Development of a near-infrared Raman spectroscopy setup compatible with fluorescence-guided surgery.

Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging using exogenous fluorescent agents provides whole-field images in real-time to assist the surgeon in the excision of a tumor. Although the method has high sensitivity, the specificity can sometimes be lower than expected. Raman spectroscopy can detect tumors with high specificity. Therefore, a combination of both techniques can be advantageous. A complication that must be addressed is that the NIR spectral region is favored by both techniques for (in vivo) tissue analysis. When fluorescence and Raman emissions spectrally overlap, it becomes challenging or impossible to detect the Raman signal. In this paper, by avoiding this overlap, we describe a Raman spectroscopy setup capable of recording high-quality Raman spectra from tissue containing NIR exogenous fluorescent agents. We identify an optimal wavelength interval (900-915 nm) for Raman excitation, which avoids both excitation of fluorescent dyes and Raman signal self-absorption by the tissue. In this way, Raman spectroscopy can be combined with the currently most-used NIR fluorescent dyes. This combined novel setup could pave the way for clinical trials benefiting from both fluorescence imaging and Raman spectroscopy to avoid positive margins in cancer surgery.

Are Metabolic Power Distribution and Accelerometer-Based Global Positioning System Variables Associated With Odds Ratios of Noncontact Injuries in Professional Soccer Players?

ABSTRACT: Nobari, H, Alves, AR, Abbasi, H, Khezri, D, Zamorano, AD, and Bowman, TG. Are metabolic power distribution and accelerometer-based GPS variables associated with odds ratios of noncontact injuries in professional soccer players? J Strength Cond Res 37(9): 1809-1814, 2023-The present study was intended to i) investigate the relationship between metabolic power average (MPA), acceleration (AcZ) and deceleration (DcZ) zones, and their differences (Δ) on 3 load levels with noncontact injuries in professional players throughout a full soccer season and ii) to analyze the injury risk associated between high-load versus low-load levels for each of the aforementioned parameters with odds ratios (OR) and relative risk (RR), respectively. Twenty-one professional soccer players (age = 28.3 ± 3.9 years) were monitored during a full season (48 weeks) through global positioning system (GPS). A relationship between MPA and accelerometer-based GPS, mainly in explosive actions (i.e., AcZs and DcZs), was found. A higher incidence of injuries in the high-load weeks compared with the low-load weeks were reported (mainly in MPA, AcZ1, AcZ2, and DcZ3 variables). Moreover, significant means of OR (mean = 4.3) and RR (mean = 2.6) of noncontact injuries were established in intense periods with higher metabolic load (i.e., power accelerations, AcZ1, x2 = 0.022). Our results may be useful for coaches, sports scientists, and researchers regarding the optimization of the athletes' performance, as well as providing insights about the impact of intense exercise.

Focus of Attention During ACL Injury Prevention Exercises Affects Improvements in Jump-Landing Kinematics in Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

ABSTRACT: Dalvandpour, N, Zareei, M, Abbasi, H, Abdoli, B, Mohammadian, MA, Rommers, N, and Rössler, R. Focus of attention during ACL injury prevention exercises affects improvements in jump-landing kinematics in soccer players: a randomized controlled trial. J Strength Cond Res 37(2): 337-342, 2023-Anterior cruciate ligament tears are severe and complex knee injuries that commonly occur in soccer. Prevent injuries enhance performance (PEP) is an exercise-based prevention program to effectively reduce anterior cruciate ligament injuries. It is, however, unclear how the delivery of the program contributes to its effectiveness. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of the focus of attention that was emphasized during the delivery of the PEP program on jump-landing kinematics in male, elite-level, U21 soccer players. Forty-two players participated in this randomized controlled trial and were allocated to (a) the internal focus of attention (IF) group, receiving instructions focusing on the execution of the exercise (b), the external focus of attention (EF) group, receiving instructions focusing on the outcome of the exercise, or (c) the control group. Before and after the 8-week intervention, players performed a jump-landing task during which we measured hip and knee angles at the initial contact, peak knee flexion, and peak vertical ground reaction force using a 3-dimensional motion analyzer. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to compare groups over time. Significant time-by-group interaction effects with large effect sizes were found for hip flexion at all moments (p < 0.032; η2 > 0.15) and for the knee flexion angle at initial contact and maximum knee flexion (p < 0.001; η2 > 0.35), all in favor of the EF group. This shows that EF during PEP improves hip and knee joint kinematics in the sagittal plane more than IF. Therefore, EF during PEP instructions is preferred to increase the effectiveness of this injury prevention program.

The Effect of Shoulder Injury Prevention Program on Shoulder Isokinetic Strength in Young Male Volleyball Players.

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an eight-week 11 + S programme on isokinetic shoulder strength in young male volleyball players. Twenty-eight top-level young male volleyball players were recruited for this study. The players were randomly assigned into intervention (14 players) and control (14 players) groups. The intervention group performed the 11 + S as a warm-up before training at least three times a week for eight weeks. Dominant shoulder strength was measured using an isokinetic dynamometer at 60°/s and 180°/s. The functional deceleration ratio (FDR) was calculated as a functional strength profile. 20% FDR improvement after eight weeks of 11 + S at 180°/s (p = 0.003) were observed. No other statistically significant effects for shoulder strength improvement was observed (p > 0.05). Eight weeks of 11 + S warm-up programme improved the glenohumeral muscle imbalance by increasing the functional deceleration ratio (FDR) of shoulder muscles in young male volleyball players.

Investigating the effect of climatic parameters on mental disorder admissions.

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the role of climatic parameters and phenomena including the monthly number of dusty/rainy/snowy/foggy days, cloudiness (Okta), horizontal visibility, and barometric pressure (millibar) on major depressive disorder, bipolar, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective admissions. The monthly data related to the number of admissions in Farshchian hospital and climatic parameters from March 2005 to March 2017 were extracted. Random forest regression and dynamic negative binomial regression were used to examine the relationship between variables; the statistical significance was considered as 0.05. The number of dusty/rainy/snowy/foggy days, cloudiness, and the number of days with vision less than 2 km had a significant positive relationship with admissions due to schizophrenia (p < 0.05). Barometric pressure had a negative effect on schizophrenia admissions (p < 0.001). The number of dusty/rainy/snowy/foggy days and cloudiness had a significant effect on schizoaffective admissions (p < 0.05). Bipolar admissions were negatively associated with rainy days and positively associated with dusty days and cloudiness (p < 0.05). The number of rainy/dusty/snowy days and cloudiness had a positive significant effect on major depressive disorder admissions. The results of the present study confirmed the importance of climatic parameter variability for major depressive disorder, bipolar, schizophrenia, and schizoaffective admissions.

Long-term effects of the 11+ warm-up injury prevention programme on physical performance in adolescent male football players: a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

This study examined the long-term effects of the 11+ on physical performance in adolescent male football (soccer) players. Eighty-two 14- to 16-year-old male football players (11+ = 42 players, control = 40 players) participated. Teams were randomised to control (CON) and intervention (INT) groups. INT applied the 11+ injury prevention programme for 30 weeks at least twice a week as a warm-up. CON performed their standard warm-up. Motor performance tests were conducted 1 week prior and 1 week after the competition season. We used magnitude-based inferences and linear mixed-effects models to analyse performance test results. INT showed superior results compared to CON in the vertical jump height 7.5% (95%-CI 4.4%, 10.7%), the Bosco 15-s-jump test 7.2% (95%-CI 2.2%, 12.4%), and the Illinois agility test -2.6% (95%-CI -4.1%, -1.1%). Possibly beneficial effects in favour of INT were found in the 9.1 m sprint test -3.1% (95%-CI -6.1%, 0.1%). Possibly harmful effects (i.e. in favour of CON) were observed in the dribbling test 2.8% (95%-CI -0.8%, 6.4%). The 11+ warm-up programme can improve different performance measures in football players. Coaches might implement additional dribbling drills next to the 11+ to achieve improvements observed in dribbling ability when using a regular warm-up programme.

Uncovering microstructural architecture from histology.

Microstructural tissue organization underlies the complex connectivity of the brain and controls properties of connective, muscle, and epithelial tissue. However, discerning microstructural architecture with high resolution for large fields of view remains prohibitive. We address this challenge with computational scattered light imaging (ComSLI), which exploits the anisotropic light scattering of aligned structures. Using a rotating lightsource and a high-resolution camera, ComSLI determines fiber architecture with micrometer resolution from histological sections across preparation and staining protocols. We show complex fiber architecture in brain and non-brain sections, including histological paraffin-embedded sections with various stains, and demonstrate its applicability on animal and human tissue, including disease cases with altered microstructure. ComSLI opens new avenues for investigating fiber architecture in new and archived sections across organisms, tissues, and diseases.

Investigation of temperature variations on a Class-E inverter and proposing a compensation circuit to prevent harmful effects on biomedical implants.

In this paper, a Class-E inverter and a thermal compensation circuit for wireless power transmission in biomedical implants are designed, simulated, and fabricated. In the analysis of the Class-E inverter, the voltage-dependent non-linearities of Cds, Cgd, and RON as well as temperature-dependent non-linearity of RON of the transistor are considered simultaneously. Close agreement of theoretical, simulated and experimental results confirmed the validity of the proposed approach in taking into account these nonlinear effects. The paper investigated the effect of temperature variations on the characteristics of the inverter. Since both the output power and efficiency decrease with increasing temperature, a compensation circuit is proposed to keep them constant within a wide temperature range to enable its application as a reliable power source for medical implants in harsh environments. Simulations were performed and the results confirmed that the compensator enables significant improvements by maintaining the power and efficiency almost constant (8.46 ± 0.14 W and 90.4 ± 0.2%) within the temperature range of - 60 to 100 °C. Measurements performed at 25 °C and 80 °C with and without the compensation circuit were in good agreement with the theoretical and simulation results. The obtained measured output power and efficiency at 25 °C are equal to 7.42 W and 89.9%.

Artificial Intelligence Approach in Biomechanics of Gait and Sport: A Systematic Literature Review.

Background: Artificial neural network helps humans in a wide range of activities, such as sports. Objective: This paper aims to investigate the effect of artificial intelligence on decision-making related to human gait and sports biomechanics, using computer-based software, and to investigate the impact of artificial intelligence on individuals' biomechanics during gait and sports performance. Material and Methods: This review was conducted in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines. Abstracts and citations were identified through a search based on Science Direct, Google Scholar, PubMed, Elsevier, Springer Link, Web of Science, and Scopus search engines from 1995 up to 2023 to obtain relevant literature about the impact of artificial intelligence on biomechanics. A total of 1000 articles were found related to biomechanical characteristics of gait and sport and 26 articles were directly pertinent to the subject. Results: The extent of the application of artificial intelligence in sports biomechanics in various fields. In addition, various variables in the fields of kinematics, kinetics, and the field of time can be investigated based on artificial intelligence. Conventional computational techniques are limited by the inability to process data in its raw form. Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) techniques can handle complex and high-dimensional data. Conclusion: The utilization of specialized systems and neural networks in gait analysis has shown great potential in sports performance analysis. Integrating AI into this field would be a significant advancement in sport biomechanics. Coaches and athletes can develop more precise training regimens with specialized performance prediction models.

Isokinetic muscle strength cannot be related to the odds ratio of musculoskeletal injuries in young elite wrestlers.

BACKGROUND: Wrestling is considered one of the oldest sports in the world. There is a high rate of injuries in Wrestling. To prevent injuries, it is necessary to identify the risk factors. Despite the functional importance of strength in wrestling, few studies have investigated the relationship between isokinetic strength and the rate of injuries in the sport. OBJECTIVES: The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the isokinetic strength of elite wrestlers and the rate of injuries prospectively. METHOD: A total of 72 young wrestlers with at least 2 years of experience in the Tehran Wrestling Premier League participated in this study. Before the start of the competition season, the isokinetic strength of flexor and extensor muscles of the knee and shoulder were measured at different velocities by an isokinetic dynamometer. The injuries and training hours of these wrestlers were then recorded for nine months. RESULTS: The study results showed no significant relationship between isokinetic strength of flexor and extensor muscles of the knee or shoulder at different angular speeds of 60, 180, and 300°/s. There was neither significant between the ratio of the strength flexor/extensor for knee and/or shoulder in young elite wrestlers with injuries. CONCLUSION: Isokinetic strength of lower and upper limb muscles alone cannot predict wrestlers' injuries. Therefore, the use of these tests is not recommended to evaluate the risk of injury in this population.

Classical music restored fertility status in rat model of premature ovarian failure.

BACKGROUND: The restorative effect of classical music was assessed on the cyclophosphamide-induced animal model of premature ovarian failure (POF). METHODS: Mozart's piano classical music (K.448) was used for up to 4 and 8 weeks. Rats were exposed to music 6 h every day using a stereo system with a volume of 65-70 dB. Sera and ovarian tissue samples were collected for the evaluation of FSH, LH, and E2 and histopathological examination. At the same time points, samples were taken from the hypothalamus and hippocampus to monitor the expression of Ntrk2, Crh, and Pomc using real-time PCR. Mating trial was performed to evaluate the fertility status of POF rats. RESULTS: Histopathological examination revealed a significant increase (p < 0.05) in the numbers of morphologically normal follicles at all the developmental stages in POF rats after music therapy compared to the POF group (p < 0.05). Music therapy decreased FSH and LH levels to near-to-normal levels conidied with elevation of E2 (p < 0.05). Ntrk2, Crh, and Pomc expressions were down-regulated in POF rats. Music therapy increasaed the expression of Ntrk2 in the hypothalamus of POF rats (p < 0.05). In contrast, Crh and Pomc failed to reach the detection limit before intervention and four weeks after the intervention however, these genes were expressed eight weeks after music therapy. Fertility status was increased (p < 0.05) in terms of litter size in POF rats after being exposed to music compared to the non-treated POF control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Results showed that music can exert therapeutic effects on POF rats via the alteration of sex-related hormones.

The effect of climate change on depression in urban areas of western Iran.

OBJECTIVE: Human is accustomed to climatic conditions of the environment where they are born and live throughout their lifetime. The aim of this study is to examine mood swings and depression caused by sudden climate changes that have not yet given the humans a chance to adapt. RESULTS: Our results showed that depression could be affected by climate change and as a result, the behavior of climatic elements and trends has damaged mental health in the western regions of Iran. By investigating the trends and changes of climatic time series and their relationship with the rate of depression in urban areas of western Iran, it can be said that climate change is probably a mental health challenge for urban populations. Climate change is an important and worrying issue that makes the life difficult. Rapid climate changes in western Iran including rising air temperature, changes in precipitation, its regime, changes cloudiness and the amount of sunlight have a negative effects on health. The results showed that type of increasing or decreasing trend, as well as different climatic elements in various seasons did not have the same effect on the rate of depression in the studied areas.

Highly flexible fiber delivery of a high peak power nanosecond Nd:YAG laser beam for flexiscopic applications.

Minimally invasive laser surgeries that require the use of a flexible endoscope (flexiscope) could benefit from high-energy nanosecond laser pulses delivered through fibers for real-time tissue characterization and phenotyping. The damage threshold of the fiber's glass material limits the maximum amount of deliverable peak power. To transmit high-energy pulses without damaging the fiber material, large-diameter fibers are typically used, leading to a limited bending radius. Moreover, in a large-core fiber, self-focusing can damage the fiber even if the tip remains intact. In this work, we tested a fused-end fiber bundle combined with a beam shaper capable of delivering more than 20 MW (>100 mJ/5 ns). The fiber bundle was tested over more than eight hours of operation, with different bending radiuses down to 15 mm. The results demonstrate, to the best of our knowledge, the highest peak power delivered through a flexible fiber, for a frequency-doubled Q-switched Nd:YAG laser.

Topical 0.03% tacrolimus versus systemic mycophenolate mofetil as adjuncts to systemic corticosteroids for preventing graft rejection after repeat keratoplasty: one-year results of a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy of topical 0.03% tacrolimus in combination with systemic corticosteroids versus systemic mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and corticosteroids in preventing corneal allograft rejection after repeat keratoplasty. METHODS: This prospective, randomized clinical trial enrolled 63 consecutive eyes of 63 patients who underwent repeat keratoplasty after a failed penetrating keratoplasty. Group 1 (32 eyes) received MMF orally 1 g twice daily for the first 6 months and then 1 g daily for the next 6 months, and group 2 (31 eyes) received topical 0.03% tacrolimus four times a day for 12 months. All patients were treated with topical and oral corticosteroids postoperatively. The participants were observed closely for signs of graft rejection, and the rates of rejection-free graft survival were calculated and compared between the two groups at postoperative month 12. RESULTS: The groups were balanced in patient's age and risk factors for graft rejection (e.g., original diagnosis, number of previous grafts, and quadrants of corneal vascularization). Endothelial graft rejection occurred in 5 eyes (15.6%) of group 1 and 6 eyes (19.4%) of group 2 (P = 0.75). Irreversible endothelial graft rejection resulting in graft failure occurred in 3 eyes of each group (P = 0.99). The rate of rejection-free graft survival was 84.4% in group 1 and 80.6% in group 2 at postoperative month 12 (P = 0.74). CONCLUSION: Topical 0.03% tacrolimus was as effective as systemic MMF as adjuncts to topical and systemic corticosteroids in reducing endothelial graft rejection with 12 months follow up after repeat keratoplasty.

Comparison of Knee and Hip Kinematics during Landing and Cutting between Elite Male Football and Futsal Players.

To design an accurate sport injury prevention program, alterations in the knee and hip kinematic variables involved in injury mechanisms should be known. The main purpose of the current study was to compare knee and hip kinematic variables during landing and cutting among male football and futsal players, and to discuss them within an injury description frame. Twenty football (20.5 ± 2.1 years., 74.5 ± 6.9 kg and 1.79 ± 0.07 m) and twenty futsal players (20.3 ± 2.0 years., 73.5 ± 7.1 kg and 1.78 ± 0.07 m), with at least three years' experience of playing in the Kerman Province League, participated in this study. Hip flexion, knee flexion and knee valgus angle during two main movements with risk of injury, such as landing and cutting, were measured using a motion capture system with passive markers at 120-Hz sampling frequency. Landing and cutting maneuvers were administered in as natural way as possible. Results showed significant differences in landing and cutting maneuvers between groups in hip flexion, knee flexion and knee valgus angle. Results indicated that footballers have less extension of hip and knee joints than futsal players in landing maneuvers, which may be due to the higher requirement of jumping-landing maneuvers when playing football. In cutting maneuvers, footballers showed less hip and knee flexion than futsal players, whereas the knee valgus angle in cutting maneuvers was lower in futsal players. More information on the injury mechanisms of landing and cutting in football and futsal are needed to improve the design of injury prevention programs.

Effect of Aerobic-Based Exercise on Psychological Well-Being and Quality of Life Among Older People: A Middle East Study.

The aimed to evaluate the effects of low and moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on psychological well-being (PWB) and quality of life (QoL) among older people. Forty-five male Iranian adults aged 65-80 years were selected according to the eligibility criteria and randomly assigned to a low-intensity group (LIG) (40-50% of maximum heart rate), moderate-intensity group (MIG) (60-70% of maximum heart rate) and control group (CG). The exercise protocols consisted of 12 weeks of aerobic exercise (two sessions per week). Psychological well-being and QoL were assessed through the Ryff's Psychological Well-being Scale and the World Health Organization QoL Questionnaire. The statistical analysis for psychological well-being indicated that a significant main group (between-group) (F = 11.777, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.359), time (within-group) (F = 58.983, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.584) and interaction effect (group × time) (F = 20.146, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.490) for PWB total score. Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed that the PWB total score in the MIG group was more significant than both LIG (p = 0.003) and CG (p < 0.001). Results for PWB components including self-acceptance, positive relationships with others, autonomy, purposeful life, and environmental mastery revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05). While there was a significant difference between the groups for personal growth component. Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed that the personal growth in the MIG group was more significant than both LIG (p = 0.028) and CG (p < 0.001). Result for QoL indicated significant differences for the main group (F = 13.277, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.387), time (F = 25.533, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.378) and interaction effect (F = 9.992, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.332) for QoL total scale. Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed that the QoL total scale in the MIG group was more significant than both LIG (p = 0.003) and CG (p < 0.001). Results for QoL components including Physical health, Social relationships, Health environment revealed no significant differences (p > 0.05), while there was a significant difference between the groups for the Psychological health component. Bonferroni post-hoc tests revealed that the Psychological health in the MIG group was more significant than both LIG (p = 0.009) and CG (p = 0.002). Therefore, aerobic exercise improves PWB and QoL in older adults, moderate-intensity exercise seems to produce higher benefits than low-intensity, demonstrating a positive dose-response relationship.

Effect of Four Weeks of Home-Based Balance Training on the Performance in Individuals with Functional Ankle Instability: A Remote Online Study.

The purpose of the current study is to evaluate the effect of 4 weeks of home-based balance training (HBBT) on the performance of individuals with functional ankle instability (FAI) in daily activities and sports. Thirty college students diagnosed with FAI and with a mean weight of 79.8 ± 3.4 kg, height of 182.5 ± 5.1 cm, age of 23.5 ± 1.2 years, and instability score of 20 ± 2.3 were selected to participate in this study and were randomly divided by computer-generated methods into two groups: the HBBT group and the control group (CG), each consisting of 15 subjects. The HBBT group performed the program at home for 4 weeks, while the CG was non-exercise. Before and after the 4 weeks of exercise program, a form containing the foot and ankle ability measure for daily activities and sports was completed by the individuals. For data analysis, intra- and inter-group comparisons were performed using paired and independent sample t-tests, respectively, at a significance level of p ≤ 0.05. The results showed that 4 weeks of progressive HBBT were sufficient to significantly improve the measurement of the ability of ankle and foot function in individuals with FAI, even with a total volume of only 60 min per week. Accordingly, it is suggested that individuals with FAI can benefit from short-term HBBT programs, which are simple yet powerful enough to promote improvements in daily activities.

Characterization of In Vivo Biomechanical Properties in Macular Corneal Dystrophy.

PURPOSE: To measure and compare corneal biomechanics in patients with macular corneal dystrophy (MCD), versus those who underwent penetrating keratoplasty (PK) for MCD, versus normal subjects. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: This study enrolled 24 eyes with MCD, 25 eyes that underwent PK in patients with preoperative diagnosis of MCD, and 28 normal eyes. The ocular response analyzer was used to measure corneal biomechanical properties, including corneal resistance factor (CRF) and corneal hysteresis (CH). Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured using a Goldmann applanation tonometer, and central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured using an ultrasonic pachymeter. The CCT, CRF, CH, and IOP were compared among the study group. RESULTS: CCT was significantly lower in the MCD group (423 ± 47 mµ) than in the PK group (541 ± 31 mµ; P < .001) and the controls (540 ± 26 mµ; P < .001). Meanwhile, CCT was comparable between the PK and control groups (P = .98). CRF did not differ between the MCD (8.34 ± 2.12 mm Hg) and the PK (8.66 ± 1.66 mm Hg) groups (P = .89); however, both of these groups had lower CRF values than the control (9.76 ± 1.83 mm Hg, P = .02) group. No significant differences were observed among the 3 groups in CH (P = .13). IOP values did not differ between the MCD (11.25 ± 1.69 mm Hg) and PK (12.0 ± 2.67 mm Hg) groups (P = .95); however, the IOP values for both of these groups differed significantly from those of the controls (13.46 ± 2.17 mm Hg; P = .006). CONCLUSIONS: CRF was significantly reduced in MCD and did not return to normal values even after PK. The reduced corneal rigidity could result in underestimating IOP in patients with MCD and in those undergoing PK for this stromal dystrophy.

Proprioception is not associated with lower extremity injuries in U21 high-level football players.

Football is a contact sport with a significant risk of injury. Although proprioception is well studied in rehabilitation, little is known about the association between proprioception and the occurrence of sport injuries. The purpose of this study was to look into the association between ankle and knee proprioception and lower extremity injuries in young football players. Seventy-three football players from the highest U-21 league in Iran volunteered to participate in this study. Before the start of the 2017-2018 competitive season, joint position sense was measured at 30°, 60° and 90° knee flexion and at 10° and 15° ankle dorsiflexion, and inversion using the Biodex Isokinetic pro 4 system. The teams' medical staff recorded football-related lower extremity injuries. We used mixed effects Cox regression models to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs, acknowledging the clustered data structure. Twenty-two players (30.1%) suffered one or more lower extremity injuries during the season. None of the proprioception measures examined was significantly associated with the risk of lower extremity injuries. Based on these results of our sample, joint position sense does not seem to be associated with lower extremity injuries in young male football players.

The 11+ Kids warm-up programme to prevent injuries in young Iranian male high-level football (soccer) players: A cluster-randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of the 11+ Kids warm-up programme regarding injury reduction in male high-level children's football players. DESIGN: Cluster-randomised controlled trial. METHOD: Male youth football teams of Iran's high-level football schools were invited to participate. Inclusion criteria were: teams are competing in the highest league of their province; players are between 7 and 14 years old; regular training takes place at least twice per week. Teams were excluded if they used an injury prevention measure. Participating clubs were randomised to an intervention (INT, N = 20 teams) and a control group (CON, N = 22 teams), stratified by the number of teams and the age group. The groups were blinded against each other. The follow-up period was one season (9 months). INT replaced their warm-up by 11+ Kids. CON performed a standard warm-up programme. The primary outcome was the injury incidence density (injuries per 1000 h of football exposure), compared between groups by incidence rate ratios (RR). RESULTS: In total, 64,047 h of football exposure of 962 players (INT = 443 players, 31,934 h of football, CON = 519 players, 32,113 h of football) were recorded. During the study, 90 (INT = 30; CON = 60) injuries occurred. The overall injury incidence density in INT was reduced by 50% compared to CON (RR 0.50; 95%-CI 0.32, 0.78). No injuries occurred during the execution of the intervention exercises. CONCLUSIONS: The 11+ Kids reduces injuries in high-level children's football players, thus supporting player health and potentially performance and player development.