Measuring elbow kinematics in cricket bowling

In the sport of cricket the objective of the ‘no-ball’ law is to allow no performance advantage through elbow extension during ball delivery. Since the advent of high-speed video photography it has been revealed that some straightening occurs in bowlers who have actions that are traditionally considered in accordance with the law. Measuring the three-dimensional movement of the elbow is vital when assessing bowling legality in cricket. However, the elbow joint is a complex structure with a remarkable range of motion and tracking its movement through skin-based techniques can be highly erroneous due to the thick layer of skin overlying the joint. Within this work, a biomechanical model was mathematically developed and experimentally validated to assess bowling legality in cricket. The new model meets all of the specifications of a measurement method to be used in sports-related biomechanical studies for non-invasive measurement of joint kinematics at high speeds whilst allowing for the subject to move freely within a large volume. The model was compared with existing methods via a series of sensitivity analyses and was found to significantly improve repeatability compared to available elbow measurement techniques particularly in measuring subtle elbow rotations, such as elbow abduction and forearm pronation. In addition this model can be easily implemented within the existing experimental protocol for assessing bowling legality in cricket as proposed by the England and Wales Cricket Board and will be used in future clinical and sport-related studies

Prolonged but not short-duration blast waves elicit acute inflammation in a rodent model of primary blast limb trauma

BackgroundBlast injuries from conventional and improvised explosive devices account for 75% of injuries from current conflicts; over 70% of injuries involve the limbs. Variable duration and magnitude of blast wave loading occurs in real-life explosions and is hypothesised to cause different injuries. While a number of in vivo models report the inflammatory response to blast injuries, the extent of this response has not been investigated with respect to the duration of the primary blast wave. The relevance is that explosions in open air are of short duration compared to those in confined spaces.MethodsHindlimbs of adult Sprauge-Dawley rats were subjected to focal isolated primary blast waves of varying overpressure (1.8–3.65 kPa) and duration (3.0–11.5 ms), utilising a shock tube and purpose-built experimental rig. Rats were monitored during and after the blast. At 6 and 24 h after exposure, blood, lungs, liver and muscle tissues were collected and prepared for histology and flow cytometry.ResultsAt 6 h, increases in circulating neutrophils and CD43Lo/His48Hi monocytes were observed in rats subjected to longer-duration blast waves. This was accompanied by increases in circulating pro-inflammatory chemo/cytokines KC and IL-6. No changes were observed with shorter-duration blast waves irrespective of overpressure. In all cases, no histological damage was observed in muscle, lung or liver. By 24 h post-blast, all inflammatory parameters had normalised.ConclusionsWe report the development of a rodent model of primary blast limb trauma that is the first to highlight an important role played by blast wave duration and magnitude in initiating acute inflammatory response following limb injury in the absence of limb fracture or penetrating trauma. The combined biological and mechanical method developed can be used to further understand the complex effects of blast waves in a range of different tissues and organs in vivo

Measuring elbow kinematics in cricket bowling

In the sport of cricket the objective of the ‘no-ball’ law is to allow no performance advantage through elbow extension during ball delivery. Since the advent of high-speed video photography it has been revealed that some straightening occurs in bowlers who have actions that are traditionally considered in accordance with the law. Measuring the three-dimensional movement of the elbow is vital when assessing bowling legality in cricket. However, the elbow joint is a complex structure with a remarkable range of motion and tracking its movement through skin-based techniques can be highly erroneous due to the thick layer of skin overlying the joint. Within this work, a biomechanical model was mathematically developed and experimentally validated to assess bowling legality in cricket. The new model meets all of the specifications of a measurement method to be used in sports-related biomechanical studies for non-invasive measurement of joint kinematics at high speeds whilst allowing for the subject to move freely within a large volume. The model was compared with existing methods via a series of sensitivity analyses and was found to significantly improve repeatability compared to available elbow measurement techniques particularly in measuring subtle elbow rotations, such as elbow abduction and forearm pronation. In addition this model can be easily implemented within the existing experimental protocol for assessing bowling legality in cricket as proposed by the England and Wales Cricket Board and will be used in future clinical and sport-related studies.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo