Fully automatic tracking of native glenohumeral kinematics from stereo-radiography.

The current work introduces a system for fully automatic tracking of native glenohumeral kinematics in stereo-radiography sequences. The proposed method first applies convolutional neural networks to obtain segmentation and semantic key point predictions in biplanar radiograph frames. Preliminary bone pose estimates are computed by solving a non-convex optimization problem with semidefinite relaxations to register digitized bone landmarks to semantic key points.

Lower body energy generation, absorption, and transfer in youth baseball pitchers.

An efficient baseball pitch will produce a high-velocity ball while minimizing the risk of injury to the pitcher. This study quantified ground reaction forces and lower body power during the entire pitching motion of youth baseball pitchers to investigate how developing athletes generate and transfer energy from lower limbs to the throwing arm. These data provide a foundation for comparing youth pitching strategy and mechanics to optimal throwing mechanics and may aid in developing appropriate training suggestions for this age group.

Task Specific and General Patterns of Joint Motion Variability in Upright- and Hand-Standing Postures.

The preservation of static balance in both upright- and hand-stance is maintained by the projection of center of mass (CM) motion within the region of stability at the respective base of support. This study investigated, from a degrees of freedom (DF) perspective, whether the stability of the CM in both upright- and hand-stances was predicted by the respective dispersion and time-dependent regularity of joint (upright stance-ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, neck; hand stance-wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck) angle and position. Full body three-dimensional (3D) kinematic data were collected on 10 advanced level junior female gymnasts during 30 s floor upright- and hand-stands.

Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Sports-Related Concussions: Biological Mechanisms and Exosomal Biomarkers.

Concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in athletes can cause persistent symptoms, known as post-concussion syndrome (PCS), and repeated injuries may increase the long-term risk for an athlete to develop neurodegenerative diseases such as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and Alzheimer's disease (AD). The Center for Disease Control estimates that up to 3.8 million sport-related mTBI are reported each year in the United States.

Centre of pressure velocity shows impairments in NCAA Division I athletes six months post-concussion during standing balance.

Sport-related concussion return to play (RTP) decisions are largely based on the resolution of self-reported symptoms and neurocognitive function. Some evaluators also incorporate balance; however, an objective approach to balance that can detect effects beyond the acute condition is warranted. The purpose of this study is to examine linear measures of biomechanical balance up to 6 months post-concussion, and to present preliminary diagnostic thresholds useful for RTP.

Altered levels of plasma neuron-derived exosomes and their cargo proteins characterize acute and chronic mild traumatic brain injury.

Neuron-derived exosomes (NDEs) were enriched by anti-L1CAM antibody immunoabsorption from plasmas of subjects ages 18-26 yr within 1 wk after a sports-related mild traumatic brain injury (acute mTBI) ( n = 18), 3 mo or longer after the last of 2-4 mTBIs (chronic mTBI) ( n = 14) and with no recent history of TBI (controls) ( n = 21). Plasma concentrations of NDEs, assessed by counts and levels of extracted exosome marker CD81, were significantly depressed by a mean of 45% in acute mTBI ( P < 0.0001), but not chronic mTBI, compared with controls.