Assessing the reliability of a digital inclinometer app for measuring hip, knee, and ankle proprioception.

Proprioception can be defined as the ability of an individual to detect motion and position of the various joints in their bodies. Current tools for measuring proprioception lack consensus on their accuracy and validity; they also each have their own limitations, and, furthermore, present barriers to use for clinicians. We propose a new and reliable method for evaluating hip, knee, and ankle proprioception by utilizing a digital inclinometer app to measure joint position sense.

Exploring the influence of individual factors on the perception of mental workload and body postures.

Studies have revealed that physical and mental demands, psychosocial factors, and individual factors can contribute to the development of WMSDs. Yet, much is still unknown regarding the effects of individual characteristics on WMSDs susceptibility. Previous studies discovered people assumed more awkward body postures to perform an activity when the perception of mental workload is higher.

Development and Reliability of a Visual-Cognitive Reactive Triple Hop Test.

Context: Current lower-extremity return to sport testing primarily considers the physical status of an athlete; however, sport participation requires continuous cognitive dual-task engagement. Therefore, the purpose was to develop and evaluate the reliability of a visual-cognitive reactive (VCR) triple hop test that simulates the typical sport demand of combined online visual-cognitive processing and neuromuscular control to improve return to sport testing after lower-extremity injury.

Design: Test-retest reliability.

Characterizing impact and providing perspective by assessing National Biomechanics Day events.

In this Perspective article we make the case for assessing National Biomechanics Day in order to better understand and maximum its impact. We present the opportunities and benefits that exist to assess National Biomechanics Day, as well as suggest assessment resources and tools that can be utilized. A case study is also included that details the ways that including assessment via a pre- and post-National Biomechanics Day survey provided insight into how our event changed student perceptions related to biomechanics, as well as informed us about how we might improve our event in the future.

Associations Between Cognitive Function and ACL Injury-Related Biomechanics: A Systematic Review.

Context: Does lower baseline cognitive function predispose athletes to ACL injury risk, especially when performing unplanned or dual-task movements?

Objective: To evaluate the association between cognitive function and biomechanics related to ACL injuries during cognitively challenging sports movements.

Data Sources: PubMed (MEDLINE), Web of Science, Scopus, and SciELO databases were searched; additional hand searching was also conducted.

Study Selection: The following inclusion criteria had to be met: participants completed (1) a neurocognitive test, (2) a cognitively challenging sport-related task involving lower limbs, and (3) a biomechanical analysis.

Effects of virtual reality immersion on postural stability during a dynamic transition task.

Dynamic postural stability paradigms with virtual reality (VR) provide a means to simulate real-world postural challenges and induce customised but controlled perturbations. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of a VR unanticipated perceptual sport perturbation on postural stability compared to traditional methods. Sixteen individuals between the ages of 18-23 years (19.

Development and reliability of a visual-cognitive medial side hop for return to sport testing.

Objectives: To develop and evaluate the reliability of a new visual-cognitive medial side hop (VCMH) test that challenges physical and cognitive performance to potentially improve return to sport testing.

Design: Test-retest experimental design.

Setting: Laboratory.

Effects of cognitive- and motor-dual tasks on postural control regularity following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Background: High injury rates following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) motivate the need to better understand lingering movement deficiencies following return to sport. Athletic competition involves various types of sensory, motor, and cognitive challenges; however, postural control deficiencies during this spectrum of conditions are not well understood following ACLR.

Research Question: To what extent is postural control altered following ACLR in the presence of sensory, motor, and cognitive challenges, and does postural control correlate with patient-reported symptoms?

Methods: Fourteen individuals following ACLR (4 m/10 f, 21.

Influence of serial subtraction tasks on transient characteristics of postural control.

We sought to better understand the influence of cognitive perturbations on transient aspects of postural control. Twenty healthy, younger adults had their postural control assessed during eyes open quiet stance. Participants completed three different conditions that either had no cognitive perturbation present, an easy cognitive perturbation (i.

Quantifying national biomechanics day's impact on student perceptions toward biomechanics: A multisite pilot study.

National Biomechanics Day (NBD) is an international celebration of biomechanics that seeks to increase the awareness and appreciation of biomechanics among the high school community. Initial research supports the positive effects of NBD on students' attitudes toward the field of biomechanics; however, quantitative evidence remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to quantify changes in high school students' perceptions toward biomechanics after participating in NBD events to better understand the impact of NBD.

Evaluating the Spectrum of Cognitive-Motor Relationships During Dual-Task Jump Landing.

Cognitive function plays a role in understanding noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries, but the research into how cognitive function influences sport-specific movements is underdeveloped. The purpose of this study was to determine how various cognitive tasks influenced dual-task jump-landing performance along with how individuals' baseline cognitive ability mediated these relationships. Forty female recreational soccer and basketball players completed baseline cognitive function assessments and dual-task jump landings.

A new perspective on transient characteristics of quiet stance postural control.

Postural control provides insight into health concerns such as fall risk but remains relatively untapped as a vital sign of health. One understudied aspect of postural control involves transient responses within center of pressure (CoP) data to events such as vision occlusion. Such responses are masked by common whole-trial analyses.

Postural stability during visual-based cognitive and motor dual-tasks after ACLR.

Objectives: Determine the effect of visual-based motor and cognitive dual tasking on postural stability in those with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction relative to matched controls.

Design: Cohort study.

Methods: Fourteen volunteers with history of anterior crucaite ligament reconstruction were matched with fourteen healthy controls.

Reducing Core Stability Influences Lower Extremity Biomechanics in Novice Runners.

Purpose: The role of core stability in running and its influence on injury risk in runners is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of core stability (and core fatigue) on running mechanics. We hypothesized that decreasing core stability in novice runners would result in altered running mechanics previously associated with increased risk for common lower extremity running injuries.

Exploring the Roles of Central and Peripheral Nervous System Function in Gait Stability: Preliminary Insights from Cancer Survivors.

Background: Impairments in central and/or peripheral nervous systems are known to be associated with altered gait; however, the interplay between cognitive function, peripheral sensation, and orbital gait stability remains largely unclear. Elucidating these relationships is expected to provide a clearer understanding of potential fall risk factors across various populations and targets for novel interventions. Many patients diagnosed with cancer are treated with chemotherapy agents known to be neurotoxic to the central and/or peripheral nervous systems that can contribute to movement deficiencies, making this population a novel model to investigate these relationships.

Visual-Spatial Memory Deficits Are Related to Increased Knee Valgus Angle During a Sport-Specific Sidestep Cut.

Background: Identifying athletes at an increased risk of injury is a promising approach to improve the effect of injury prevention interventions; however, it requires first identifying the potential athlete-specific risk factors. Cognitive ability was recently shown to correlate with noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injury rates and lower extremity mechanics, marking an underexplored area. A better understanding of how individuals' cognitive ability is associated with neuromuscular control during sport-specific tasks may improve injury prevention.

Impaired Postural Control and Altered Sensory Organization During Quiet Stance Following Neurotoxic Chemotherapy: A Preliminary Study.

Individuals diagnosed with chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) demonstrate impaired balance and carry an increased risk of falling. However, prior investigations of postural instability have only compared these individuals against healthy controls, limiting the understanding of impairments associated with CIPN. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to better isolate postural control impairments that are associated with CIPN.

Characterizing within-subject variability in quantified measures of balance control: A cohort study.

Background: To longitudinally assess individuals using quantified measures, we must characterize within-subject variability (WSV) of the measures.

Research Question: What is the natural within-subject variability (WSV) that can be expected in postural control over 3+ days?

Methods: Thirteen individuals without orthopedic or neurologic impairment (mean(SD) = 55 (9) years; 76 (18) kg; 11 females/2 males) were recruited from a community workplace and consented to participate. Participants stood quietly with eyes closed (QEC) on a force platform (5 x 1 min x 6 days) in two stances: comfortable and narrow.

Gait, balance, and patient-reported outcomes during taxane-based chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer patients.

Background: Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) is a dose-limiting toxicity of several commonly used chemotherapy drugs including taxanes, vinca alkaloids, and platinum compounds. Development of CIPN is highly variable, both in self-reported symptoms and functional consequences, and can be severe enough to alter dose intensity.

Purpose: To describe the natural histories of both patient-reported symptoms of CIPN and functional impairments in breast cancer patients undergoing taxane-based chemotherapy.

Natural history of postural instability in breast cancer patients treated with taxane-based chemotherapy: A pilot study.

Over 230,000 new cases of breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States in 2015. Taxane-based chemotherapy is often an effective treatment, but can also cause adverse symptoms in patients due to neurotoxicity. These side effects can impair postural control in patients; however, this instability has scarcely been quantified.

Association between ball-handling versus defending actions and acute noncontact lower extremity injuries in high school basketball and soccer.

Background: High school-sponsored athletic programs currently provide more than 7.7 million students in the United States with health and societal benefits, but they also inherently increase the risk of students sustaining a sports injury. Understanding risk factors that predict injuries in sports is an essential first step to addressing the problem in this population.