Lower Extremity Review
Shortening step length and switching foot strike pattern both effectively decrease patellofemoral joint loading during running, according to research from East Carolina University in Greenville, NC, presented in February at the annual Combined Sections Meeting of the American Physical Therapy Association.
Two studies published early this year found platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection improved pain and function in patients with chronic severe plantar fasciitis who hadn’t responded to conservative treatments.
Researchers reported in February that integrative neuromuscular training (INT) enhances motor skills in girls, improving fitness and offering potential protection from development of risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament tears and other musculoskeletal injuries.
Researchers from Qatar reported in February that soccer players who sustain a hamstring injury are likely to have isokinetic strength deficits when they return to play, but the effect of those deficits on reinjury rates is unknown.
Switching between different pairs of shoes may help prevent running-related injuries, but switching from a rearfoot strike pattern to a nonrearfoot strike pattern may not, according to two separate studies from Luxembourg and Iowa State University.
Knee extensor muscle development appears to outpace patellar tendon development in elite male adolescent volleyball players, which may increase their risk of patellar tendinopathy and other overuse injuries, according to research from Berlin, Germany.
A Stanford University study suggests that turf toe injury rates in collegiate football players are lower than expected, possibly as a result of improvements in synthetic turf technology.
Bladed soccer cleats were associated with increased forefoot loading during a jump-landing task, which may lead to a higher risk of fifth metatarsal stress fractures, according to a study published in the September-October issue of the Journal of Athletic Training.
Investigators at the University of Tuebingen in Germany have identified alterations in lower leg mechanics and higher impacts caused by “fast” training conditions (e.g., interval training sessions, competitions) as potential risk factors for Achilles tendon pain in runners.
The media buzz over the apparent discovery of a new knee ligament announced in early November faded quickly as experts pointed out that the finding was not exactly new.
A flurry of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in National Football League (NFL) players early in the preseason has medical experts theorizing about the contributing factors and what can be done to protect players in the future.
Twelve weeks of balance training using unstable surfaces improves jump performance as well as balance in youth basketball players, according to an Italian study published the August issue of Sport Sciences for Health.
The acute effects of increased running cadence are similar to those of barefoot running, according to two studies that looked at the two techniques in a single group of runners.
Landing biomechanics have long been a focus of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury research, but they may also be predictive of lower extremity stress fracture, according to a study presented in July at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) meeting in Chicago.
Two recent studies underscore the association between core muscle function and risk factors for anterior cruciate ligament injury.
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