Corey Joseph

Injuries in Field Hockey Players: A Systematic Review

BackgroundTo commence injuryxa0prevention efforts, it is necessary to understand the magnitude of the injury problem. No systematic reviews have yet investigated the extent of injuries in field hockey, despite the popularity of the sport worldwide.ObjectiveOur objective was to describe the rate and severity of injuries in field hockey and investigate their characteristics.MethodsWe conducted electronic searches in PubMed, Embase, SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL. Prospective cohort studies were included if they were published in English in a peer-reviewed journal and observed all possible injuries sustained by field hockey players during the period of the study.ResultsThe risk of bias score of the 22 studies included ranged from three to nine of a possible ten. In total, 12 studies (55%) reported injuries normalized by field hockey exposure. Injury rates ranged from 0.1 injuries (in school-aged players) to 90.9 injuries (in Africa Cup of Nations) per 1000 player-hours and from one injury (in high-school women) to 70 injuries (in under-21 age women) per 1000 player-sessions. Studies used different classifications for injury severity, but—within studies—injuries were included mostly in the less severe category. The lower limbs were most affected, and contusions/hematomas and abrasions were common types of injury. Contact injuries are common, but non-contact injuries are also a cause for concern.ConclusionsConsiderable heterogeneity meant it was not possible to draw conclusive findings on the extent of the rate and severity of injuries. Establishing the extent of sports injury is considered the first step towards prevention, so there is a need for a consensus on injury surveillance in field hockey.

Early changes in Achilles tendon behaviour in vivo following downhill backwards walking

ABSTRACT Downhill backwards walking causes repeated, cyclical loading of the muscle–tendon unit. The effect this type of repeated loading has on the mechanical behaviour of the Achilles tendon is presently unknown. This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical response of the Achilles tendon aponeurosis complex following a downhill backwards walking protocol. Twenty active males (age: 22.3 ± 3.0 years; mass: 74.7 ± 5.6 kg; height: 1.8 ± 0.7 m) performed 60 min of downhill (8.5°), backwards walking on a treadmill at −0.67 m · s−1. Data were collected before, immediately post, and 24-, 48- and 168-h post-downhill backwards walking. Achilles tendon aponeurosis elongation, strain and stiffness were measured using ultrasonography. Muscle force decreased immediately post-downhill backward walking (P = 0.019). There were increases in Achilles tendon aponeurosis stiffness at 24-h post-downhill backward walking (307 ± 179.6 N · mm−1, P = 0.004), and decreases in Achilles tendon aponeurosis strain during maximum voluntary contraction at 24 (3.8 ± 1.7%, P = 0.008) and 48 h (3.9 ± 1.8%, P = 0.002) post. Repeated cyclical loading of downhill backwards walking affects the behaviour of the muscle–tendon unit, most likely by altering muscle compliance, and these changes result in tendon stiffness increases.

Correction to: Injuries in Field Hockey Players: A Systematic Review

Page 1: The listing of the author names and affiliations, which previously read.

Epidemiology of Injuries in Women Playing Competitive Team Bat-or-Stick Sports: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis

BackgroundTeam bat-or-stick sports, including cricket, softball and hockey, are popular among women. However, little is known about the injury profile in this population.ObjectiveThe aim was to describe the incidence, nature and anatomical location of injuries in bat-or-stick sports played by women in a competitive league.MethodsThis review was prospectively registered (PROSPERO CRD42015026715). CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, SPORTDiscus were systematically searched from January 2000 to September 2016, inclusive. Peer-reviewed original research articles reporting the incidence, nature and anatomical location of injuries sustained by women aged 18xa0+xa0years in competitive bat-or-stick sports were included. Two meta-analyses based on injury incidence proportions (injury IP) and injury rates per 1000 person-days of athletic exposure (AE) were performed.ResultsA total of 37 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, and five had low risk of bias. The weighted injury IP was 0.42 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39–0.45]. The weighted injury rate was 6.12 (95% CI 6.05–6.18) overall, and greater in games [15.79 (95% CI 15.65–15.93)] than in practice [3.07 (95% CI 2.99–3.15)]. The ankle was the most commonly injured anatomical location, followed by the hand (including wrist and fingers), knee and head. Soft tissue and ligament injuries were most common types of injuries.ConclusionInjury prevention in women’s sports is a novel and emerging field of research interest. This review highlights that injury incidence is high among female bat-or-stick players, but little information is known about direct causal mechanisms. This review clearly establishes the need for enhancements to injury data collection. Without this information, it will not be possible to develop evidence-based injury prevention interventions.

INJURIES IN AUSTRALIAN FEMALE CRICKETERS AND THEIR TREATMENT SOURCES: AN ANALYSIS OF SELF-REPORTED SURVEY DATA FROM 2014–15 SEASON

Background Cricket is a sport with increasing popularity among women. Most studies examining injury in cricket include only men. In other sports, the types of injuries experienced by men and women are known to be different. Objective To present a profile of self-reported injuries among Australian female cricketers during 2014–15 season. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Community to elite level Australian Cricket. Participants Women who were aged 16+years and registered to play senior cricket (ranging from grade to international level). Main Outcome Measurements Incidence, nature, anatomical location of injuries and their treatment sources. Results Of 164 survey respondents (mean age 23.7 years) 43.6% played cricket as all-rounders. 109 players reported being injured; 18% (n=20) sustained ≥3 injuries. Distal lower limb (23%, n=26) and head, neck and spine (22%, n=5) were the most frequently injured locations. The nature of injuries included 30.4% (n=35) muscle injuries; 27.8% (n=32) joint or ligament injuries and 21.7% (n=25) gradual onset/overuse injuries. The majority of injured respondents (43%, n=52) reported receiving treatment from an allied health professional; 29.2% (n=35) opted for self-treatment and 12.5% (n=15) did not seek any treatment. Conclusions This is the first national survey of injuries in female cricketers in Australia. Compared to previous injury figures for women in sports similar to cricket, the current study shows a higher frequency of injury. The most commonly injured anatomical location was the distal lower limb, in contrast to previous studies reporting shoulder and back pain. The high frequency of head, neck and spinal injuries self-reported needs further consideration to determine the specific nature of these injuries, whilst as are the number of injuries that remain untreated is concerning. There are some limitations to the retrospective self-reported nature of this study. However, this study offers a foundation for future monitoring of injuries sustained by female cricketers.

INJURIES IN ELITE AUSTRALIAN FEMALE CRICKETERS

Background Cricket Australia has a well-established injury surveillance program for its elite male players and has published regular reports. Whilst injury data has been collected for the elite female players, it has not been published to date. Objective To establish injury profiles sustained by elite female players by utilising the data collected through the Cricket Australias Athlete Management System. Design Cohort study, 2014–16 seasons. Setting International and national cricket. Participants Elite women. Main Outcome Measurements Incidence, nature and anatomical location and mechanism of injuries. Results The mean age of the 121 players was 24.2 years (SD ±4.5). 113 players sustained 600 injuries; 77.7% (n=94) sustained ≥1 injury. 477 injuries (79.5%) were acute and 73.2% (n=439) were new. Injury match incidence was 424.7 injuries/10,000 hours for all injuries, and 79.3 injuries/10,000 hours for time-loss. Thigh (n=84, 14.0%), wrist (n=77, 12.8%), knee (n=68, 11.3%), shoulder (n=66, 11.0%) and lumbar spine (n=63, 10.5%) were the most frequently injured regions. There were 31.8% (n=191) muscle injuries; 16.0% (n=96) joint sprains. Most injuries occurred via an insidious onset (28.7%, n=172), with running 15.3% (n=92) the most common mechanism. There were 121 (20.2%) time-loss injuries (94 new and 27 recurrent) resulting total of 3638 days (average 30 days, SD ±47.38) away from the sport. Wrist/hand (n=20, 19.80%) and lumbar spine (n=20, 16.5) were the most common time-loss injuries. Six players sustained lumbar-spine stress fractures that resulted in the most days missed due to injury (average 111 days/injury). Conclusions Similarities are evident between male and female cricket injury profiles with the thigh being the most injured location. This is the first study to demonstrate that elite female cricket players also develop lumbar spine stress fractures, similar to their male counterparts. More research is required to determine the mechanisms for injuries in female players.

Musculoskeletal stiffness during hopping and running does not change following downhill backwards walking

Eccentric contractions that provide spring energy can also cause muscle damage. The aim of this study was to explore leg and vertical stiffness following muscle damage induced by an eccentric exercise protocol. Twenty active males completed 60 minutes of backward-walking on a treadmill at 0.67 m/s and a gradient of − 8.5° to induce muscle damage. Tests were performed immediately before; immediately post; and 24, 48, and 168 hours post eccentric exercise. Tests included running at 3.35 m/s and hopping at 2.2 Hz using single- and double-legged actions. Leg and vertical stiffness were measured from kinetic and kinematic data, and electromyography (EMG) of five muscles of the preferred limb were recorded during hopping. Increases in pain scores (over 37%) occurred post-exercise and 24 and 48 hours later (p < 0.001). A 7% decrease in maximal voluntary contraction occurred immediately post-exercise (p = 0.019). Changes in knee kinematics during single-legged hopping were observed 168 hours post (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in EMG, creatine kinase activity, leg, or vertical stiffness. Results indicate that knee mechanics may be altered to maintain consistent levels of leg and vertical stiffness when eccentric exercise-induced muscle damage is present in the lower legs.