Changes in patellar tendon complaints and shear wave velocity patterns among competitive alpine skiers during a 4-year post-growth spurt follow-up.

Patellar tendon (PT) complaints are frequent in competitive alpine skiers and such complaints are characterized by a long-lasting affection. Since PTs are subject to maturation up to 1-2 years after growth spurt, this early career stage may be decisive for the further course of complaints. The aim of this study was to investigate the evolution of PT complaints and shear wave velocity patterns among competitive alpine skiers during a 4-year post-growth spurt follow-up.

More than just a side effect: Dynamic knee valgus and deadbug bridging performance in youth soccer players and alpine skiers have similar absolute values and asymmetry magnitudes but differ in terms of the direction of laterality.

From a preventative perspective, leg axis and core stabilization capacities are important for soccer players and alpine skiers; however, due to different sport-specific demands, the role of laterality clearly differs and may result in functional long-term adaptations. The aims of this study are 1) to determine whether there are differences in leg axis and core stability between youth soccer players and alpine skiers and 2) between dominant and non-dominant sides, and 3) to explore the outcomes of applying common sport-specific asymmetry thresholds to these two distinct cohorts. Twenty-one highly trained/national-level soccer players (16.

Patellar Tendon Shear Wave Velocity Is Higher and has Different Regional Patterns in Elite Competitive Alpine Skiers than in Healthy Controls.

Competitive alpine skiers are exposed to enormous forces acting on their bodies-particularly on the knee joint and hence the patellar tendon - during both the off-season preparation and in-season competition phases. However, factors influencing patellar tendon adaptation and regional pattern differences between alpine skiers and healthy controls are not yet fully understood, but are essential for deriving effective screening approaches and preventative countermeasures. Thirty elite competitive alpine skiers, all members of the Swiss Alpine Ski Team, and 38 healthy age-matched controls were recruited.

Three-Dimensional Mapping of Shear Wave Velocity in Human Tendon: A Proof of Concept Study.

Ultrasound-based shear wave elastography (SWE) provides the means to quantify tissue mechanical properties in vivo and has proven valuable in detecting degenerative processes in tendons. Its current mode of use is for two-dimensional rendering measurements, which are highly position-dependent. We therefore propose an approach to create a volumetric reconstruction of the mechano-acoustic properties of a structure of interest based on optically tracking the ultrasound probe during free-hand measurement sweeps.

Panoramic ultrasound vs. MRI for the assessment of hamstrings cross-sectional area and volume in a large athletic cohort.

We investigated the validity of panoramic ultrasound (US) compared to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the assessment of hamstrings cross-sectional area (CSA) and volume. Hamstrings CSA were acquired with US (by an expert operator) at four different sites of femur length (FL) in 85 youth competitive alpine skiers (14.8 ± 0.