Injury Prevention Training in Girls' and Women's Elite Football in Denmark: A Survey of Practices and Perceptions.

Through a national cross-sectional survey, the present study investigated the use and content of injury prevention training (IPT), and associated attitudes and beliefs, involving stakeholders in Danish girls' and women's elite football (U14, U16, U18, and Danish Women's League teams). A total of 168 stakeholders (coaches, physical performance coaches, physiotherapists, medical doctors, and club management) from 18 Danish elite clubs were invited to participate. Of these, 158 were eligible to participate, and 110 participants (69.6% response rate) provided 191 valid survey responses, as some provided more than one response due to multiple affiliations within the same club. The use of IPT ranged from 91.1% to 100% across team levels, with approximately 50% reporting up to 1-2 h/week. Interestingly, only 52.9%-72.7% of the responses indicated use of an evidence-based IPT program, with lowest adoption at the U14 and Danish Women's League teams. The FIFA 11+ was the most used evidence-based IPT program. The majority of the participants (>72%) had positive perceptions regarding IPT impact on injury reduction. These findings indicate that, while IPT is broadly used across Danish girls' and women's elite football teams, the implementation of evidence-based IPT programs varies, with lower adoption of these programs among the youngest and senior elite teams. Hence, there is a need to enhance integration of IPT programs proven effective in girls' and women's elite football. Notably, stakeholders expressed positive perceptions regarding the impact of IPT on injury reduction, which provides valuable support for future efforts to strengthen IPT in football practice.

Reference data for hop tests used in pediatric ACL injury rehabilitation: A cross-sectional study of healthy children.

In rehabilitation, four single-leg hop tests are frequently used for evaluation of ACL-injured children. However, reference values on single-leg hop performance and the corresponding limb symmetry indexes (LSIs) of healthy children younger than 15 years of age are lacking. Thus, the purpose was to describe hop performance and LSIs in healthy Danish children, and to quantify the proportion of participants passing LSI values of ≥85% as well as ≥90%. Healthy children aged 9-15 years were invited to participate in the study. Hop performance (single hop, 6-m timed hop, triple hop, and cross-over hop) was assessed for each leg for each hop test and expressed as absolute, normalized (to body height), and LSI values. Descriptive statistics were applied to calculate mean ±SD for all outcomes within age and gender groups. Further, the 95% reference interval was calculated for each age and gender group. A total of 531 healthy children (52% girls) were included in the study, representing seven age groups (9-15 years). The LSI group means across all participants for the four hop tests ranged between 84 and 95%. Between 70 and 83% of the children had an LSI of ≥85%, while 50 to 65% of the children had an LSI of ≥90%. The present reference material can be used in clinical practice when evaluating hop performance in pediatric ACL patients.

Influence of Wearing Ballistic Vests on Physical Performance of Danish Police Officers: A Cross-Over Study.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the influence of wearing a ballistic vest on physical performance in police officers. METHODS: We performed a cross-over study to investigate the influence of wearing a ballistic vest on reaction and response time, lumbar muscle endurance and police vehicle entry and exit times. Reaction and response time was based on a perturbation setup where the officers' pelvises were fixed and EMG of lumbar and abdominal muscles was recorded. We used a modified Biering-Sørensen test to assess the lumbar muscle endurance and measured duration of entry and exit maneuvers in a variety of standard-issue police cars. RESULTS: There was a significant difference of 24% in the lumbar muscle endurance test (no vest: 151 s vs. vest: 117 s), and the police officers experienced higher physical fatigue after the test when wearing a vest. Furthermore, officers took longer to both enter and exit police cars when wearing a vest (range: 0.24-0.56 s) depending on the model of the vehicle. There were no significant differences in reaction and response times between the test conditions (with/without vest). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Wearing of a ballistic vest significantly influenced the speed of movement in entry and exit of police cars and lumbar muscle endurance, although it does not seem to affect reaction or response times. The ballistic vest seems to impair performance of tasks that require maximal effort, which calls for better designs of such vests.

Wearable electromyography recordings during daily life activities in children with cerebral palsy.

AIM: To test whether wearable textile electromyography (EMG) recording systems may detect differences in muscle activity levels during daily activities between children with cerebral palsy (CP) and age-matched typically developing children. METHOD: Wearable textile EMG recording systems were used to obtain leg muscle activity in 10 children with spastic CP (four females, six males; mean age 9y 6mo, standard deviation [SD] 2y 4mo, range: 6-13y; Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] level I and II) and 11 typically developing children (four females, seven males; mean age 9y 9mo, SD 1y 11mo, 7-12y) at rest and while performing seven daily activities. RESULTS: Children with CP showed significantly lower absolute EMG levels during maximal voluntary contractions (MVCs) of muscles on the most affected side as compared to the least affected side and to typically developing children. None of the typically developing children or children with CP showed detectable EMG activity in resting situations. EMG activity relative to MVC was greater in children with CP during walking, jumping, and kicking on the most affected side as compared to the least affected side and to typically developing children. INTERPRETATION: Wearable textile EMG recording systems may be used to determine differences in muscle activity during daily activities in children with CP. Children with CP showed reduced muscle activity during daily activities compared to their peers, but used a significantly larger part of their maximal voluntary muscle strength to perform these activities. WHAT THIS PAPER ADDS: Wearable textile electromyography (EMG) systems are feasible for measurement of daily muscle activity in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Children with CP showed reduced EMG levels during maximal voluntary contractions. Neither typically developing children or children with CP showed EMG activity in resting situations. Children with CP used a larger part of their voluntary muscle strength during daily activities.

Grabaciones de electromiografía portátil durante las actividades de la vida diaria en niños con parálisis cerebral OBJETIVO: Probar si los sistemas de registro de electromiografía textil portátil (EMG) pueden detectar diferencias en los niveles de actividad muscular durante las actividades diarias entre los niños con parálisis cerebral (PC) y los niños de desarrollo típico de la misma edad. MÉTODO: Se utilizaron sistemas de registro de EMG textiles portátiles para obtener actividad muscular de las piernas en 10 niños con PC espástica (cuatro mujeres, seis varones; edad media 9 años y 6 meses, desviación estándar [ED] 2 años y 4 meses, rango: 6-13 años; Escala de clasificación de función motora gruesa [GMFCS] nivel I y II) y 11 niños típicamente en desarrollo (cuatro mujeres, siete varones; edad media 9 años y 9 meses, DE 1 años y 11 meses, 7-12 años) en reposo y mientras realizan siete actividades diarias. RESULTADOS: Los niños con PC mostraron niveles de EMG absolutos significativamente más bajos durante las contracciones voluntarias máximas (CVM) de los músculos en el lado más afectado en comparación con el lado menos afectado y en los niños con desarrollo típico. Ninguno de los niños con desarrollo típico o niños con PC mostró actividad EMG detectable en situaciones de reposo. La actividad EMG en relación con CVM fue mayor en niños con PC al caminar, saltar y patear en el lado más afectado en comparación con el lado menos afectado y en los niños con desarrollo típico. INTERPRETACIÓN: Los sistemas de registro de EMG textiles portátiles pueden usarse para determinar las diferencias en la actividad muscular durante las actividades diarias en niños con PC. Los niños con PC mostraron una actividad muscular reducida durante las actividades diarias en comparación con sus compañeros, pero utilizaron una parte significativamente mayor de su fuerza muscular voluntaria máxima para realizar estas actividades.

Registros vestíveis de eletromiografia durante atividades de vida diária em crianças com paralisia cerebral OBJETIVO: Testar se registros têxteis vestíveis de eletromiografia (EMG) podem detector diferenças nos níveis de atividade muscular durante atividades de vida diária entre crianças com paralisia cerebral (PC) e crianças com desenvolvimento típico da mesma idade. MÉTODO: Sistemas têxteis vestíveis de EMG foram usados para obter a atividade muscular em 10 crianças com PC espástica (quatro do sexo feminino, seis do sexo masculino; média de idade 9a6m, desvio padrão [DP] 2a 4m, variação: 6-13a; Sistema de Classificação da Função Motora Grossa [GMFCS] nível I e II) e 11 crianças com desenvolvimento típico (quatro do sexo feminino, sete do sexo masculino; média de idade 9a 9m, DP 1a 11m, 7-12a) em repouso e durante a realização de sete atividades de vida diária. RESULTADOS: Crianças com PC mostraram níveis de EMG significativamente menores durante contrações voluntárias máximas (CVMs) de músculos no lado mais afetado, em comparação com o lado menos afetado e com crianças típicas. Nenhuma das crianças típicas ou com PC mostrou atividade de EMG detectável nas situações de repouso. A atividade de EMG relativa a CVM foi maior em crianças com PC durante a marcha, salto e chutes no lado mais afetado em comparação com o lado menos afetado e com crianças típicas. INTERPRETAÇÃO: Sistemas têxteis vestíveis para registro de EMG podem ser usados para determinar diferenças na atividade muscular durante atividades de vida diária em crianças com PC. Crianças com PC mostraram reduzida atividade muscular durante atividades diárias comparadas com seus pares, mas usaram uma porção significativamente maior de sua força voluntária máxima para realizar estas atividades.

Predicting post-operative functional ability from pre-operative measures in ACL-injured individuals.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to quantify the relationship between objective and subjective measures of functional ability and determine if measures in the deficient (ACLd) state were correlated to, and capable of predicting a patient's objective and subjective measures in the reconstructed (ACLr) state. METHODS: Twenty ACL-injured participants completed hop and side cut movements prior to and 10 months post-reconstruction. Their subjective measures (Tegner, Lysholm, IKDC, KOOS, and KNEEs) were related to objective measures of functional ability (peak knee flexion, peak knee extensor moment, stiffness, knee joint center excursion (KJCE), and knee joint center boundary). Correlations were used to determine relationships between variables whereas regressions were used to identify ACLd score's predictive ability of an ACLr score. RESULTS: Relationships between objective and subjective measures were task and ACL status dependent with KJCE and stiffness most commonly being related to subjective scores. The greatest correlation was between knee stiffness and Tegner in the ACLr group during the side cut (r = 0.69). Peak knee flexion angle (adj. R2  = 0.4-0.66) was the best objective predictor between ACLd and ACLr states while KOOS-ADL had the strongest correlations (r = 0.70-0.77) and Tegner had the greatest predictive power (odds ratio: 1.46-1.86) between states in both tasks. CONCLUSION: Objective measures show a wide range of correlation to subjective measures with some being quite strong. Furthermore, objective measures in the ACLd state are more correlated and more often capable of predicting ACLr scores than the subjective measures of functional ability.

Occupational lifting predicts hospital admission due to low back pain in a cohort of airport baggage handlers.

PURPOSE: To examine if occupational lifting assessed as cumulative years as a baggage handler is associated with first-time hospital diagnosis or treatment for low back disorders. METHODS: This study is based on the Copenhagen Airport Cohort consisting of male baggage handlers performing heavy lifting every day and a reference group of unskilled men from the greater Copenhagen area during the period 1990-2012. We followed the cohort in the National Patient Register and Civil Registration System to obtain information on diagnoses, surgery, mortality, and migration. The outcomes were first-time hospital diagnosis or surgery for (1) lumbar disc herniation or (2) low back pain (LBP). RESULTS: Baggage handlers (N = 3473) had a higher incidence rate of LBP, but not of lumbar disc herniation, compared to the reference group (N = 65,702). Baggage handlers with longer employment had a higher incidence of LBP compared to baggage handlers with shorter employment. The linear association of cumulative years as a baggage handler on LBP was significantly increased with an incidence rate ratio of 1.16 (95% CI 1.07-1.25) for a 5-year increase of employment as baggage handler. CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort study, we found an increased incidence of LBP among baggage handlers compared to the reference group with indications of a dose-response relationship between years of employment and the outcome. For baggage handlers working on the apron, the incidence was particularly increased before introduction of technical lifting equipment, suggesting that preventive measures to reduce cumulative work load may have a positive effect.

Opioid-Induced Reductions in Gait Variability in Healthy Volunteers and Individuals with Knee Osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate differences in gait variability induced by two different single-dose opioid formulations and an inert placebo in healthy volunteers and knee osteoarthritis patients. DESIGN: Experimental, randomized, double-blinded, crossover study of inert placebo (calcium tablets), 50 mg of tapentadol, and 100 mg of tramadol. SETTING: Laboratory setting. SUBJECTS: Healthy volunteers and knee osteoarthritis patients. METHODS: At three visits, separated by seven days, one tablet was administered per visit according to the randomization code. At each visit, a baseline measurement was done before tablet administration, after which hourly measurements were performed for six hours, yielding a total of seven measurements per visit. Gait variability was measured by three-dimensional gait analysis, recorded during six minutes of continuous treadmill walking at self-selected speed. One hundred seventy gait cycles were identified from detection of clear events of the knee joint angle trajectories. Gait variability was assessed as average standard deviations over a gait cycle of the sacrum displacements and accelerations; sagittal plane ankle, knee, and hip joint angles; step widths; and stride times. RESULTS: Twenty-four opioid-naïve and neurologically intact participants (12 healthy volunteers and 12 knee osteoarthritis patients) were included and completed the experiment. Tapentadol reduced the variability of sacrum displacements and accelerations compared with placebo and tramadol. There were no differences between experimental conditions regarding the variability in lower-extremity joint angle variability, step widths, or stride times. CONCLUSIONS: In opioid-naïve and neurologically intact individuals, tapentadol seems to reduce movement variability during treadmill walking, compared with placebo and tramadol. This can be interpreted as a loss of adaptability that might increase the risk of falling if the system is perturbed.

Knee osteoarthritis among airport baggage handlers: A prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis is a common and often disabling disorder, which has been related to knee-straining work. However, exposure response relations are uncertain and there are few prospective studies. We studied prospectively if incident knee osteoarthritis is associated with cumulative exposure as an airport baggage handler, lifting on average 5000 kg/d. METHODS: The study is based on the Copenhagen Airport Cohort, a historical cohort of male baggage handlers and a reference group of unskilled men from the greater Copenhagen area, followed from 1990 to 2012. Cumulative years of employment as a baggage handler was based on information from company employment and union registers. Outcome was first hospital admission with a discharge diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis and/or knee replacement, ascertained from the Danish National Patient Register. RESULTS: The cohort contained 3442 baggage handlers and 65 511 workers in the reference group. The unadjusted incidence rate ratio (IRR) of knee osteoarthritis increased steeply with cumulative years as a baggage handler. Although the exposure-response pattern became weaker and statistically nonsignificant (P ≈ .10) when adjusting for age, the risk of knee osteoarthritis was still increased in baggage handlers at the highest exposure level. Additional analyses showed that the association between age and osteoarthritis was stronger for baggage handlers (IRR = 2.09; 95% CI: 1.68-2.60) than for referents (IRR = 1.58; 95% CI: 1.53-1.63), indicating that knee osteoarthritis occurred at a younger age among baggage handlers than in the reference group. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this prospective cohort study support that long-term heavy lifting increases the risk of knee osteoarthritis.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction improves subjective ability but not neuromuscular biomechanics during dynamic tasks.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to identify high-functioning anterior cruciate ligament-deficient patients and assess the effects of reconstruction on their self-reported functionality, muscle activations and biomechanical properties. METHODS: Twenty young and active patients participated pre- (11.5 ± 14.3 months post-injury) and again 10.5 ± 1.7 months post-reconstruction and were individually matched to 20 healthy controls. Participants completed hop and side cut movements while patient-related outcome measures, lower limb electromyography, kinetic, and whole body kinematic data were collected. One-dimensional statistical parametric mapping was used to test for group differences (healthy vs deficient; deficient vs reconstructed; reconstructed vs healthy). RESULTS: When comparing healthy to anterior cruciate ligament-deficient participants, all questionnaires indicated significant lower subjective function while the only substantial biomechanical difference between these participants was a decreased knee extensor moment in both the hop (peak difference: 0.63 Nm/kg, p < 0.001) and side cut (peak difference: 0.76 Nm/kg, p < 0.001). When comparing patients' pre- and post-reconstruction, no biomechanical differences were observed whereas only half of the questionnaires (Tegner, Lysholm, KNEES-ADL, KNEES-Slackness, KNEES-Looseness, KNEES-Sport Behaviour, IKDC, and KOOS-QoL) indicated higher function in the reconstructed state. When comparing the reconstructed patients to the healthy participants, all questionnaires were still significantly higher in the healthy controls. The reconstructed group also had a smaller flexion angle (peak difference: 14.5°, p = 0.007) and knee extensor moment (peak difference: 0.62 Nm/kg, p < 0.001) during the hop and a smaller knee extensor moment (peak difference: 0.90 Nm/kg, p < 0.001) during the side-cut task. CONCLUSION: At 10-months post-reconstruction, the current results indicate that in high-functioning anterior cruciate ligament-deficient patients, reconstruction had little impact on objective measures of functional ability during dynamic tasks although self-reported function was improved. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic prospective cohort study, Level II.

Risk of subacromial shoulder disorder in airport baggage handlers: combining duration and intensity of musculoskeletal shoulder loads.

Musculoskeletal shoulder load among baggage handlers measured by combining duration and intensity based on biomechanical and epidemiological information may be a stronger predictor of subacromial shoulder disorders than baggage handler seniority. In 2012, a cohort of baggage handlers employed at Copenhagen Airport in 1990-2012, and a cohort of unskilled otherwise employed men answered a survey. Self-reported information on work tasks during employment in the airport in combination with work task specific biomechanically modelled forces in the shoulder joint was used to estimate shoulder load. Exposure measures were accumulated shoulder abduction moment, accumulated shoulder compression force, accumulated supraspinatus force and baggage handler seniority. The outcome was subacromial shoulder disorder registered in the Danish National Patient Register. When analyses were adjusted by all confounders except age, exposure variables showed close to significant associations with subacromial shoulder disorder. Results could not confirm our hypothesis that combined information on work task duration and shoulder load intensity was stronger associated with subacromial shoulder disorder than seniority. Practitioner Summary: In this study we sought to identify if the exposure to work-related musculoskeletal shoulder loading including duration and intensity among baggage handlers was associated with subacromial shoulder disorder. We found that there was an association but this was not stronger than that between baggage handler seniority and subacromial shoulder disorder.

Subacromial shoulder disorders among baggage handlers: an observational cohort study.

PURPOSE: To assess the influence of cumulative employment as baggage handler on the risk of incident subacromial shoulder disorders. Baggage handling is characterized by repetitive work primarily consisting of heavy lifting in awkward positions and time pressure. METHODS: This cohort study is based on the Copenhagen Airport Cohort consisting of unskilled men with employment at Copenhagen Airport and unskilled men with employment in other firms in the Greater Copenhagen area during the period 1990-2012. Only men were included. We followed the cohort in the National Patient Register and Civil Registration System. The primary exposure was cumulative years of employment as a baggage handler, and the primary outcome was diagnoses and surgical treatment of subacromial shoulder disorders. RESULTS: The cohort contained 3396 baggage handlers and 63,909 workers in the reference group. Baggage handlers with longer cumulative years of employment had higher incidence compared to baggage handlers with shorter employment; for example, baggage handlers with 10-19 years of employment had incidence rate ratio of 2.07 (95 % confidence interval, 1.27-3.38) compared to baggage handlers with less than 3 years of employment. Spline regression showed an increase in incidence within the first few years after employment whereupon the increased risk remained constant for longer employment. Baggage handlers had increased incidence in younger ages than the reference population. CONCLUSIONS: In this large cohort study, we found increased incidence of subacromial shoulder disorders for workers with longer cumulative years of employment. These results support that long-term lifting in awkward positions and time pressure influences the risk of subacromial shoulder disorders.

Changes in soleus H-reflex during walking in middle-aged, healthy subjects.

INTRODUCTION: To assess the effect of aging on stretch reflex modulation during walking, soleus H-reflexes obtained in 15 middle-aged (mean age 56.4±6.9 years) and 15 young (mean age 23.7±3.9 years) subjects were compared. METHODS: The H-reflex amplitude, muscle activity (EMG) of the soleus and tibialis anterior muscles, and EMG/H-reflex gain were measured during 4-km/h treadmill walking. RESULTS: The normalized H-reflex amplitude was lower in the swing phase for the middle-aged group, and there was no difference in muscle activity. EMG/H-reflex gain did not differ between groups. CONCLUSIONS: H-reflex amplitude during walking was affected by aging, and changes during the swing phase could be seen in the middle-aged subjects. Subdividing the 2 age groups into groups of facilitated or suppressed swing-phase H-reflex revealed that the H-reflex amplitude modulation pattern in the group with facilitated swing-phase H-reflex may be influenced by aging.

Sex differences in muscular load among house painters performing identical work tasks.

PURPOSE: The present study aimed to estimate possible differences in upper body muscular load between male and female house painters performing identical work tasks. Sex-related differences in muscular load may help explain why women, in general, have more musculoskeletal complaints than men. METHODS: In a laboratory setting, 16 male and 16 female house painters performed nine standardised work tasks common to house painters. Unilateral electromyography (EMG) recordings were obtained from the supraspinatus muscle by intramuscular electrodes and from the trapezius, extensor and flexor carpi radialis muscles by surface electrodes. Relative muscular loads in %EMGmax as well as exerted force in Newton, based on ramp calibrations, were assessed. Sex differences were tested using a mixed model approach. RESULTS: Women worked at about 50% higher relative muscular loads than men in the supraspinatus and forearm muscles at all percentiles and in all tasks. Women exerted about 30% less force in the trapezius muscle at the 50th percentile. CONCLUSIONS: Female house painters had a higher relative muscular load than their male colleagues without exerting more force. The effects of a higher relative muscular load accumulated over years of work may in part explain why musculoskeletal complaints in the upper body occur more frequently among women than men.

Corrigendum: Non-invasive methods to assess muscle function in dogs: a scoping review.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1116854.].

Muscle function assessment of the hindlimbs in healthy dogs using acoustic myography.

INTRODUCTION: Impaired muscle function is a frequent consequence of musculoskeletal disorders in dogs. Musculoskeletal disorders, especially stifle joint diseases, are common in dogs and assessment of muscle function in dogs is clinically relevant. Acoustic myography (AMG) is a non-invasive method to assess muscle activity. Quantifying muscle function in normal dogs could help identify clinically relevant changes in dogs with orthopaedic disease and allow targeted interventions to improve recovery in these. The objectives of the study were to characterize hindlimb muscle function in healthy dogs using AMG and to investigate the repeatability and reproducibility of AMG in dogs. METHODS: Healthy dogs (15-40 kg) without musculoskeletal disorders were recruited and screened for eligibility to participate in the study. The muscle activity in four hindlimb muscles related to the stifle was assessed using AMG. The degree of symmetry between the hindlimbs in these dogs was investigated and the reliability of AMG was evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The study population comprised 21 dogs. Reference intervals and symmetry indices for AMG scores of the hindlimb muscles were identified, with highest variability for the E-scores. For all AMG-scores, same-day variation was lower than between days variation, and both were lowest for S- and T-scores. Further investigation is needed to establish if AMG can enable discrimination between dogs with altered muscle function and healthy dogs.

Effect of patient specificity on predicting knee cartilage degeneration in obese adults: Musculoskeletal finite-element modeling of data from the CAROT trial.

Obesity is a known risk factor for development of osteoarthritis (OA). Numerical tools like finite-element (FE) models combined with degenerative algorithms have been developed to understand the interplay between OA and obesity. In this study, we aimed to predict knee cartilage degeneration in a cohort of obese adults to investigate the importance of patient-specific information on degeneration predictions. We used a validated FE modeling approach and three different age-dependent functions (step-wise, exponential, and linear) to simulate cartilage degradation under overloading in the knee joint. Gait motion analysis and magnetic resonance imaging data from 115 obese individuals with knee OA were used for musculoskeletal and FE modeling. Cartilage degeneration predictions were contrasted with Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) and Boston-Leeds Osteoarthritis Knee Score (BLOKS) grades. The findings show that overall, the similarities between numerical predictions and clinical measures were better for the medial (average area under the curve (AUC) = 0.62) compared to the lateral compartment (average AUC = 0.52) of the knee. Classification results for KL grades, full patient-specific models and patient-specific geometry with generic gait data showed higher AUC values (AUC = 0.71 and AUC = 0.68, respectively) compared to generic geometry and patient-specific gait (AUC = 0.48). For BLOKS grades, AUC values for both full patient-specific models and for patient-specific geometry with generic gait locomotion were higher (AUC = 0.66 and AUC = 0.64, respectively) compared to when the generic geometry and patient-specific gait were used (AUC = 0.53). In summary, our study highlights the importance of considering individual information in knee OA prediction. Nevertheless, our findings suggest that personalized gait play a smaller role in the OA prediction and classification capacity than personalized joint geometry.

Perspectives on reasons why football and handball players sustain acute and severe knee injuries: a mixed-methods concept mapping study.

Background: The high incidence of knee injuries in football/handball challenges effective prevention. Identifying tangible and modifiable factors associated with a knee injury may innovate preventive actions. Engaging key stakeholders can reveal crucial insights that could improve knee injury prevention in football/handball. Objective: To investigate football/handball stakeholders' perspectives on reasons for acute and severe knee injuries to generate a conceptual model on important factors associated with knee injuries in football/handball. Methods: Mixed-method participatory Group Concept Mapping was applied to collect statements from football/handball stakeholders (players/coaches/healthcare staff/researchers) on the question, 'What may explain why some players sustain a knee injury?'. Participants rated the importance and feasibility of screening for each statement. Multidimensional scaling and hierarchical cluster analysis produced a cluster map, forming the basis for developing a final conceptual model. Results: Stakeholders (n=37) generated and sorted 100 statements. Cluster analysis followed by cluster map validation yielded seven themes: (1) the player's physical and motor skill profile, (2) preparation and training, (3) footwear and playing surface, (4) the sport's impact on the risk of injury, (5) mental and physical fatigue, (6) history of injury and 7) genetics and context. A final conceptual model illustrating factors associated with knee injuries in football/handball was developed. Forty-six statements were identified as both important and feasible to screen for. Conclusions: Stakeholders' perspectives on knee injuries in football/handball revealed a complex interplay of factors. We developed a conceptual model fostering stakeholder dialogue for enhanced prevention. Key among its themes is 'preparation and training'.

Gait pattern in 9-11-year-old children with generalized joint hypermobility compared with controls; a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: To study differences in gait patterns in 10-year-old children with Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH) and with no GJH (NGJH). METHODS: A total of 37 children participated (19 GJH, 18 NGJH, mean age 10.2 (SD 0.5) years). Inclusion criteria for GJH were a Beighton score of ≥5, with at least one hypermobile knee joint; for NGJH a Beighton score of ≤4, and no hypermobile knees and for both groups no knee pain during the previous week. All children were recorded by five video cameras, while they walked across three force platforms. Net joint moments were calculated in 3D by inverse dynamics and peak values provided input to statistical analyses. RESULTS: In the frontal plane, children with GJH had a significantly lower peak knee abductor moment and peak hip abductor moment. In the sagittal plane, the peak knee flexor moment and the peak hip extensor moment were significantly lower in the GJH group although the absolute difference was small. CONCLUSIONS: The walking pattern was the same for children with GJH and for healthy children, as there were no differences in kinematics, but it was, however, performed with different kinetics. Children with GJH walked with lower ankle, knee and hip joint moments compared to children with NGJH. However, the clinical importance of these differences during normal gait is unknown. To obtain this knowledge, children with GJH must be followed longitudinally. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was approved by the Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics for Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, Denmark (jnr. KF01-2006-178).

The effect of foot progression angle on knee joint compression force during walking.

It is unclear how rotations of the lower limb affect the knee joint compression forces during walking. Increases in the frontal plane knee moment have been reported when walking with internally rotated feet and a decrease when walking with externally rotated feet. The aim of this study was to investigate the knee joint compressive forces during walking with internal, external and normal foot rotation and to determine if the frontal plane knee joint moment is an adequate surrogate for the compression forces in the medial and lateral knee joint compartments under such gait modifications. Ten healthy males walked at a fixed speed of 4.5 km/h under three conditions: Normal walking, internally rotated and externally rotated. All gait trials were recorded by six infrared cameras. Net joint moments were calculated by 3D inverse dynamics. The results revealed that the medial knee joint compartment compression force increased during external foot rotation and the lateral knee joint compartment compression force increased during internal foot rotation. The increases in joint loads may be a result of increased knee flexion angles. Further, these data suggest that the frontal plane knee joint moment is not a valid surrogate measure for knee joint compression forces but rather indicates the medial- to-lateral load distribution.

Non-invasive methods to assess muscle function in dogs: A scoping review.

Skeletal muscle function can be affected by multiple disorders in dogs of which cranial cruciate ligament rupture or disease (CCLD) is one of the most common. Despite the significance of this condition only sparse research exists regarding assessment of muscle function in dogs. This scoping review aimed to identify the non-invasive methods for canine muscle function assessments that have been reported in the literature in the past 10 years. A systematic literature search was conducted 1st March 2022 across six databases. After screening, 139 studies were considered eligible for inclusion. Among the included studies, 18 different muscle function assessment categories were identified, and the most frequently reported disease state was CCLD. We included an attempt to elucidate the clinical applicability of the 18 reported methods, as experts were asked to subjectively assess the methods for their clinical relevance as well as their practical applicability in dogs with CCLD.