Traumatic Head and Neck Injuries in Elite Australian Cricket Players: Retrospective Analysis from 12 Seasons.

Objectives: To describe traumatic head and neck injuries in elite Australian cricket players, for the purposes of understanding risk and the role of protective equipment and regulations.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Methods: This study reviewed twelve seasons of clinical data for elite male and female cricket players who sustained a traumatic head or neck injury (excluding isolated concussion) whilst participating in a cricket match or training.

Sixteen years of innovation in youth mental healthcare: Outcomes for young people attending Australia's headspace centre services.

Australia's headspace initiative is world-leading in nation-wide youth mental healthcare reform for young people aged 12 to 25 years, now with 16 years of implementation. This paper examines changes in the key outcomes of psychological distress, psychosocial functioning, and quality of life for young people accessing headspace centres across Australia for mental health problems. Routinely collected data from headspace clients commencing an episode of care within the data collection period, 1 April 2019 to 30 March 2020, and at 90-day follow-up were analysed.

Lumbar Bone Stress Injuries and Nonunited Defects in Elite Australian Cricket Players.

Objective: To describe the presentation and management of lumbar bone stress injuries (LBSI), recurrent LBSI, and lumbar nonunited defects in elite Australian male and female cricket players.

Design: Retrospective case series.

Setting: Professional domestic and international cricket teams over 13 seasons.

Comparison of injury profiles between elite Australian male and female cricket players.

Objectives: This study presents seven seasons of injury surveillance data for both elite Australian male and female cricket players, revealing injury statistics and allowing for comparison between sexes.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Methods: Participants were elite Australian male and female cricket players who were contracted to play for a national and/or state/territory team and/or T20 franchise between 2015-16 and 2021-22 (7 seasons).

Athlete Experiences of Shame and Guilt: Initial Psychometric Properties of the Athletic Perceptions of Performance Scale Within Junior Elite Cricketers.

Guilt and shame are self-conscious emotions with implications for mental health, social and occupational functioning, and the effectiveness of sports practice. To date, the assessment and role of athlete-specific guilt and shame has been under-researched. Reporting data from 174 junior elite cricketers (M = 17.

Evaluation of CogSport for acute concussion diagnosis in cricket.

Objective: The diagnosis of sport-related concussion is a challenge for practitioners given the variable presentation and lack of a universal clinical indicator. The aim of this study was to describe the CogSport findings associated with concussion in elite Australian cricket players, and to evaluate the diagnostic ability of CogSport for this cohort.

Methods: A retrospective study design was used to evaluate CogSport performance of 45 concussed (male n=27, mean age 24.

Upper Lumbar Bone Stress Injuries in Elite Cricketers.

Objective: Describe the proportion of upper lumbar bone stress injuries (LBSI; T12-L3) relative to all LBSI, and the clinical presentation and diagnosis of upper LBSI in elite cricketers.

Design: Case series.

Setting: Professional domestic and international cricket teams over a 9-year period.

Neurocognitive changes associated with concussion in elite cricket players are distinct from changes due to post-match with no head impact.

Objectives: Determine intra-individual changes in CogSport performance in elite cricket players diagnosed with concussion, and differentiate this from changes which may be attributed to post-match with no head impact.

Design: Retrospective observational study of elite Australian male and female cricket players with diagnosed concussion and prospective cohort study of cricket players with no head impact post-match.

Methods: CogSport performance relative to an individual's baseline was compared between 46 cricket players diagnosed with concussion following a head impact sustained during a match, and 84 cricket players who played a match during which they had no head impact.

Presence of bone marrow oedema in asymptomatic elite fast bowlers: Implications for management.

Objectives: 1) Quantify the intensity of bone marrow oedema (BMO) present in the lumbar vertebrae of asymptomatic elite adult fast bowlers; 2) relate the intensity of BMO to bowling workload and lumbar bone stress injury (LBSI), and; 3) evaluate the utility of MRI screening to reduce the risk of LBSI.

Methods: Thirty-eight elite Australian fast bowlers (21.6 ± 3.

Radiological healing of lumbar spine stress fractures in elite cricket fast bowlers.

Objectives: Review magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of elite adult fast bowlers with a history of lumbar spine stress fracture for evidence of bone healing. The findings will determine whether bone healing can occur in this population, and whether MRI may be used as a tool to assess bone healing and inform clinical decision making.

Design: Retrospective cohort.

Hand fractures and return to play in elite Australian cricketers.

Introduction: Hand fractures are one of the most common injuries sustained whilst playing cricket. Further research is required to inform future clinical management and risk-reduction strategies.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study reviewed all cases of hand fractures in elite Australian cricket players over a three-year period.

MRI Bone Marrow Edema Signal Intensity: A Reliable and Valid Measure of Lumbar Bone Stress Injury in Elite Junior Fast Bowlers.

Study Design: Comparative reliability and prospective validity.

Objective: First, to evaluate the reliability of four methods of assessing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) bone marrow edema (BMO) of the posterior vertebral arch of the lumbar vertebrae of elite junior fast bowlers. Second, to evaluate the validity of the most reliable method for the early detection of lumbar bone stress injury.

Vertebral artery dissection in sport: Expert opinion of mechanisms and risk-reduction strategies.

Experiential knowledge was collated to improve understanding of the mechanism of vertebral artery dissection (VAD) and inform recommendations for risk-reduction strategies in sport. Fourteen experts from fields of neurology, forensic pathology, biomedical engineering, radiology, physiotherapy, and sport and exercise medicine participated in semi-structured interviews. Experts were asked to provide their hypothesised mechanism of VAD, and suggest strategies to reduce the risk of VAD in non-motorised sports.

Vertebral Artery Dissection in Sport: A Systematic Review.

Background: Vertebral artery dissection (VAD) is a potentially catastrophic injury that may occur during sports participation. A comprehensive review is needed to collate documented cases to improve understanding and inform future preventative approaches.

Objective: This review aimed to understand the extent of VAD in sport and characterise trends suggestive of mechanisms of injury.

Core Temperature Responses in Elite Cricket Players during Australian Summer Conditions.

This study aimed to observe core temperature responses in elite cricket players under match conditions during the summer in Australia. Thirty-eight Australian male cricketers ingested capsule temperature sensors during six four-day first-class matches between February 2016 and March 2017. Core temperature (Tc) was recorded during breaks in play.

MRI bone marrow oedema precedes lumbar bone stress injury diagnosis in junior elite cricket fast bowlers.

Objectives: Lumbar bone stress injury ('bone stress injury') is common in junior fast bowlers. The repetitive loading of cricket fast bowling may cause bone marrow oedema (BMO), detectable on MRI, before the bowler suffers from symptomatic bone stress injury. We investigated the temporal relationship between BMO, bone stress injury, along with bowling workload correlates, in elite junior fast bowlers throughout a cricket season.

Monitoring Athletes during Training Camps: Observations and Translatable Strategies from Elite Road Cyclists and Swimmers.

Monitoring is an essential yet unstandardized component of managing athletic preparation. The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the typical measurements and responses observed from monitoring elite road cyclist and swimmers during training camps, and translate these observations to practical strategies for other practitioners to employ. Twenty-nine male professional cyclists, 12 male and 19 female international swimmers participated in up to three of the eight 4⁻19 day training camps, held early in the season or leading into major competitions, at sea-level or moderate altitude.

Athlete Self-Report Measure Use and Associated Psychological Alterations.

The experience of athletes and practitioners has led to the suggestion that use of an athlete self-report measure (ASRM) may increase an athlete's self-awareness, satisfaction, motivation, and confidence. This study sought to provide empirical evidence for this assertion by evaluating psychological alterations associated with ASRM use across a diverse athlete population. Athletes ( = 335) had access to an ASRM for 16 weeks and completed an online survey at baseline, and weeks 4, 8, and 16.

Peer mentoring for eating disorders: evaluation of a pilot program.

Background: Eating disorders are serious psychiatric illnesses that are often associated with poor quality of life and low long-term recovery rates. Peer mentor programs have been found to improve psychiatric symptoms and quality of life in other mental illnesses, and a small number of studies have suggested that eating disorder patients may benefit from such programs. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of a peer mentor program for individuals with eating disorders in terms of improving symptomatology and quality of life.

Development of a golf-specific load monitoring tool: Content validity and feasibility.

Athletes often record details of their training and competitions, supported by information such as environmental conditions, travel, as well as how they felt. However, it is not known how prevalent these practices are in golfers, or how valuable this process is perceived. The purpose of this study was to develop a golf-specific load monitoring tool (GLMT), and establish the content validity and feasibility of this tool amongst high-level golfers.

Athlete Self-Report Measures in Research and Practice: Considerations for the Discerning Reader and Fastidious Practitioner.

Athlete self-report measures (ASRM) have the potential to provide valuable insight into the training response; however, there is a disconnect between research and practice that needs to be addressed; namely, the measure or methods used in research are not always reflective of practice, or data primarily obtained from practice lacks empirical quality. This commentary reviews existing empirical measures and the psychometric properties required to be considered acceptable for research and practice. This information will allow discerning readers to make a judgment on the quality of ASRM data being reported in research papers.

Impact of Sport Context and Support on the Use of a Self-Report Measure for Athlete Monitoring.

Athlete self-report measures (ASRM) are a popular method of athlete monitoring in high-performance sports. With increasing recognition and accessibility, ASRM may potentially be utilized by athletes from diverse sport contexts. The purpose of the present study was to improve understanding of ASRM implementation across different sport contexts by observing uptake and compliance of a newly implemented ASRM over 16 weeks, and investigating the perceived roles and factors influencing implementation.

Monitoring the athlete training response: subjective self-reported measures trump commonly used objective measures: a systematic review.

Background: Monitoring athlete well-being is essential to guide training and to detect any progression towards negative health outcomes and associated poor performance. Objective (performance, physiological, biochemical) and subjective measures are all options for athlete monitoring.

Objective: We systematically reviewed objective and subjective measures of athlete well-being.

Monitoring athletes through self-report: factors influencing implementation.

Monitoring athletic preparation facilitates the evaluation and adjustment of practices to optimize performance outcomes. Self-report measures such as questionnaires and diaries are suggested to be a simple and cost-effective approach to monitoring an athlete's response to training, however their efficacy is dependent on how they are implemented and used. This study sought to identify the perceived factors influencing the implementation of athlete self-report measures (ASRM) in elite sport settings.