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Joint Injury and Rehabilitation in Sports

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Exercise and Health-Related Quality of Life".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2025 | Viewed by 11145

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Seok-won Kim

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Guest Editor

Department of Physical Education, Jeonbuk National University, Jeonju 54896, Republic of Korea
Interests: sport motion; exercise and gait; muscle and function; joint biomechanics

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The practice of continuous exercise contributes to the improvement of mental and physical health, however there is a risk of injury if excessive load or external shock is applied to the joints. The risk of joint injury increases if the range of motion is large, for example, when playing golf; if excessive forces are applied to the muscles and bones, for example, when playing soccer; and if continuous and repetitive stimuli are applied to the ligaments, tendons, and bones, for example, when runnng marathons. In addition, a lack of training, lack of awareness, inexperience in realtion to motor skills, inappropriate use of exercise equipment, lack of warm-up exercises, negligence in wearing protective equipment, excessively hot or cold weather, muscle imbalance, and/or the abnormal shape of the bones are all contributing factors to joint injuries. The most typical sports injuries include injuries to the tendons (ruptures or tears), ligaments, cartilage, rotator cuffs, bones, bursitis, and dislocation. The site of and damage caused by sports injuries are diverse and are the result of different causes; therefore, a specific and accurate approach is required during the process of rehabilitation. However, if a load continues to be applied to the painful area without rehabilitation, this will result in additional injuries and a difficulty to recover the standard of fitness levels that existed prior to the injury. Rehabilitation must be performed under the supervision of a specialist, since rehabilitation training is accomplished more effectively with a working knowledge of functional anatomy and body mechanics. In addition, the psychological aspect is essential, thus it is even more effective to combine this with psychological treatment.

The present Special Issue invites submissions of original research articles, case studies, systemic reviews, and meta-analyses in the field of “Joint Injury and Rehabilitation in Sports”. We especially welcome submissions of scientific research that considers all populations or aspects of sports or physical activities. Reaserch that invites discussions that may lead to a potential paradigm shift in the current field of reasecrh and/or to studies that identify the underlying mechanisms or define new intervention strategies are especially encouraged.

Dr. Seok-won Kim
Guest Editor

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Keywords

joint injury
rehabilitation
sports
physical activity
muscles

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 1284 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Do Interlimb Knee Joint Loading Asymmetries Persist throughout Stance during Uphill Walking Following Total Knee Arthroplasty?

by Tanner Thorsen, Chen Wen, Jared Porter, Jeffery A. Reinbolt, Joshua T. Weinhandl and Songning Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(14), 6341; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20146341 - 11 Jul 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1268

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine differences in total (TCF), medial compartment (MCF), and lateral compartment (LCF) tibiofemoral joint compressive forces and related muscle forces between replaced and non-replaced limbs during level and uphill walking at an incline of 10°. A musculoskeletal modeling and simulation approach using static optimization was used to determine the muscle forces and TCF, MCF, and LCF for 25 patients with primary TKA. A statistical parametric mapping repeated-measures ANOVA was conducted on knee compressive forces and muscle forces using statistical parametric mapping. Greater TCF, MCF, and LCF values were observed throughout the loading response, mid-stance, and late stance during uphill walking. During level walking, knee extensor muscle forces were greater throughout the first 50% of the stance during level walking, yet greater during uphill walking during the last 50% of the stance. Conversely, knee flexor muscle forces were greater through the loading response and push-off phases of the stance. No between-limb differences were observed for compressive or muscle forces, suggesting that uphill walking may promote a more balanced loading of replaced and non-replaced limbs. Additionally, patients with TKA appear to rely on the hamstrings muscle group during the late stance for knee joint control, thus supporting uphill walking as an effective exercise modality to improve posterior chain muscle strength. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Joint Injury and Rehabilitation in Sports)

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15 pages, 2485 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Ground Slopes on Erector Spinae Muscle Activities and Characteristics of Golf Swing

by Bairan Li, Junsig Wang, Chaojie Wu, Zhe Hu, Jiaying Li, Sang-Cheul Nam, Ze Zhang, Jae-Kyun Ryu and Youngsuk Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(2), 1176; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021176 - 9 Jan 2023

Viewed by 1765

Abstract

(1) Background: ‘Slope’ refers to the position faced by golfers on the course. Research on the recruitment strategies of thoracolumbar erector spinae during golf swings on different slopes may help us to understand some underlying mechanisms of lower back pain. (2) Purpose: The purpose of the present study is to assess electromyography (EMG) patterns of the erector spinae muscles (ES) and the kinematics of the trunk and swing parameters while performing golf swings on three different ground slopes: (1) no slope where the ball is level with the feet (BLF), (2) a slope where the ball is above the feet (BAF), and (3) a slope where the ball is below the feet (BBF). Furthermore, the present study evaluates the effect of slope on the kinematics of the trunk, the X-factor angle, and the hitting parameters. (3) Methods: Eight right-handed recreational male golfers completed five swings using a seven-iron for each ground slope. Surface electromyograms from the left and right sides of the ES thoracolumbar region (T8 and L3 on the spinous process side) were evaluated. Each golf swing was divided into five phases. Kinematics of the shoulder, trunk, and spine were evaluated, and the ball speed, swing speed, carry, smash factor, launch angle, and apex were measured using Caddie SC300. (3) Results: The muscle activity of the BAF and BBF slopes was significantly lower than that of the BLF slope during the early follow-through phase of the thoracic ES on the lead side (i.e., left side) and during the acceleration and early follow-through phases of the lumbar ES on the lead side. The lead and trail side (i.e., right side) lumbar ES were more active during acceleration than the thoracic ES. Additionally, the trends of the lead and trail sides of the thoracolumbar regions on the three slopes were found to be the same across the five phases. Trunk angle and X-factor angles had no significant differences in address, top of backswing, or ball impact. The maximum separation angles of the X-factor appeared in the early phase of the downswing for all the three slopes. Regarding smash factor and launch angle, there were no significant differences between the three slopes. The ball speed, swing speed, carry, and apex were higher on BLF than on BAF and BBF slopes. (4) Conclusion: The findings suggest that amateur golfers face different slopes with altered muscle recruitment strategies. Specifically, during the acceleration phase of the golf swing, the BAF and the BBF slopes, compared with the BLF slope, significantly underactivated the lead side thoracolumbar erector spinae muscles, thereby increasing the risk of back injury. Changes in muscle activity during critical periods may affect neuromuscular deficits in high-handicap players and may have implications for the understanding and development of golf-related lower back pain. In addition, the X-factor angle was not affected by the slope, however, it can be found that the hitting parameters on the BLF slope are more dominant than on the other slopes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Joint Injury and Rehabilitation in Sports)

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13 pages, 1699 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Correlation of Lower Limb Muscle Activity with Knee Joint Kinematics and Kinetics during Badminton Landing Tasks

by Zhe Hu, Youngsuk Kim, Yanan Zhang, Yuxi Zhang, Jiaying Li, Xuan Tang, Jeehoon Sohn and Sukwon Kim

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(24), 16587; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192416587 - 9 Dec 2022

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2973

Abstract

A study on a single-leg landing task after an overhead stroke in badminton suggests that poor knee biomechanical indicators may be a risk factor for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury. A preventive program targeting neuromuscular control strategies is said to alter the biomechanics of the knee joint and have a beneficial effect on reducing ACL injury. However, the relationship between muscle activity around the knee joint and knee biomechanical risk factors in the badminton landing task is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between this movement pattern of muscle activity and knee kinematics and kinetics. This experiment analyzed knee muscle activity and biomechanical information in a sample of 34 badminton players (17 male, 17 female) during a badminton landing task. We assessed the relationship between the rectus femoris (RF), medial hamstring (MHAM), lateral hamstring (LHAM), medial gastrocnemius (MGAS), lateral gastrocnemius (LGAS), medial and lateral hamstring to quadriceps co-contraction ratio (MH/Q and LH/Q) with the knee flexion angle, valgus angle, extension moment, valgus moment, and proximal tibial anterior shear force. A moderate negative correlation was found between the peak knee flexion angle and electromyography (EMG) activity in LGAS (r = 0.47, p = 0.0046, R² = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.16 to 0.70). Peak proximal tibial shear force showed strong and positive correlations with RF EMG activity (r = 0.52, p = 0.0016, R² = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.22 to 0.73) and strong and negative correlations with MH/Q (r = 0.50, p = 0.0023, R² = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.20 to 0.72). The knee extension moment showed moderate and positive correlations with RF EMG activity (r = 0.48, p = 0.0042, R² = 0.23, 95% CI: 0.17 to 0.70) and strong and negative correlations with MH/Q (r = 0.57, p = 0.0004, R² = 0.33, 95% CI: 0.29 to 0.76). The peak knee valgus moment showed strong and positive correlations with LH/Q (r = 0.55, p = 0.0007, R² = 0.31, 95% CI: 0.26 to 0.75). Our findings suggest that there is a correlation between lower extremity muscle activity and knee kinematics and kinetics during the single-leg landing task in badminton; therefore, lower extremity muscle activity should be considered when developing rehabilitation or injury prevention programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Joint Injury and Rehabilitation in Sports)

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15 pages, 1593 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Effectiveness of the Rehabilitation Training Combined with Maitland Mobilization for the Treatment of Chronic Ankle Instability: A Randomized Controlled Trial

by Yikun Yin, Zhengze Yu, Jialin Wang and Junzhi Sun

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15328; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215328 - 20 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4340

Abstract

The study aims to determine whether routine rehabilitation training combined with the Maitland mobilization is more effective than routine rehabilitation training alone in patients with chronic ankle instability, intending to provide a novel rehabilitation strategy for chronic ankle instability. A total of 48 subjects were divided into three groups: EG (Maitland mobilization and routine rehabilitation), CG (routine rehabilitation), and SG (sham mobilization and routine rehabilitation). The intervention was performed three times each week for 4 weeks, for a total of 12 sessions. Before and after the intervention, the muscle strength, star excursion balance test (SEBT), weight-bearing dorsiflexion range of motion (WB-DFROM), ankle range of movement, Cumberland ankle instability tool (CAIT), self-comfort visual analog scale (SCS-VAS), and self-induced stability scale (SISS-VAS) were assessed. The results showed that the improvement of SEBT, WB-DFROM, and active ankle range of movement without the pain in EG was more obvious than CG and SG, but the improvement of the self-report of ankle severity and muscle strength was not. Compared with routine rehabilitation training alone, routine rehabilitation training combined with Maitland mobilization for patients with chronic ankle instability may provide more benefit in terms of balance and ankle range of movement than routine rehabilitation alone, but the improvement in muscle strength was not evident enough. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Joint Injury and Rehabilitation in Sports)

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