The influence of sex, hemoglobin mass, and skeletal muscle characteristics on cycling critical power.

Critical power (CP) represents an important threshold for exercise performance and fatiguability. We sought to determine the extent to which sex, hemoglobin mass (Hb), and skeletal muscle characteristics influence CP. Before CP determination (i.

Contraction intensity affects NIRS-derived skeletal muscle oxidative capacity but not its relationships to mitochondrial protein content or aerobic fitness.

To further refine the near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)-derived measure of skeletal muscle oxidative capacity in humans, we sought to determine whether the exercise stimulus intensity affected the τ value and/or influenced the magnitude of correlations with in vitro measures of mitochondrial content and in vivo indices of exercise performance. Males ( = 12) and females ( = 12), matched for maximal aerobic fitness per fat-free mass, completed NIRS-derived skeletal muscle oxidative capacity tests for the vastus lateralis following repeated contractions at 40% (τ) and 100% (τ) of maximum voluntary contraction, underwent a skeletal muscle biopsy of the same muscle, and performed multiple intermittent isometric knee extension tests to task failure to establish critical torque (CT). The value of τ (34.

Differences in injury and concussion rates in a cohort of Canadian female and male youth Rugby Union: a step towards targeted prevention strategies.

Objective: To examine differences in match and training musculoskeletal injury and concussion rates and describe mechanisms of concussion while considering previous playing experience in female and male Canadian high school Rugby Union ('rugby') players.

Methods: A 2-year prospective cohort study was completed in a high school league (n=361 females, 421 player-seasons; n=429 males, 481 player-seasons) in Calgary, Canada over the 2018 and 2019 rugby playing seasons. Baseline testing was completed at the start of each season and injury surveillance and individual player participation through session attendance was documented to quantify individual-level player exposure hours.

The influence of skeletal muscle mitochondria and sex on critical torque and performance fatiguability in humans.

Critical torque (CT) represents the highest oxidative steady state for intermittent knee extensor exercise, but the extent to which it is influenced by skeletal muscle mitochondria and sex is unclear. Vastus lateralis muscle biopsy samples were collected from 12 females and 12 males -matched for relative maximal oxygen uptake normalized to fat-free mass (FFM) (F: 57.3 (7.

Caught on camera: a video assessment of suspected concussion and other injury events in women's rugby union.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to identify and report the incidence and mechanisms of suspected injury and concussion in women's rugby union.

Design: A cross-sectional video analysis study.

Methods: Using video analysis of non-professional, single-angle footage, cases of suspected injury and concussion were identified and reported, based on content validation and consensus by eight rugby-specific researchers, therapists, and sport medicine physicians.

The responsiveness and validity of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life (RC-QOL) index in a 2-year follow-up study.

Background: The Rotator Cuff Quality of Life (RC-QOL) index was developed to evaluate quality of life in patients with rotator cuff disease. This study provides additional psychometric testing in accordance with the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments guidelines.

Methods: This was a 2-year follow-up study on 66 patients (mean age, 59 ± 10 years) originally presenting with chronic full-thickness rotator cuff tears to a tertiary care center.

Time course and fibre type-dependent nature of calcium-handling protein responses to sprint interval exercise in human skeletal muscle.

Sprint interval training (SIT) causes fragmentation of the skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca release channel, ryanodine receptor 1 (RyR1), 24 h post-exercise, potentially signalling mitochondrial biogenesis by increasing cytosolic [Ca ]. Yet, the time course and skeletal muscle fibre type-specific patterns of RyR1 fragmentation following a session of SIT remain unknown. Ten participants (n = 4 females; n = 6 males) performed a session of SIT (6 × 30 s 'all-out' with 4.

The Impact of Concussion, Sport, and Time in Season on Saliva Telomere Length in Healthy Athletes.

To date, sport-related concussion diagnosis and management is primarily based on subjective clinical tests in the absence of validated biomarkers. A major obstacle to clinical validation and application is a lack of studies exploring potential biomarkers in non-injured populations. This cross-sectional study examined the associations between saliva telomere length (TL) and multiple confounding variables in a healthy university athlete population.

The effect of an exertional field-test on sport concussion assessment tool 5 subcomponents in University rugby and wrestling athletes: A pilot prospective case series.

Objectives: To evaluate how an exertional field-test impacts the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) subcomponents in uninjured athletes.

Design: Prospective case-series.

Setting: Sports medicine setting.

The Burden and Risk Factors of Patellar and Achilles Tendinopathy in Youth Basketball: A Cohort Study.

This study aimed at evaluating the burden and risk factors of patellar and Achilles tendinopathy among youth basketball players. Patellar and Achilles tendinopathy were prospectively monitored in 515 eligible male and female youth basketball players (11-18 years) through a competitive season. Overall, the season prevalence of patellar tendinopathy was 19.

One-year stability of preseason Sport Concussion Assessment Tool 5 (SCAT5) values in university level collision and combative sport athletes.

Objectives: To determine the stability of the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool (SCAT) 5 between consecutive seasons in uninjured collision and combative varsity athletes.

Methods: Thirty-six athletes (19 females) were recruited to participate (wrestling [n = 12], rugby [n = 14], and hockey [n = 10]). The SCAT5 was administration at the start of the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

The effect of high-intensity physical exertion on measures of cervical spine, vestibular/ocular-motor screening, and vestibulo-ocular reflex function in university level collision and combative sport athletes.

Objectives: To examine how high-intensity physical exertion affects clinical measures of cervical spine (CSp), vestibular/ocular motor screen (VOMS), and vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) function.

Design: Case series.

Setting: Sports Medicine Centre.

Exploring the Business Case for Improving Quality of Care for Patients With Chronic Rotator Cuff Tears.

Background And Objectives: Currently, management of patients presenting with chronic rotator cuff tears in Alberta is in need of quality improvements. This article explores the potential impact of a proposed care pathway whereby all patients presenting with chronic rotator cuff tears in Alberta would adopt an early, conservative management plan as the first stage of care; ultrasound investigation would be the preferred tool for diagnosing a rotator cuff tear; and only patients are referred for surgery once conservative measures have been exhausted.

Methods: We evaluate evidence in support of surgery and conservative management, compare care in the current state with the proposed care pathway, and identify potential solutions in moving toward optimal care.

Validation of a tool to assess patient satisfaction, waiting times, healthcare utilization, and cost.

Aim: Patients' experience of the quality of care received throughout their continuum of care can be used to direct quality improvement efforts in areas where they are most needed. This study aims to establish validity and reliability of the Healthcare Access and Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (HAPSQ) - a tool that collects patients' experience that quantifies aspect of care used to make judgments about quality from the perspective of the Alberta Quality Matrix for Health (AQMH).

Background: The AQMH is a framework that can be used to assess and compare the quality of care in different healthcare settings.

Robotic Assessment of Motor, Sensory, and Cognitive Function in Acute Sport-Related Concussion and Recovery.

There is a need for better tools to objectively, reliably, and precisely assess neurological function after sport-related concussion (SRC). The aim of this study was to use a robotic device (Kinesiological Instrument for Normal and Altered Reaching Movements; KINARM) to quantify neurological impairments in athletes acutely and when clinically asymptomatic post-SRC. Robotic assessments included five KINARM standard tasks that evaluate aspects of motor, sensory, and cognitive function.

Evaluating quality of care for patients with rotator cuff disorders.

Background: Measuring quality in healthcare is vital in evaluating patient outcomes and system performance. The availability of reliable and valid information about the quality of care for patients presenting with rotator cuff disorders (RCD) in Alberta, Canada is scarce. The objective of this study is to measure quality of care for patients with RCD in order to identify areas of improvement.

Diagnostic Accuracy of a Self-report Measure of Patellar Tendinopathy in Youth Basketball.

Background: To engage clinicians in diagnosing patellar tendinopathy in large surveillance studies is often impracticable. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre-patellar tendinopathy (OSTRC-P) questionnaire, a self-report measure adapted from the OSTRC questionnaire, may provide a viable alternative.

Objectives: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of the OSTRC-P questionnaire in detecting patellar tendinopathy in youth basketball players when compared to clinical evaluation.

Test-retest reliability of the KINARM end-point robot for assessment of sensory, motor and neurocognitive function in young adult athletes.

Background: Current assessment tools for sport-related concussion are limited by a reliance on subjective interpretation and patient symptom reporting. Robotic assessments may provide more objective and precise measures of neurological function than traditional clinical tests.

Objective: To determine the reliability of assessments of sensory, motor and cognitive function conducted with the KINARM end-point robotic device in young adult elite athletes.

Foot structure and knee joint kinetics during walking with and without wedged footwear insoles.

The relationship between static foot structure characteristics and knee joint biomechanics during walking, or the biomechanical response to wedged insoles are currently unknown. In this study, 3D foot scanning, dual X-ray absorptiometry and gait analysis methods were used to determine structural parameters of the foot and assess their relation to knee joint loading and biomechanical response to wedged insoles in 30 patients with knee osteoarthritis. In multiple linear regression models, foot fat content, height of the medial longitudinal arch and static hind foot angle were not associated with the magnitude of the knee adduction moment (R = 0.

Serum and synovial fluid cytokine profiling in hip osteoarthritis: distinct from knee osteoarthritis and correlated with pain.

Background: Inflammation is associated with the onset and progression of osteoarthritis in multiple joints. It is well known that mechanical properties differ between different joints, however, it remains unknown if the inflammatory process is similar/distinct in patients with hip vs. knee OA.

A three dimensional approach for quantifying resultant loading at the knee.

Background: Clinical effectiveness of lateral wedges for knee osteoarthritis is inconsistent across studies. One explanation is that knee loading is not fully described by the peak frontal-plane knee moment. The purpose of this study was to propose a 3D resultant approach to describing moments at the knee and evaluate how this moment changes in response to lateral wedges.

Reduced knee adduction moments for management of knee osteoarthritis:: A three month phase I/II randomized controlled trial.

Wedged insoles are believed to be of clinical benefit to individuals with knee osteoarthritis by reducing the knee adduction moment (KAM) during gait. However, previous clinical trials have not specifically controlled for KAM reduction at baseline, thus it is unknown if reduced KAMs actually confer a clinical benefit. Forty-eight participants with medial knee osteoarthritis were randomly assigned to either a control group where no footwear intervention was given, or a wedged insole group where KAM reduction was confirmed at baseline.

Further validation and reliability testing of the Rotator Cuff Quality of Life Index (RC-QOL) according to the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines.

Background: The Rotator Cuff Quality of Life Index (RC-QOL) was developed to evaluate quality of life in patients with rotator cuff disorders (RCD). The purpose of this study was to provide additional reliability, validity, and responsiveness testing in accordance with the Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments (COSMIN) guidelines.

Methods: Preliminary patient interviews included 15 patients.

Using the modified Delphi method to establish clinical consensus for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with rotator cuff pathology.

Background: Patients presenting to the healthcare system with rotator cuff pathology do not always receive high quality care. High quality care occurs when a patient receives care that is accessible, appropriate, acceptable, effective, efficient, and safe. The aim of this study was twofold: 1) to develop a clinical pathway algorithm that sets forth a stepwise process for making decisions about the diagnosis and treatment of rotator cuff pathology presenting to primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare settings; and 2) to establish clinical practice guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of rotator cuff pathology to inform decision-making processes within the algorithm.

Altering Knee Abduction Angular Impulse Using Wedged Insoles for Treatment of Patellofemoral Pain in Runners: A Six-Week Randomized Controlled Trial.

Objective: Determine if a change in internal knee abduction angular impulse (KAAI) is related to pain reduction for runners with patellofemoral pain (PFP) by comparing lateral and medial wedge insole interventions, and increased KAAI and decreased KAAI groups.

Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial (ClinicalTrials.gov ID# NCT01332110).