Injury could lead to impaired postural stability which is commonly assessed during return-to-sport rehabilitation. The Dynamic Postural Stability Index (DPSI) estimates variability in tri-axial ground reaction forces. DPSI is higher in injured runners and predicts performance in soccer players. DPSI has also been related to ankle range of motion (ROM) and strength in military personnel. PURPOSE: To explore relationship between previous injury, ankle ROM and strength with DPSI in collegiate runners. METHODS: Twenty-seven Division I collegiate cross country athletes (19.8±1.3 years) participated. Athletes jumped over a hurdle on to an AMTI force plate and landed on a single leg for DPSI estimation. Three trials were performed bilaterally. Ankle ROM was assessed via active dorsiflexion and gastrocnemius length measurement. Ankle and hip strength were measured using a handheld dynamometer. An independent samples t-test was used to compare DPSI between injured (IG – those injured in the past 3 years) and uninjured (UG) groups. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were determined between DPSI and other variables. RESULTS: No significant difference was found for DPSI on left (IG: 0.30±0.03 vs. UG: 0.32±0.04) and right (IG: 0.30± 0.03 vs. UG: 0.31±0.03) sides. There was a significant moderate negative correlation between dorsiflexion ROM and DPSI (right side r= -0.605, p= 0.001; left side r= -0.452, p= 0.001). There were no correlations between strength and DPSI except for right inversion strength and right DPSI (r= 0.446, p=0.020). CONCLUSION: DPSI seems to be influenced to a greater extent by ankle dorsiflexion than strength or previous injury in a collegiate runners.
Listed In: Biomechanics, Physical Therapy, Posturography, Sports Science

Body-worn sensors are commonly used for field-based movement and load measurements to asses injury risks in sports. To further explore the feasibility of using accelerometers for assessing whole-body biomechanical loading, this study used principal component analysis (PCA) to identify important movements and their contribution to the ground reaction force (GRF) for tasks that are frequently performed during running-based sports. Fifteen team-sport athletes performed accelerated, decelerated and constant low- (2-3 m/s), moderate- (4-5 m/s) and high-speed (>6 m/s) running, and 90° cutting trials, while full-body kinematics and GRF data were collected with a three-dimensional motion capture system and force platform respectively. A PCA was performed on the combined marker trajectory matrices for each task to identify task-specific principal movements (PMs). Resultant principal ground reaction forces (PGRFs) were calculated from each PM and assessed by the root mean square error (RMSE) of the summed PGRFs (∑PGRF). Across tasks, PM1 primarily described anteroposterior body movements, but PGRF1 errors were very high (>4 N/kg). Vertical body compression was the dominant contributor to the overall GRF and was described by PM3 (cutting), PM2 (low-speed) or PM5 (moderate- and high-speed), but less important for accelerated (PM10) and decelerated running (PM7). These results demonstrate that fundamental movement features contributing to GRF profiles are task-specific, making generalised evaluations of GRF features across different activities using predefined movements (e.g. segment accelerations) is difficult. Future research should investigate if PMs and PGRFs can also be related to structure-specific measures of biomechanical load (e.g. joint moments).
Listed In: Biomechanics, Sports Science

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) stabilizes the lower limb against translational and rotational loads while the knee is is multiple postures. Surgical reconstruction, the most common treatment for ACL tears, is intended to replicate the biomechanical function of the native ACL in the postures and activities related to daily living and high-impact activities. In order to improve outcomes from ACL reconstructions in patients in pediatric and adolescent age groups, we need to improve our understanding of the knee posture dependent biomechanical function of the ACL. As such, the objective of this study was to quantify flexion angle dependent changes in the response of the ACL and the total knee to applied loads in the anterior-posterior and varus-valgus directions using a skeletally immature porcine model. To do this, we collected stifle (knee) joints from female Yorkshire-cross pigs at ages ranging from 1.5 to 18 months (n=30 total). The joints were tested using a 6 degree-of-freedom universal force sensing robotic system under applied anterior-posterior loads and varus-valgus moments at 40° and 60° of flexion. Studied parameters included anterior-posterior tibial translation (APTT), varus-valgus rotation (VVR), and anterior force carried by the ACL and its anteromedial and posterolateral bundles. We found increased knee laxity (APTT and VVR) was associated with both younger age and increased knee flexion. Greater anterior force carried in the ACL, and specifically in the anteromedial bundle, was associated with increased flexion, regardless of age. These findings have implications in intraoperative graft assessment and biomechanical models.
Listed In: Biomechanical Engineering, Biomechanics, Orthopedic Research, Sports Science

Q-Factor (QF), the inter-pedal width, in cycling is the analog to step-width in gait. Increased step-width has been shown to reduce peak knee abduction moment (KabM), however no studies have examined the frontal plane biomechanics with increased QF in cycling. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of increased QF on frontal plane knee biomechanics during cycling in healthy participants. Sixteen healthy participants (age: 22.4 ± 2.6 yr, BMI: 22.78 ± 1.43 kg/m2) participated in this study. A motion analysis system and customized instrumented pedals were used to collect five trials of three-dimensional kinematic (240 Hz) and pedal reaction force (PRF, 1200 Hz) data in twelve testing conditions, four QF conditions of Q150 (150 mm), Q192 (192 mm), Q234 (342 mm), Q276 (276 mm), and three workrate conditions of 80 W, 120 W, and 160 W. A 3 × 4 (QF × workrate) repeated measures ANOVA was performed to analyze differences between conditions (p < 0.05). Increased QF increased peak KAbM 47, 56, and 56% from Q150 to Q276 at each workrate respectively. Mediolateral PRF increased 46, 57, and 57% from Q150 to Q276 at each workrate. Frontal plane knee angle and range of motion (ROM) decreased with increased QF. No changes were observed for peak vertical PRF, knee extension moment, sagittal plane peak knee joint angles or ROM. Conclusions: These results indicate increasing QF will increase peak KAbM. Future studies should examine the effects of increased QF on obese and knee osteoarthritis patients.
Listed In: Biomechanics, Sports Science

Background: Several risk factors have been identified as contributors to the development of shoulder injuries, including glenohumeral internal rotation deficit, rotator cuff weakness, and shoulder instability. However, lasting deficits of the physical characteristics among overhead athletes with a history of a shoulder injury are unknown. Objective: To compare shoulder range of motion (ROM), strength, and upper-quarter dynamic balance between collegiate overhead athletes with and without a history of a shoulder injury. Methods: 58 overhead athletes were distributed into a shoulder injury history group (n=25) and healthy group (n=33). All participants were fully participating in NCAA Division I baseball, softball, volleyball, or tennis and free of any symptoms of shoulder injuries. An investigator measured active ROM for dominant shoulder internal rotation (IR), external rotation (ER), and horizontal adduction (HAD) using a digital inclinometer. Isometric strength for dominant shoulder IR and ER at 90° of abduction was measured using a hand-held dynamometer. The upper quarter dynamic balance was assessed via the Upper Quarter Y-Balance Test (UQYBT). Results: The injury group demonstrated a lower UQYBT mean score in the superolateral direction. However, there were no statistically significant intergroup differences in shoulder ROM, strength, ER/IR strength ratio, and UQYBT in the medial direction and inferolateral direction. Conclusions: Overhead athletes with a previous history of shoulder injury had poorer UQYBT in the superolateral direction despite a lack of ongoing symptoms or deficits in function. Well-planed dynamic balance training and related strengthening exercises may be warranted for overhead athletes to improve their upper quarter functions.
Listed In: Physical Therapy, Sports Science, Other