Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rehabilitation for the 10- to 18-Year-Old Adolescent Athlete: Practice Guidelines Based on International Delphi Consensus.

Background: There are 2 treatment options for adolescent athletes with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries-rehabilitation alone (nonsurgical treatment) or ACL reconstruction plus rehabilitation. However, there is no clear consensus on how to include strength and neuromuscular training during each phase of rehabilitation.

Purpose: To develop a practical consensus for adolescent ACL rehabilitation to help provide care to this age group using an international Delphi panel.

Effects of Pubertal Maturation on ACL Forces During a Landing Task in Females.

Background: Rates of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture in young people have increased by >70% over the past two decades. Adolescent and young adult females are at higher risk of ACL injury as compared with their prepubertal counterparts.

Purpose: To determine ACL loading during a standardized drop-land-lateral jump in females at different stages of pubertal maturation.

Mechanism of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Loading during Dynamic Motor Tasks.

Introduction: This study determined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) force and its contributors during a standardized drop-land-lateral jump task using a validated computational model.

Methods: Three-dimensional whole-body kinematics, ground reaction forces, and muscle activation patterns from eight knee-spanning muscles were collected during dynamic tasks performed by healthy recreationally active females (n = 24). These data were used in a combined neuromusculoskeletal and ACL force model to determine lower limb muscle and ACL forces.

Running-related muscle activation patterns and tibial acceleration across puberty.

This study examined whether differences exist in tibial acceleration transients and electromyography (EMG) variables during running across female pubertal development. Sixty-four girls classified as pre- (n = 19), early/mid- (n = 22) and late/post-pubertal development (n = 23) ran in a laboratory whilst EMG data were recorded from quadriceps, hamstring and calf muscle groups, and acceleration transients from a triaxial accelerometer. The late/post-pubertal girls exhibited delayed vastus lateralis onset (mean difference (MD) = 0.

Differences and mechanisms underpinning a change in the knee flexion moment while running in stability and neutral footwear among young females.

Background: Higher peak external knee flexion moments (KFM) during running has been observed in healthy people wearing athletic footwear compared to barefoot, which may increase risk of knee pathologies such as patellofemoral pain. Currently, no studies have examined whether stability and neutral style athletic shoes influence the peak KFM differently, or explored the underlying biomechanical mechanisms by which footwear alters peak KFM in young females.

Methods: Lower limb biomechanics of sixty girls aged between 10 and 25 years old were collected while running in footwear (both stability and neutral) and barefoot.

Effect of high and low-supportive footwear on female tri-planar knee moments during single limb landing.

Background: Higher landing-related external knee joint moments at later stages of female pubertal development likely contribute to a higher incidence of non-contact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. Athletic footwear may provide a potential strategy to alter higher knee moments.

Methods: Thirty-one late/post-pubertal girls (Tanner stage IV-V, menarche and growth spurt attained) performed a single limb drop lateral jump in three footwear conditions (barefoot, low support shoes and high support shoes), in which peak knee abduction moment (KAbM), flexion moment (KFM) and internal rotation moments (KIRM) were measured.

Differences in Hip and Knee Landing Moments across Female Pubertal Development.

Purpose: The higher prevalence of knee injuries among adolescent females may be related to female pubertal development. The aim of this study was to determine whether girls exhibit higher triplanar knee and hip moments with more advanced pubertal development during a single-limb landing.

Methods: Lower-limb biomechanics of 93 females grouped according to prepubertal (n = 31), early/midpubertal (n = 31) and late/postpubertal (n = 31) development performed a single-limb drop lateral jump.

Differences in Hip and Knee Running Moments across Female Pubertal Development.

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate whether knee and hip running moments differ across stages of female pubertal development.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study comparing the barefoot running moments of 91 prepubertal (n = 31, Tanner stage I), early/midpubertal (n = 30, Tanner stages II and III), and late/postpubertal (n = 30, Tanner stages IV and V) girls. External peak moments for knee abduction (KAbM), knee adduction (KAM), knee flexion (KFM), and knee internal rotation (KIRM) were analyzed.

Hsp72 preserves muscle function and slows progression of severe muscular dystrophy.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a severe and progressive muscle wasting disorder caused by mutations in the dystrophin gene that result in the absence of the membrane-stabilizing protein dystrophin. Dystrophin-deficient muscle fibres are fragile and susceptible to an influx of Ca(2+), which activates inflammatory and muscle degenerative pathways. At present there is no cure for DMD, and existing therapies are ineffective.