between visual skills and sports injuries in professional soccer players. Methods: Through a prospective cohort study between September 2017 and October 2018, professional soccer league players were recruited for a complete eye examination including visual acuity, field of vision, and color discrimination as pre-competition examination. Any possible relationship between an abnormal eye finding and sports injury during the upcoming season was investigated. Results: A total of 386 male soccer players in 4 different playing positions were recruited from 16 league teams. Myopia, visual field defects, and green/blue/red color blindness were the most common visual impairments. Overall, there was no significant relationship between abnormal visual skills and the incidence of low back and upper extremity injuries among soccer players. However, a logistic regression model showed that the odds of quadriceps injury is 1.92 times higher (P-value: 0.005) for one diopter increase in both eyes' sum of refractive error. There is also an increased risk of concussion in players who have visual field defects (P-value &lt; 0.005). Conclusions: Visual field defects can put soccer players at a higher risk for concussion. Moreover, uncorrected refractive eye errors will increase the incidence of lower limb injuries, mostly quadriceps injuries.

Correlação do valgo dinâmico com lesões de joelho em corredores

INTRODUÇÃO: Os corredores têm uma grande incidência de lesões em membros inferiores, sendo o joelho a articulação mais acometida. A mesma sofre influência direta do quadril e das articulações adjacentes. Fraqueza muscular de extensores, rotadores laterais e abdutores de quadril levam a uma alteração biomecânica chamada valgo dinâmico, que é um mecanismo compensatório, onde o centro da articulação do joelho se desloca medialmente. OBJETIVO: Esse estudo teve como objetivo correlacionar o valgo dinâmico com lesões, ângulo Q e nivelamento da pelve. MATERIAL E MÉTODOS: Trata-se de uma Pesquisa de campo, descritiva, investigativa e quantitativa. Os dados foram coletados nos meses de abril de 2019, na Federação de Atletismo do Piauí com 14 corredores homens, com idade acima de 18 anos. Para obtenção dos dados foi utilizado um questionário e o teste step down que foi submetido ao software para avaliação postural (SAPO) e um questionário. Os mesmos foram analisados quanto a sua normalidade de distribuição das amostras, pelo teste de Kolmogov-Sminorv, e teste de Pearson para analises de dados numéricos, foi tabulado no excel para posterior analise no GraphPad Prism 7.1. O nível de significância para análise estatística foi considerada como p&lt; 0,05. O trabalho foi executado após aprovação no comitê de ética (CAAE: 11001219.5.0000.5193). RESULTADOS: Os resultados obtidos não mostraram correlação do valgo dinâmico com lesões, com ângulo Q (R2=-0.200) e com nivelamento da pelve (R2=0.253) e p&gt;0,05. CONCLUSÃO: Neste estudo não foi encontrada correlação entre o valgo dinâmico, lesões de joelho, ângulo Q e nivelamento da pelve.

Lower leg and foot contributions to turnout in female pre-professional dancers: A 3D kinematic analysis

ABSTRACTTurnout is a central element of classical ballet which involves sustained external rotation of the lower limbs during dance movements. Lower leg and foot compensation mechanisms which are often used to increase turnout have been attributed to the high incidence of lower limb injury in dancers. Evaluation of dancers’ leg posture is needed to provide insight into the lower limb kinematic strategies used to achieve turnout. The primary purpose of this study was to use 3D kinematic analyses to determine the lower leg and foot compensations that are incorporated by female university dancers to accentuate their turnout. Active and passive external tibiofemoral rotation (TFR) was also measured. A moderate-strong negative relationship was observed between hip external rotation (HER) and foot abduction in the three first position conditions. A moderate negative relationship was found between passive TFR and foot abduction in all first position conditions. Our findings suggest dancers are more likely to pronate, than rotate the knee to compensate for limited HER. Dancers with a limited capacity to pronate may force additional rotation via the knee. Ongoing research would benefit from more in-depth analyses of the foot/ankle complex using a multi-segment foot model.

Effectiveness of foot orthoses for the prevention of lower limb overuse injuries in naval recruits: a randomised controlled trial

ObjectivesTo evaluate the effectiveness of prefabricated foot orthoses for the prevention of lower limb overuse injuries in naval recruits.MethodsThis study was a participant-blinded and assessor-blinded, parallel-group randomised controlled trial. Three-hundred...

Are underground coal miners satisfied with their work boots?

Dissatisfaction with work boot design is common in the mining industry. Many underground coal miners believe their work boots contribute to the high incidence of lower limb injuries they experience. Despite this, the most recent research to examine underground coal mining work boot satisfaction was conducted over a decade ago. This present study aimed to address this gap in the literature by assessing current mining work boot satisfaction in relation to the work-related requirements for underground coal mining. 358 underground coal miners (355 men; mean age = 39.1 ± 10.7 years) completed a 54-question survey regarding their job details, work footwear habits, foot problems, lower limb and lower back pain history, and work footwear fit and comfort. Results revealed that underground coal miners were not satisfied with their current mining work boots. This was evident in the high incidence of reported foot problems (55.3%), lower back pain (44.5%), knee pain (21.5%), ankle pain (24.9%) and foot pain (42.3%). Over half of the underground coal miners surveyed believed their work boots contributed to their lower limb pain and reported their work boots were uncomfortable. Different working roles and environments resulted in differences in the incidence of foot problems, lower limb pain and comfort scores, confirming that one boot design cannot meet all the work-related requirements of underground coal mining. Further research examining the interaction of a variety of boot designs across the different underground surfaces and the different tasks miners perform is paramount to identify key boot design features that affect the way underground coal miners perform. Enhanced work boot design could improve worker comfort and productivity by reducing the high rates of reported foot problems and pain amongst underground coal miners.

Study Regarding the Types of Incidence of Lower Limb Injuries in Romanian Badminton Players

Badminton is a very complex sport that requires the players to have speed, strength, endurance, and dexterity during the game. It is one of the most demanding racquet sports. Because of the changes in direction and of the jumping, many badminton players suffer from injuries in their lower limbs. Most badminton players suffer from various leg and foot injuries, such as: sprains, strains, ligament tears, etc. The rate of injury in badminton is quite high, and it is important for the athletes to perform a good warm up and to use special equipment for this sport, in order to prevent such injuries.

Lower Limb and Trunk Biomechanics After Fatigue in Competitive Female Irish Dancers.

Because of the increasing popularity of participation in Irish dance, the incidence of lower limb injuries is high among this competitive population. To investigate the effects of fatigue on the peak lower limb and trunk angles as well as the peak lower limb joint forces and moments of competitive female Irish dancers during the performance of a dance-specific single-limb landing. Cross-sectional study. Laboratory. Fourteen healthy, female, competitive Irish dancers (age = 19.4 ± 3.7 years, height = 165.3 ± 5.9 cm, mass = 57.9 ± 8.2 kg). Participants performed an Irish dance-specific leap before and after a dance-specific fatigue protocol. During each landing movement, 3-dimensional lower limb kinematics (250 Hz) and ground reaction forces (1000 Hz) were collected. Paired t tests were performed to determine the differences (P ≤ .05) in lower limb and trunk biomechanics prefatigue and postfatigue. Peak lower limb and trunk angles as well as peak lower limb joint reaction forces and external moments. Compared with the prefatigue trials, dancers landed with reduced ankle plantar flexion (P = .003) and hip external rotation (P = .007) and increased hip-adduction alignment (P = .034) postfatigue. Dancers displayed greater anterior shear (P = .003) and compressive (P = .024) forces at the ankle and greater external knee-flexion moments (P = .024) during the postfatigue compared with the prefatigue landing trials. When fatigued, dancers displayed a decline in landing performance in terms of aesthetics as well as increased ankle- and knee-joint loading, potentially exposing them to a greater risk of injuries.

Self-Managed Exercises, Fitness and Strength Training, and Multifidus Muscle Size in Elite Footballers.

Low back pain (LBP) and lower limb injuries are common among Australian Football League (AFL) players. Smaller size of 1 key trunk muscle, the lumbar multifidus (MF), has been associated with LBP and injuries in footballers. The size of the MF muscle has been shown to be modifiable with supervised motor-control training programs. Among AFL players, supervised motor-control training has also been shown to reduce the incidence of lower limb injuries and was associated with increased player availability for games. However, the effectiveness of a self-managed MF exercise program is unknown. To investigate the effect of self-managed exercises and fitness and strength training on MF muscle size in AFL players with or without current LBP. Cross-sectional study. Professional AFL context. Complete data were available for 242 players from 6 elite AFL clubs. Information related to the presence of LBP and history of injury was collected at the start of the preseason. At the end of the preseason, data were collected regarding performance of MF exercises as well as fitness and strength training. Ultrasound imaging of the MF muscle was conducted at the start and end of the preseason. Size of the MF muscles. An interaction effect was found between performance of MF exercises and time (F = 13.89, P ≤ .001). Retention of MF muscle size was greatest in players who practiced the MF exercises during the preseason (F = 4.77, P = .03). Increased adherence to fitness and strength training was associated with retained MF muscle size over the preseason (F = 5.35, P = .02). Increased adherence to a self-administered MF exercise program and to fitness and strength training was effective in maintaining the size of the MF muscle in the preseason.

Femoral Shaft Torsion in Injured and Uninjured Ballet Dancers and Its Association with Other Hip Measures: A Cross-sectional Study.

Low range femoral torsion, termed "lateral shaft torsion," has been associated with greater range of hip external rotation and turnout in dancers. It is also hypothesized that achieving greater turnout at the hip minimizes torsion at the knee, shank, ankle, and foot, and consequently reduces incidence of lower limb injuries. The primary aims of this study were to investigate: 1. differences in range of femoral shaft torsion between dancers with and without lower limb injuries; and 2. the relationship between femoral shaft torsion, hip external rotation range, and turnout. A secondary aim was to examine the relationship between femoral shaft torsion and other hip measures: hip strength, lower limb joint hypermobility, hip stability, and foot progression angle, as explanatory variables. Demographic, dance, and injury data were collected, along with physical measures of femoral shaft torsion, hip rotation range of motion, and turnout. Hip strength, control, lower limb hypermobility, and foot progression angle were also measured. Eighty female dancers, 50 with lower limb injury (20.7 ± 4.8 years of age) and 30 without lower limb injury (17.8 ± 4.1 years of age), participated in the study. There was no difference in range of femoral shaft torsion between the groups (p = 0.941). Femoral shaft torsion was weakly correlated with range of hip external rotation (r = -0.034, p = 0.384) and turnout (r = -0.066, p = 0.558). Injured dancers had a significantly longer training history than non-injured dancers (p = 0.001). It was concluded that femoral shaft torsion does not appear to be associated with the overall incidence of lower limb injury in dancers or to be a primary factor influencing extent of turnout in this population.

The influence of foot arch and heel cup support for tennis movement

Tennis is one of the most popular sports. Great incidence of lower limb injury was resulted in tennis, especially at the ankle and knee (Hutchinson, Laprade, Burnett, Moss, & Terpstra, 1995). The p...

Epidemiology of tennis injuries: An eight-year review of Davis Cup retirements

Tennis practice, especially at elite levels, may place players at risk for debilitating musculoskeletal injuries. The aim of this study was to analyse the epidemiological pattern of retirements due to medical conditions sustained by tennis players during Davis Cup matches in the 2006–2013 period. All uncompleted matches due to a medical condition (injuries and illnesses) occurred in the above-mentioned competition were collected from the official source, registered and analysed according to published guidelines. The overall incidence of match retirements was 1.66% (12/719). The injury rate was 6.05/1000 playing hours; and 6.64/1000 match exposures. Musculotendinous lesions were the most common type of injury (66.66%). The incidence of lower-limb injuries was higher than upper-limb and trunk lesions. The incidence of retired matches due to medical conditions was higher in hard courts than in clay courts (2.97% and 0.90%, respectively; p = 0.04), while the median value of inactivity of injuries was 32.0 days (range 3–297). In conclusion, the incidence of retirements due to medical conditions in Davis Cup matches was low supporting the assumption that elite tennis is a low-risk sport activity. Findings provided scientific evidences of injury patterns among male professional tennis players and may contribute to conduct better injury prevention strategies.

Does a structured neuromuscular training program reduce the incidence of lower limb injuries in NZDF army recruits?

Introduction: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) recruits are five times more likely than trained army personnel to sustain an injury. The majority of these injuries occur to the lower limbs. In a military environment injuries lead to significant costs in terms of time lost in working and training days, as well as increased attrition and decreased deployability. The aim of this research was to evaluate if a structured neuromuscular training program can reduce the incidence of lower limb injury and associated costs in army recruits.

Military Exercises, Knee and Ankle Joint Position Sense, and Injury in Male Conscripts: A Pilot Study

The high incidence of lower limb injuries associated with physical exercises in military conscripts suggests that fatigue may be a risk factor for injuries. Researchers have hypothesized that lower limb injuries may be related to altered ankle and knee joint position sense (JPS) due to fatigue. To evaluate if military exercises could alter JPS and to examine the possible relation of JPS to future lower extremity injuries in military service. Cohort study. Laboratory. A total of 50 male conscripts (age = 21.4 ± 2.3 years, height = 174.5 ± 6.4 cm, mass = 73.1 ± 6.3 kg) from a unique military base were recruited randomly. main outcome measure(s): Participants performed 8 weeks of physical activities at the beginning of a military course. In the first part of the study, we instructed participants to recognize predetermined positions before and after military exercises so we could examine the effects of military exercise on JPS. The averages of the absolute error and the variable error of 3 trials were recorded. We collected data on the frequency of lower extremity injuries over 8 weeks. Next, the participants were divided into 2 groups: injured and uninjured. Separate 2 × 2 × 2 (group-by-time-by-joint) mixed-model analyses of variance were used to determine main effects and interactions of these factors for each JPS measure. In the second part of the study, we examined whether the effects of fatigue on JPS were related to the development of injury during an 8-week training program. We calculated Hedges effect sizes for JPS changes postexercise in each group and compared change scores between groups. We found group-by-time interactions for all JPS variables (F range = 2.86-4.05, P < .01). All participants showed increases in JPS errors postexercise (P < .01), but the injured group had greater changes for all the variables (P < .01). Military conscripts who sustained lower extremity injuries during an 8-week military exercise program had greater loss of JPS acuity than conscripts who did not sustain injuries. The changes in JPS found after 1 bout of exercise may have predictive ability for future musculoskeletal injuries.

Balance and agility training does not always decrease lower limb injury risks: a cluster-randomised controlled trial

The objective of this study was to examine the effects on lower limb injury rates of adding structured balance and agility exercises to the 80-day basic training programme of army recruits. A blocked (stratified), cluster-randomised controlled trial was employed, with one intervention group (IG) and one control group (CG), in which 732 male and 47 female army recruits from the Australian Army Recruit Training Centre participated through to analysis. The IG performed specified balance and agility exercises in addition to normal physical training. The incidence of lower limb injury during basic training was used to measure effect. Analysis, which adhered to recommendations for this type of trial, used a weighted paired t-test based on the empirical logistic transform of the crude event rates. The intervention had no statistically significant effect on lower limb injury incidence (RR = 1.25, 95% CI 0.97–1.53, 90% CI 1.04–1.47), on knee and ankle injury incidence (RR = 1.08, 95% CI 0.83–1.38), and on knee and ankle ligament injury incidence (RR = 0.98, 95% CI 0.64–1.47). We conclude that the intervention, implemented in this fashion, is possibly harmful, with our best estimate of effect being a 25% increase in lower limb injury incidence rates. This type of structured balance and agility training added to normal military recruit physical training did not significantly reduce lower limb, knee and ankle, or knee and ankle ligament injury rates. Caution needs to be used when adding elements to training programmes with the aim of reducing injury, as fatigue associated with the addition may actually raise injury risk.

What is the evidence-base for exercise as a lower limb injury prevention strategy in community Australian Football?

Introduction: Australian Football has a high incidence of lower limb injuries. Injuries such as muscle strains, hip and groin pain, tendinopathies and ligament injuries are particularly prevalent. A systematic review of the literature was performed to establish the evidence-base for using exercise as a strategy for preventing lower limb injuries, and to provide the basis for developing an exercise training injury prevention program for implementation in community-level Australian Football clubs.

Incidência e fatores de risco de lesões osteomioarticulares em corredores: um estudo de coorte prospectivo

A prática de corrida de média e longa distância tem crescido em todo o mundo. Apesar de todos os efeitos benéficos da prática de corrida, tem-se observado uma elevada incidência de lesões, sobretudo em membros inferiores. O mecanismo de lesão relacionada à corrida obedece a um padrão comum a todas as lesões nos diferentes esportes e decorre da sobreposição de dois ou mais fatores. Os objetivos desse estudo foram: 1) relatar prospectivamente a incidência de lesões osteomioarticulares em corredores amadores durante 12 meses de seguimento; e 2) detectar os principais fatores extrínsecos e intrínsecos para as lesões encontradas. Dezoito corredores (13 homens e cinco mulheres) amadores foram selecionados para participarem do estudo. Eles foram submetidos a uma avaliação clínica com exame físico completo e do aparelho locomotor, avaliação nutricional, exames laboratoriais, teste ergométrico, avaliação da densidade mineral óssea e composição corporal e radiografia dos pés no período basal e após um ano de seguimento. Aqueles que apresentaram alguma lesão foram comparados com seus pares que não lesionados, considerando-se as diversas variáveis coletadas. Metade da amostra (50%) apresentou alguma lesão osteomuscular em membros inferiores no período do estudo. Os fatores de risco significantemente associados foram graus de extensão de joelho e flexão plantar diminuídos, frequência cardíaca de repouso menor e velocidade de treino maior. A alta frequência de lesões osteomioartculates nestes corredores de longa distância esteve associada a fatores intrínsecos e extrínsecos. A avaliação clínica deve ser focada nesses parâmetros com intuito de prevenir lesões em corredores.

102 Can the RSScan Footscan® D3D orthotic, reduce the incidence of lower limb injuries in initial military training

102 Can the RSScan Footscan® D3D orthotic, reduce the incidence of lower limb injuries in initial military training