INFLUENCE OF COORDINATIVE MOTOR ABILITY ON LOWER LIMB KINEMATICS IN YOUNG FOOTBALL PLAYERS: INJURY PREVENTION THROUGH WEARABLE INERTIAL SENSORS

The aim of the present study was to evaluate, during ordinary training, the lower limb kinematics in young football players, and to verify if the kinematic patterns are influenced by coordinative motor abilities. Fourteen healthy players (10y ± 2m) were enrolled. Each player performed two activities: a pre-defined path with typical movements of football training and matches; the Harre test to evaluated children’s coordinative motor ability. Wearable inertial sensors were used to assess lower limb joint kinematics and accelerations. Based on Harre test, players were divided into two groups, more coordinated and less coordinated. During all tasks performed, less coordinated players showed stiffer kinematic strategies and greater limb asymmetry, which are potentially risky patterns for non-contact (e.g. Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injury. Quantitative analysis on the field could contribute to deepening the biomechanical understanding of players’ motion and injury risk

Evaluation of the Efficacy and Safety of an Exercise Program for Persons with Total Hip or Total Knee Replacement:Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) are among the most common elective surgical procedures. There is a large consensus on the importance of physical activity promotion for an active lifestyle in persons who underwent THR or TKR to prevent or mitigate disability and improve the quality of life (QoL) in the long term. However, there is no best practice in exercise and physical activity specifically designed for these persons. The present protocol aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of an exercise program (6 month duration) designed for improving quality of life in people who had undergone THR or TKR. This paper describes a randomized controlled trial protocol that involves persons with THR or TKR. The participant will be randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group will perform post-rehabilitation supervised training; the control group will be requested to follow the usual care. The primary outcome is QoL, measured with the Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36); Secondary outcomes are clinical, functional and lifestyle measures that may influence QoL. The results of this study could provide evidence for clinicians, exercise trainers, and policymakers toward a strategy that ensures safe and effective exercise physical activity after surgery

Influence of the Screw Positioning on the Stability of Locking Plate for Proximal Tibial Fractures: A Numerical Approach

Tibial fractures are common injuries in people. The proper treatment of these fractures is important in order to recover complete mobility. The aim of this work was to investigate if screw positioning in plates for proximal tibial fractures can affect the stability of the system, and if it can consequently influence the patient healing time. In fact, a more stable construct could allow the reduction of the non-weight-bearing period and consequently speed up the healing process. For that purpose, virtual models of fractured bone/plate assemblies were created, and numerical simulations were performed to evaluate the reaction forces and the maximum value of the contact pressure at the screw/bone interface. A Schatzker type I tibial fracture was considered, and four different screw configurations were investigated. The obtained results demonstrated that, for this specific case study, screw orientation affected the pressure distribution at the screw/bone interface. The proposed approach could be used effectively to investigate different fracture types in order to give orthopaedists useful guidelines for the treatment of proximal tibial fracture

A Randomized Clinical Trial to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of the ACTLIFE Exercise Program for Women with Post-menopausal Osteoporosis: Study Protocol

Osteoporosis (OP) is a systemic disease of the skeleton characterized by increased risk of fracture. There is a general consensus on the efficacy of physical activity in the prevention of bone loss, falls and fractures, but there is no agreement on the best setting to exercise. The aim of the study is to evaluate the efficacy of a 12-months exercise protocol for women with post-menopausal OP when administered as individual home training (IHT) versus gym group training (GGT). The study is a randomized trial with two parallel groups. Sedentary patients with primary post-menopausal osteoporosis are recruited at the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli of Bologna. In the first group, the 12-month ACTLIFE program is performed as IHT, while in the second as GGT. The program is aimed at improving joint mobility, muscle force, balance, motor coordination and endurance. The study is single blinded. Patients are assessed at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. The primary outcome is the modification of quality of life measured with the Short Osteoporosis Quality of Life Questionnaire (ECOS-16). The findings of this study will highlight advantages and disadvantages of exercising in the two different settings and provide evidence on how to increase physical activity in osteoporotic women

Exercise and Oxidative Stress Biomarkers among Adult with Cancer: A Systematic Review

Evidence shows that exercise can have a favourable effect in cancer patients. The exercise's clinical benefits are likely to concern multiple interrelated biological pathways, among which oxidative stress plays a key role. Regular training can induce an adaptive response that strengthens the antioxidative status of the body. To formulate public health recommendations regarding the optimal exercise prescription for cancer patients, a detailed understanding is needed regarding the effect of exercise on variables linked to oxidative stress and antioxidant status of patients. The goal of this systematic review, based on PRISMA, was to explore and critically analyse the evidence regarding the efficacy of exercise on oxidative stress biomarkers among people with cancer. Study search was conducted in the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane, CINAHL, Embase, PEDro, and SPORTDiscus. The studies' quality was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool and STROBE scale. After identification and screening steps, 10 articles were included. The findings provide an encouraging picture of exercise, including resistance training and aerobic activities, in people with cancer. The exercise improved the indicators of the total antioxidant capacity, increased the antioxidant enzymes' activity, or reduced the biomarkers of oxidative damage in various forms of cancer such as breast, lung, head, and neck Regarding oxidative DNA damage, the role of exercise intervention has been difficult to assess. The heterogeneity of study design and the plethora of biomarkers measured hampered the comparison of the articles. This limited the possibility of establishing a comprehensive conclusion on the sensitivity of biomarkers to estimate the exercise's benefits. Further high-quality studies are required to provide data regarding oxidative stress biomarkers responding to exercise. This information will be useful to assess the efficacy of exercise in people with cancer and support the appropriate prescription of exercise in anticancer strategy

BIOMECHANICS AND JOINT COORDINATION IN ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT-INJURED FEMALE FOOTBALLERS DURING A 90° CHANGE OF DIRECTION

The purpose of this study was to investigate the biomechanical predictors of Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in female football players by means of 3D motion capture with vector coding. Women\u27s first-division healthy football players (n=16) performed a series of 90° change of directions. Biomechanics was collected through a marker-based optoelectronic system. In the next 2 consecutive football seasons, 4 ACL injuries were registered. Vector cording technique was used to compare angle-angle coordination between ACL-injured and non-injured players. ACL-injured players showed greater knee valgus (p=0.029) and internal rotation (p=0.017), external hip rotation (p=0.003), ankle eversion (

TYPICAL RISK PATTERN FOR ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT INJURY IS LARGELY PRESENT IN COMPETITIVE ATHLETES: BIOMECHANICAL SCREENING THROUGH WEARABLE SENSORS

The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of biomechanical risk patterns for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injury in a healthy population during the execution of high-dynamics movements. Competitive athletes (n=34) performed a test battery, including single-leg landings, sprints, and cuts. Kinematics was assessed through wearable sensors, and movements exhibiting risk patterns were searched through multiple joint thresholds based on the current literature on ACL injury mechanism. A large portion of the athletes exhibited dangerous patterns in one (94%) or more movements (up to 11). The incidence was higher at initial foot contact and for the movement performed with the non-dominant limb. The early identification of at-risk athletes might support ACL professionals and promote preventative training strategies focused on the increase of movement quality

The effect of active breaks on cognitive performance and classroom behaviour: the I-move study

Background: Active Breaks (ABs) intervention involves short bouts of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) conducted during or between curricular lessons by the appropriately trained teachers. The aim of the Imola Active Breaks Study (IMOVE study) was to evaluate the effect of an ABs intervention on cognitive function and classroom behaviour in primary school children. Methods: The study was quasi-experimental, and it involved two groups attending a primary school in Imola (Bologna, Italy). The Active Breaks group (ABsG) performed the I-MOVE protocol consisting in 10 minutes of ABs divided in warm up, tone-up with high intensity interval training and cool-down. This is repeated three times a day for one year and half. The control group (CG) continued with regular lessons. The baseline assessment was conducted in October 2019 and the follow-up in May 2021. Cognitive performance was assessed using working memory test and classroom behaviour was monitored using an ‘‘ad hoc questionnaire’’. Results: Working memory performance increased significantly more in the ABsG (change: 1.30 1.17) than in CG (0.96 1.20), p < 0.05. Almost the entire sample of the children wanted to continue with this intervention in the next following year. Children reported improvements in their school-life quality, including feeling better in class (75.40%) and in school (82.50%) when using ABs. Improvements were also reported in children time-on-task behaviours: 52.90% said they work easily in class, 52.90% that they could listen more clearly, 58.80% reported they can stay seated easily, and 59.60% that they learned better and were more focused after ABs. Conclusions: In conclusion the program has proven to be very effective on the children’s cognitive improvement and classroom behaviour. Since the ABs intervention demonstrates these positive effects, its implementation in schools can have a beneficial, sustainable and long-term impact on childhood health. Key messages: ABs intervention represents a cost-effective strategy to be implemented in the school settings regardless of the age and sex differences, to make the school a more dynamic environment. Despite the pandemic difficulties, the ABs intervention proved to be sustainable, and to have a positive effect on classroom behaviour by improving children’s concentration and attention in class

No kinematical difference between ultra-congruent and medial-congruent total knee arthroplasty when implanted with mechanical alignment: an in vivo dynamic RSA study

Purpose: To explore in vivo kinematical behavior of the same total knee arthroplasty (TKA) cruciate-retaining (CR) femoral design with either medial-congruent (MC) or ultra-congruent (UC) inlay using model-based dynamic radiostereometric analysis (RSA). The hypothesis was that there would be comparable kinematics between the two groups. Methods: A cohort of 16 randomly selected patients (8 MC Persona Zimmer, 8 UC Persona Zimmer) was evaluated through dynamic radiostereometric analysis (RSA) at a minimum of 9 months after TKA, during the execution of a sit-to-stand. The antero-posterior (AP) translation of the femoral component and the AP translation of the low point of medial and lateral femoral compartments were compared through Student's t test (p < 0.05). Results: Both groups showed a medial pivot behavior, with a significantly greater anterior translation of the Low Point of the lateral compartment with respect to the medial compartment (MC medial range: 2.4 ± 2.4 mm; MC lateral range: 7.7 ± 3.0 mm; p < 0.001 - UC medial range: 3.3 ± 3.3 mm; UC lateral range: 8.0 ± 3.2 mm; p < 0.001). A statistically significant greater degree of flexion was clinically recorded at follow-up visit in the MC group respect to the UC group (126° vs 101°-p = 0.003). Conclusion: The present study did not show difference in the medial pivot behavior between ultra-congruent and medial-congruent total knee arthroplasty when implanted with mechanical alignment; however, the MC group demonstrated a greater degree of flexion. The MC design examined is a valid alternative to the UC design, allowing to achieve a screw-home movement restoration combined with a high flexion