Musculoskeletal Injuries in Elite Collegiate Tenpin Bowling Athletes.

CONTEXT: Collegiate tenpin bowling participation is increasing. Accordingly, the experience level of athletes participating, factors related to performance, as well as training workload and sport specialization are likely evolving. However, literature regarding injury rates remains extremely limited. The purpose of this study was to characterize injuries in collegiate tenpin bowlers. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort survey study. METHODS: Tenpin bowling athletes of top-ranked collegiate programs in the United States were invited to participate. Each participant completed an online survey to report on their injury history and additional factors of interest. Descriptive statistics were generated for participant characteristics, injury counts, and overall injury prevalence and recurrence. Chi-square tests were used to determine if overall injury prevalence and recurrence occurred by chance, and to evaluate the influence of gender and conditioning program participation on injury frequencies. RESULTS: The response rate was 40.6% (101/249; N = 101). The sample was 20.02 (1.43) years old and 54.5% female. There were a total of 235 singular and recurrent injuries reported across all body parts. Upper-extremity injuries were the most common (n = 112). Injury prevalence (87%) and recurrence (75%) were more likely than chance (χ2 > 21.3, both P < .001) and not different based on gender (χ2 ≤ 1.1, both P ≥ .33). Injuries were more frequent in the absence of a conditioning program (χ2 = 50.6, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Injuries and injury recurrence in elite tenpin bowlers were frequent, most common in the upper-extremity, not different based on gender, and more frequent in those without conditioning programs. Findings may serve as foundational knowledge for developing sport-specific rehabilitation and conditioning programs.

Ankle plantar flexor muscle performance and patient reported outcomes in people following total ankle arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate ankle power generation during gait in people with total ankle arthroplasty, and examine the relationships between postoperative plantar flexor strength, ankle power, and patient outcomes. METHODS: Nineteen people with end-stage ankle arthritis who received a total ankle arthroplasty and 19 healthy matched controls participated in this case-control study. Patient reported outcomes included a region specific measure of foot function and a generic measure of physical function. Gait speed was recorded with the 6-min walk test. Isokinetic plantar flexor strength was measured with an instrumented dynamometer. Motion capture and force plate data were used to calculate peak ankle power generation during walking. Paired or independent t-tests were used to compare ankle power across time and between groups, respectively. Bivariate correlations were performed to examine the interplay of postoperative strength, ankle power, gait speed, and patient reported outcomes. FINDINGS: Ankle power was not different between the preoperative and 6-month postoperative time points (d = 0.20). Six-month postoperative ankle power was less than controls (d = 1.32). Strength, ankle power, and gait speed were directly correlated in the patient group 6-months postoperatively (r or ρ ≥ 0.47). Six-month postoperative strength and ankle power were directly correlated to select 2-year patient reported outcomes (both ρ = 0.54). INTERPRETATION: Lower than normal 6-month postoperative ankle power, which was correlated to strength, gait speed, and longer-term patient reported outcomes, suggests efforts toward improving ankle plantar flexor muscle performance may improve patient outcomes.

Total ankle arthroplasty: Strength, pain, and motion.

BACKGROUND: While outcomes such as pain and ankle motion are well researched, information regarding the effect of total ankle arthroplasty on ankle plantarflexion strength is extraordinarily limited. The purpose of this study was to evaluate ankle plantarflexion strength before and after total ankle arthroplasty, and examine the interplay of pain, motion, and strength. METHODS: This prospective case-control study included 19 patients with end-stage ankle arthritis who received a total ankle arthroplasty and 19 healthy control participants matched for age, sex, and body mass index. Pain was measured with a numeric pain rating scale. Passive sagittal plane ankle range of motion (°) and isokinetic ankle plantarflexion torque (Nm/kg) at 60 and 120°/s were measured with an instrumented dynamometer. t-tests or non-parametric tests were used to evaluate outcomes across time and between groups. Bivariate correlations were performed to evaluate the interplay of postoperative pain, motion, and torque. FINDINGS: Patient pain and motion improved between the preoperative and six-month postoperative time points (d ≥ 0.7). Ankle plantarflexion torque was not different across time (d ≤ 0.5), but was lower than control group values postoperatively (d ≥ 1.4). Significant correlations between pain and motion (r = -0.48), but not torque (-0.11 ≤ r ≤ 0.13), were observed. INTERPRETATION: Unchanged following surgery, impairments in muscle performance following total ankle arthroplasty do not appear to be changed by improved pain or motion. These findings provide impetus for postoperative strengthening interventions.