Judo Injuries Frequency in Europe's Top-Level Competitions in the Period 2005-2020.

BACKGROUND: The present study assesses the frequency of injury in Europe's top-level judokas, during top-level competitions, and defines risk factors. METHODS: The members of the EJU Medical Commission collected injury data over the period of 2005 to 2020 using the EJU Injury Registration Form at Europe's top judoka tournaments. RESULTS: Over the 15 years of the study, 128 top-level competitions with 28,297 competitors were included; 699 injuries were registered. Of all competitors, 2.5% needed medical treatment. The knee (17.4%), shoulder (15.7%), and elbow (14.2%) were the most common anatomical locations of injury. Sprains (42.2%) were by far the most frequent injury type, followed by contusions (23.1%). Of all contestants, 0.48% suffered an injury which needed transportation to hospital. There was a statistically significant higher frequency of elbow injuries in female athletes (p < 0.01). Heavy-weight judokas suffered a remarkably low number of elbow injuries, with more knee and shoulder injuries. Light-weight judokas were more prone to elbow injuries. CONCLUSIONS: We found there was a low injury rate in top-level competitors, with a greater frequency of elbow injuries in female judokas. During the 15 years of injury collection data, an injury incidence of 2.5% was found, with a remarkable high injury rate in the women's -52 kg category, and statistically significantly more elbow injuries in women overall

A 90 minute soccer match induces eccentric hamstring muscles fatigue

Background/Purpose of the study. Hamstring injuries are the most prevalent muscle injuries in both amateur and professional soccer (football) players. Eccentric strength deficits and muscle strength imbalances have been associated with an increased risk of muscle injuries. The current study is a non-randomised observational study investigating whether fatigue significantly reduces peak eccentric strength of the hamstring muscle group. Methods. Twenty-two right leg dominant professional football players participated in this study. None were injured or were rehabilitating from an injury at the time of testing. The eccentric strength of the hamstring muscles was determined using the Nordic exercise on a Norbord device prior to a 90 minute soccer match and after its end. Results. There was a significant decrease in eccentric strength at the end of the match (before the match: M = 306.91, SD = 59.26; after the match: Mean = 277.77 ± SD = 60.35 p =.000, Cohen’s d =.50). The imbalance in eccentric hamstring muscle strength between dominant and non-dominant limb before the match remained unchanged after its end. Conclusions. A professional football match significantly impacts on the ability of players to produce high speed eccentric strength in the hamstring muscle groups. Resistance to fatigue and eccentric strength, particularly at high speeds, are considerable factors in conditioning of professional soccer players. Eccentric muscle strength fatigue of the hamstring muscle group after a 90 min soccer match may provide a possible explanation for the greater risk of hamstring injuries under fatigue conditions. © 2021, CIC Edizioni Internazionali s.r.l.. All rights reserved

Hierarchical solutions to compressive problems in fibre-reinforced composites

Currently, the useable compressive properties of a composite are restricted by set design limits well below the expected intrinsic performance of the materials contained within. The next generation of high-performance fibre-reinforced polymer composites will need to address the challenge of improving the absolute performance of composites in compression. This task requires a rethink of the whole system; not only to address practical limitations of current materials, but their combination, interface, and their architecture. The mechanisms involved do not simply act over the nano-, macro-, or meso-level independently, but are mutually related at the system level, complicating the approach