http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8462 2017-11-03T18:26:46Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/9027 Postural control strategies during single limb stance following acute lateral ankle sprain Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn Single-limb stance is maintained via the integration of visual, vestibular and somatosensory afferents. Musculoskeletal injury challenges the somatosensory system to reweight distorted sensory afferents. This investigation supplements kinetic analysis of eyes-open and eyes-closed single-limb stance tasks with a kinematic profile of lower limb postural orientation in an acute lateral ankle sprain group to assess the adaptive capacity of the sensorimotor system to injury. Sixty-six participants with first-time acute lateral ankle sprain completed a 20-second eyes-open single-limb stance task on their injured and non-injured limbs (task 1). Twenty-three of these participants successfully completed the same 20-second single-limb stance task with their eyes closed (task 2). A non-injured control group of 19 participants completed task 1, with 16 completing task 2. 3-dimensional kinematics of the hip, knee and ankle joints, as well as associated fractal dimension of the center-of-pressure path were determined for each limb during these tasks. Between trial analyses revealed significant differences in stance limb kinematics and fractal dimension of the center-of-pressure path for task 2 only. The control group bilaterally assumed a position of greater hip flexion compared to injured participants on their side-matched “involved”(7.41 [6.1°] vs 1.44 [4.8]°; η2 = .34) and “uninvolved” (9.59 [8.5°] vs 2.16 [5.6°]; η2 = .31) limbs, with a greater fractal dimension of the center-of-pressure path (involved limb = 1.39 [0.16°] vs 1.25 [0.14°]; uninvolved limb = 1.37 [0.21°] vs 1.23 [0.14°]). Bilateral impairment in postural control strategies present following a first time acute lateral ankle sprain. 2014-06-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8584 Influence of fatigue on turning characteristics in those with chronic ankle instability Remus, Alexandria; Delahunt, Eamonn; Caulfield, Brian Background: Ankle sprains are typically sustained during change of direction tasks and often occur during the latter thirds of both halves of matches. The effects of fatigue on turning kinematic characteristics has not been studied in a chronic ankle instability population. 6th International Ankle Symposium (IAS), Dublin, Ireland, 16-18 October 2015 2015-10-18T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8568 Acute ankle sprain injury alters kinematic and centre of pressure measures of postural control during single limb stance Doherty, Cailbhe; Delahunt, Eamonn; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Ryan, John; Caulfield, Brian Background: Upright single-limb stance (SLS) is maintained via integration of visual, vestibular and somatosensory afferents. The presence of redundancies between these afferents allows the sensorimotor system to simplify a specific task within a number of strategies. Musculoskeletal injury challenges the somatosensory system to reweight distorted sensory afferents. No current investigation has supplemented kinetic analysis of eyes-open and eyes-closed SLS tasks with a kinematic profile of lower limb postural orientation in an acute lateral ankle sprain (LAS) group to assess the adaptive capacity of the sensorimotor system to injury. Objective: To compare centre of pressure (COP) and lower limb postural orientation characteristics of participants with acute LAS to non-injured participants during a SLS task. Design Cross-sectional: Setting University biomechanics laboratory. Participants: 66 participants with acute LAS completed a task of eyes-open SLS on their injured and non-injured limbs (task 1). 23 of these participants successfully completed the SLS task with their eyes closed (task 2). A non-injured control group of nineteen participants completed task 1, with 16 completing task 2. Main outcome measures: 3D kinematics of the hip, knee and ankle joints as well as associated fractal dimension (FD) of the COP path. Results: Between trial analyses of groups revealed significant differences in lower limb kinematics and FD of the COP path for task 2. Post-hoc testing revealed that non-injured control group bilaterally assumed a position of greater hip flexion compared to LAS participants (injured limb=7.41±6.1◦ vs 1.44±4.8◦; non-injured limb=9.59±8.5◦ vs 2.16±5.6◦), with a corollary of greater FD of the COP path (injured limb=1.39±0.16 vs 1.25±0.14; non-injured limb=1.37±0.21 vs 1.23±0.14). Conclusion: Acute LAS causes bilateral impairment in postural control strategies. 2014-04-12T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8484 Gait Biomechanics in Participants, Six Months after First-Time Lateral Ankle Sprain Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Herte, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn No research currently exists predicating a link between the injury-affiliated sensorimotor deficits of acute ankle sprain and those of chronic ankle instability during gait. This analysis evaluates participants with a 6-month history of ankle sprain injury to affirm this link. 69 participants with a 6-month history of acute first-time lateral ankle sprain were divided into subgroups (‘chronic ankle instability’ and 'coper') based on their self-reported disability and compared to 20 non-injured participants during a gait task. Lower extremity kinematic and kinetic data were collected from 200 ms pre- to 200 ms post-heel strike (period 1) and from 200 ms pre- to 200 ms post-toe off (period 2). The ‘chronic ankle instability’ subgroup (who reported greater disability) displayed increased knee flexion during period 1. During period 2, this subgroup exhibited greater total displacement at their ankle joint and greater extensor dominance at their knee. That many of these features are present, both in individuals with acute ankle sprain and those with chronic ankle instability may advocate a link between acute deficits and long-term outcome. Clinicians must be aware that the sensorimotor deficits of ankle sprain may persevere beyond the acute stage of injury and be cognizant of the capacity for impairments to pervade proximally. 2016-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8474 Single-leg drop landing movement strategies 6 months following first-time acute lateral ankle sprain injury Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn No research exists predicating a link between acute ankle sprain injury-affiliated movement patterns and those of chronic ankle instability (CAI) populations. The aim of the current study was to perform a biomechanical analysis of participants, 6 months after they sustained a first-time acute lateral ankle sprain (LAS) injury to establish this link. Fifty-seven participants with a 6-month history of first-time LAS and 20 noninjured participants completed a single-leg drop landing task on both limbs. Three-dimensional kinematic (angular displacement) and sagittal plane kinetic (moment of force) data were acquired for the joints of the lower extremity, from 200 ms pre-initial contact (IC) to 200 ms post-IC. Individual joint stiffnesses and the peak magnitude of the vertical component of the ground reaction force (GRF) were also computed. LAS participants displayed increases in hip flexion and ankle inversion on their injured limb (P < 0.05); this coincided with a reduction in the net flexion-extension moment at the hip joint, with an increase in its stiffness (P < 0.05). There was no difference in the magnitude of the peak vertical GRF for either limb compared with controls. These results demonstrate that altered movement strategies persist in participants, 6 months following acute LAS, which may precipitate the onset of CAI. 2015-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8473 Recovery From a First-Time Lateral Ankle Sprain and the Predictors of Chronic Ankle Instability: A Prospective Cohort Analysis Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn Background: Impairments in motor control may predicate the paradigm of chronic ankle instability (CAI) that can develop in the year after an acute lateral ankle sprain (LAS) injury. No prospective analysis is currently available identifying the mechanisms by which these impairments develop and contribute to long-term outcome after LAS. Purpose: To identify the motor control deficits predicating CAI outcome after a first-time LAS injury. Study Design: Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Eighty-two individuals were recruited after sustaining a first-time LAS injury. Several biomechanical analyses were performed for these individuals, who completed 5 movement tasks at 3 time points: (1) 2 weeks, (2) 6 months, and (3) 12 months after LAS occurrence. A logistic regression analysis of several "salient" biomechanical parameters identified from the movement tasks, in addition to scores from the Cumberland Ankle Instability Tool and the Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) recorded at the 2-week and 6-month time points, were used as predictors of 12-month outcome. Results: At the 2-week time point, an inability to complete 2 of the movement tasks (a single-leg drop landing and a drop vertical jump) was predictive of CAI outcome and correctly classified 67.6% of cases (sensitivity, 83%; specificity, 55%; P = .004). At the 6-month time point, several deficits exhibited by the CAI group during 1 of the movement tasks (reach distances and sagittal plane joint positions at the hip, knee and ankle during the posterior reach directions of the Star Excursion Balance Test) and their scores on the activities of daily living subscale of the FAAM were predictive of outcome and correctly classified 84.8% of cases (sensitivity, 75%; specificity, 91%; P < .001). Conclusion: An inability to complete jumping and landing tasks within 2 weeks of a first-time LAS and poorer dynamic postural control and lower self-reported function 6 months after a first-time LAS were predictive of eventual CAI outcome. 2016-02-24T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8454 Coordination and symmetry patterns during the drop vertical jump, 6-months after first-time lateral ankle sprain Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Sweeney, Kevin T.; Patterson, Matthew; Delahunt, Eamonn To evaluate the adaptive movement and motor control patterns of a group with a 6-month history of first-time lateral ankle sprain (LAS) injury during a drop vertical jump (DVJ) task. Fifty-one participants with a 6-month history of first-time acute LAS injury and twenty controls performed a DVJ task. 3D kinematic and sagittal plane kinetic profiles were plotted for the lower extremity joints of both limbs for the drop jump (phase 1) and drop landing (phase 2) phases of the DVJ. Inter-limb symmetry and the rate of impact modulation (RIM) relative to bodyweight (BW) during both phases of the DVJ were also determined. LAS participants displayed bilateral increases in knee flexion and an increase in ankle inversion during phases 1 and 2, respectively. They also displayed reduced ankle plantar flexion on their injured limb during both phases of the DVJ (p < 0.05); increased inter-limb asymmetry of RIM was noted for both phases of the DVJ, while the moment-of-force profile exhibited bilaterally greater hip extensor dominance during phase 1. Participants with a 6-month history of first-time LAS display some movement patterns consistent with those observed in chronic ankle instability populations during similar tasks. 2015-10-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8453 A comparison of the movement patterns of specific rugby union movements on both natural turf and artificial turf O'Keeffe, Seamus; Fullam, Karl; Feeley, Marc O.; Caulfield, Brian; Delahunt, Eamonn; Coughlan, Garrett; Gilchrist, M. D. A limitation of sports kinematic studies is that they cannot fully represent in-situ play conditions for fast dynamic sports. This paper describes the use of new inertial sensor measurement technology (ODonovan et al., 2009) to analyse player motions in the field under game-like conditions in order to quantify the impact of different playing surfaces on movement patterns. The wireless sensor system used in this study (Shimmer 3, Shimmer Research, Ireland) is a lightweight (50x25x12.5mm3), wearable, low-power consumption inertial measurement unit that contains a tri-axial accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer. Sensor data can be used to derive a range of spatiotemporal and kinematic variables to quantify performance during gait and other functional activities. In our research we are using these sensors as a means to characterise movement during a running activity. The motivation for this study has been to compare movement profiles and strategies of rugby players performing game related tasks on natural turf surfaces and on synthetic surfaces, to enable a better understanding of the impact of different playing surfaces on movement and associated forces and stresses exerted on the body. This is important as there is a growing trend towards use of synthetic surfaces in rugby union and there have been anecdotal reports of injuries that are perceived to be related to the playing surface. In this paper we present preliminary movement data acquired from players performing a 10m sprint test on natural and synthetic surfaces and describe our methods of data extraction and subsequent data processing. 2nd International Congress on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support (IcSPORTS 2014), Rome, Italy, 24-26 October 2014 2014-10-26T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8441 Inter-joint coordination strategies during unilateral stance 6-months following first-time lateral ankle sprain Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Ryan, John; Sweeney, Kevin T.; Delahunt, Eamonn Background: Longitudinal analyses of participants with a history of lateral ankle sprain are lacking. This investigation combined measures of inter-joint coordination and stabilometry to evaluate eyes-open (condition 1) and eyes-closed (condition 2) static unilateral stance performance in a group of participants, 6-months after they sustained an acute, first-time lateral ankle sprain in comparison to a control group. Methods: Sixty-nine participants with a 6-month history of first-time lateral ankle sprain and 20 non-injured controls completed three 20-second unilateral stance task trials in conditions 1 and 2. An adjusted coefficient of multiple determination statistic was used to compare stance limb 3-dimensional kinematic data for similarity in the aim of establishing patterns of lower-limb inter-joint coordination. The fractal dimension of the stance limb centre of pressure path was also calculated. Findings: Between-group analyses revealed significant differences in stance limb inter-joint coordination strategies for conditions 1 and 2, and in the fractal dimension of the centre-of-pressure path for condition 2 only. Injured participants displayed increases in ankle–hip linked coordination compared to controls in condition 1 (sagittal/frontal plane: 0.15 [0.14] vs 0.06 [0.04]; η2 = .19; sagittal/transverse plane: 0.14 [0.11] vs 0.09 [0.05]; η2 = 0.14) and condition 2 (sagittal/frontal plane: 0.15 [0.12] vs 0.08 [0.06]; η2 = 0.23), with an associated decrease in the fractal dimension of the centre-of-pressure path (injured limb: 1.23 [0.13] vs 1.36 [0.13]; η2 = 0.20). Interpretation: Participants with a 6-month history of first-time lateral ankle sprain exhibit a hip-dominant coordination strategy for static unilateral stance compared to non-injured controls. 2015-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8438 Lower extremity coordination and symmetry patterns during a drop vertical jump task following acute ankle sprain Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Sweeney, Kevin T.; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn Purpose: Evaluate the potentially adaptive movement patterns associated with acute lateral ankle sprain (LAS) using biomechanical analyzes. Methods: Thirty participants with acute LAS and nineteen controls performed a drop vertical jump (DVJ) task. 3D kinematic and sagittal plane kinetic profiles were plotted for the hip, knee and ankle joints of both limbs for the drop jump (phase 1) and drop landing (phase 2) phases of the DVJ. Inter-limb symmetry and the rate of force development (RFD) relative to bodyweight (BW) during both phases of the DVJ were also determined. Results: The LAS group displayed reduced ankle plantar-flexion on their injured limb during phase 2 of the DVJ, with greater associated inter-limb asymmetry for this movement (p < .05). The LAS group also displayed altered kinetic profiles, with increased inter-limb hip asymmetry for both phases of the DVJ (p < .05). This was associated with a decrease in the LAS participants’ injured limb RFD during phase 2 of the DVJ when compared with that of controls (11.76 ± 3.43 BW/s vs 14.60 ± 3.20 BW/s; p = .01, η2 = 0.14). Conclusion: Participants with LAS display potentially aberrant coordination strategies during a DVJ as evidenced by an increased dependence on the non-injured limb. 2014-12-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8362 Locomotive biomechanics in persons with chronic ankle instabilityand lateral ankle sprain copers Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn Objectives: To compare the locomotive biomechanics of participants with chronic ankle instability (CAI) to those of lateral ankle sprain (LAS) copers. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: Twenty-eight participants with CAI and 42 LAS copers each performed 5 self-selected paced gait trials. 3-D lower extremity temporal kinematic and kinetic data were collected for these participants from 200 ms pre- to 200 ms post-heel strike (period 1) and from 200 ms pre- to 200 ms post-toe off (period 2). Results: The CAI group displayed increased hip flexion bilaterally during period 1 compared to LAS copers. During period 2, CAI participants exhibited reduced hip extension bilaterally, increased knee flexion bilaterally and increased ankle inversion on the ‘involved’ limb. They also displayed a bilateral decrease in the flexor moment pattern at the knee. Conclusions: Considering that all of the features which distinguished CAI participants from LAS copers were also evident in our previously published research (within 2-weeks following acute first-time LAS); these findings establish a potential link between these features and long-term outcome following first-time LAS. Clinicians must be cognizant of the capacity for these movement and motor control impairments to cascade proximally from the injured joint up the kinetic chain and recognise the value that gait re-training may have in rehabilitation planning to prevent CAI. 2016-07-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8361 Lower extremity function during gait in participants with first time acute lateral ankle sprain compared to controls Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn Laboratory analyses of chronic ankle instability populations during gait have elucidated a number of anomalous movement patterns. No current research exists analysing these movement patterns in a group in the acute phase of lateral ankle sprain (LAS) injury. It is possible that participants with an acute LAS display movement patterns continuous with their chronically impaired counterparts. Sixty eight participants with acute LAS and nineteen non-injured participants completed five gait trials. 3D lower extremity temporal kinematic and kinetic data were collected from 200ms pre- to 200ms post-heel strike (period 1) and from 200ms pre- to 200ms post-toe off (period 2). During period 1, the LAS group displayed increased knee flexion with increased net extensor pattern at the knee joint, increased ankle inversion with a greater inversion moment, and reduced ankle plantar flexion, compared to the non-injured control group. During period 2, the LAS group displayed decreased hip extension with a decrease in the flexor moment at the hip, and decreased ankle plantar flexion with a decrease in the net plantar flexion moment, compared to the non-injured control group. These results indicate that participants with acute LAS display coordination strategies which may play a role in the onset of chronicity or recovery. 2015-02-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8348 The Incidence and Prevalence of Ankle Sprain Injury: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Prospective Epidemiological Studies Doherty, Cailbhe; Delahunt, Eamonn; Caulfield, Brian; Hertel, Jay; Ryan, John; Bleakley, Chris J. Background: Ankle sprain is one of the most common musculoskeletal injuries, yet a contemporary review and meta-analysis of prospective epidemiological studies investigating ankle sprain does not exist. Objective: Our aim is to provide an up-to-date account of the incidence rate and prevalence period of ankle sprain injury unlimited by timeframe or context activity. Methods: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analyses of English articles using relevant computerised databases. Search terms included Medical Search Headings for the ankle joint, injury and epidemiology. The following inclusion criteria were used: the study must report epidemiology findings of injuries sustained in an observed sample; the study must report ankle sprain injury with either incidence rate or prevalence period among the surveyed sample, or provide sufficient data from which these figures could be calculated; the study design must be prospective. Independent extraction of articles was performed by two authors using pre-determined data fields. Results: One-hundred and eighty-one prospective epidemiology studies from 144 separate papers were included. The average rating of all the included studies was 6.67/11, based on an adapted version of the STROBE (STrengthening the Reporting of OBservational studies in Epidemiology) guidelines for rating observational studies. 116 studies were considered high quality and 65 were considered low quality. The main findings of the meta-analysis demonstrated a higher incidence of ankle sprain in females compared with males (13.6 vs 6.94 per 1,000 exposures), in children compared with adolescents (2.85 vs 1.94 per 1,000 exposures) and adolescents compared with adults (1.94 vs 0.72 per 1,000 exposures). The sport category with the highest incidence of ankle sprain was indoor/court sports, with a cumulative incidence rate of 7 per 1,000 exposures or 1.37 per 1,000 athlete exposures and 4.9 per 1,000 h. Low-quality studies tended to underestimate the incidence of ankle sprain when compared with high-quality studies (0.54 vs 11.55 per 1,000 exposures). Ankle sprain prevalence period estimates were similar across sub-groups. Lateral ankle sprain was the most commonly observed type of ankle sprain. Conclusions: Females were at a higher risk of sustaining an ankle sprain compared with males and children compared with adolescents and adults, with indoor and court sports the highest risk activity. Studies at a greater risk of bias were more likely to underestimate the risk of ankle sprain. Participants were at a significantly higher risk of sustaining a lateral ankle sprain compared with syndesmotic and medial ankle sprains. 2014-01-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8310 Balance failure in single limb stance due to ankle sprain injury: An analysis of center of pressure using the fractal dimension method Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn Instrumented postural control analysis plays an important role in evaluating the effects of injury on dynamic stability during balance tasks, and is often conveyed with measures based on the displacement of the center-of-pressure (COP) assessed with a force platform. However, the desired outcome of the task is frequently characterized by a loss of dynamic stability, secondary to injury. Typically, these failed trials are discarded during research investigations, with the potential loss of informative data pertaining to task success. The novelty of the present study is that COP characteristics of failed trials in injured participants are compared to successful trial data in another injured group, and a control group of participants, using the fractal dimension (FD) method. Three groups of participants attempted a task of eyes closed single limb stance (SLS): twenty-nine participants with acute ankle sprain successfully completed the task on their non-injured limb (successful injury group); twenty eight participants with acute ankle sprain failed their attempt on their injured limb (failed injury group); sixteen participants with no current injury successfully completed the task on their non-dominant limb (successful non-injured group). Between trial analyses of these groups revealed significant differences in COP trajectory FD (successful injury group: 1.58 ± 0.06; failed injury group: 1.54 ± 0.07; successful non-injured group: 1.64 ± 0.06) with a large effect size (0.27). These findings demonstrate that successful eyes-closed SLS is characterized by a larger FD of the COP path when compared to failed trials, and that injury causes a decrease in COP path FD. 2014-05-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8309 Single-leg drop landing motor control strategies following acute ankle sprain injury Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn No research currently exists investigating the effect of acute injury on single-limb landing strategies. The aim of the current study was to analyse the coordination strategies of participants in the acute phase of lateral ankle sprain (LAS) injury. Thirty-seven participants with acute, first-time, LAS and nineteen uninjured participants completed a single-leg drop landing task (DL) on both limbs. 3-dimensional kinematic (angular displacement) and sagittal plane kinetic (moment of force) data were acquired for the joints of the lower extremity, from 200ms pre-initial contact (IC) to 200ms post IC. The peak magnitude of the vertical component of the ground reaction force (GRF) was also computed. Injured participants displayed a bilateral increase in hip flexion, with altered transverse plane kinematic profiles at the knee and ankle for both limbs (p < 0.05). This coincided with a reduction in the net supporting flexor moment of the lower extremity (p < 0.05) and magnitude of the peak vertical GRF for the injured limb (21.82 ± 2.44 N/kg vs 24.09 ± 2.77 N/kg; p = 0.013) in injured participants compared to control participants. These results demonstrate that compensatory movement strategies are utilized by participants with acute LAS to successfully reduce the impact forces of landing. 2015-08-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8308 Dynamic balance deficits in individuals with chronic ankle instability compared to ankle sprain copers 1 year after a first-time lateral ankle sprain injury Doherty, Cailbhe; Bleakley, Chris J.; Hertel, Jay; Caulfield, Brian; Ryan, John; Delahunt, Eamonn Purpose: To quantify the dynamic balance deficits that characterise a group with chronic ankle instability compared to lateral ankle sprain copers and non-injured controls using kinematic and kinetic outcomes. Methods: Forty-two participants with chronic ankle instability and twenty-eight lateral ankle sprain copers were initially recruited within 2 weeks of sustaining a first-time, acute lateral ankle sprain and required to attend our laboratory 1 year later to complete the current study protocol. An additional group of non-injured individuals were also recruited to act as a control group. All participants completed the anterior, posterior-lateral and posterior-medial reach directions of the star excursion balance test. Sagittal plane kinematics of the lower extremity and associated fractal dimension of the centre of pressure path were also acquired. Results: Participants with chronic ankle instability displayed poorer performance in the anterior, posterior-medial and posterior-lateral reach directions compared with controls bilaterally, and in the posterior-lateral direction compared with lateral ankle sprain copers on their ‘involved’ limb only. These performance deficits in the posterior-lateral and posterior-medial directions were associated with reduced flexion and dorsiflexion displacements at the hip, knee and ankle at the point of maximum reach, and coincided with reduced complexity of the centre of pressure path. Conclusion: In comparison with lateral ankle sprain copers and controls, participants with chronic ankle instability were characterised by dynamic balance deficits as measured using the SEBT. This was attested to reduced sagittal plane motions at the hip, knee and ankle joints, and reduced capacity of the stance limb to avail of its supporting base. 2016-04-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/8235 Analysing Fatigue in Chronic Ankle Instability [Poster Presentation] Remus, Alexandria; Delahunt, Eamonn; Sweeney, Kevin T.; Caulfield, Brian Lateral ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries suffered by athletes in sports. It is estimated that an upwards of 70% of athletes will develop chronic ankle instability following an initial sprain. Despite the high prevalence of CAI, knowledge of the mechanism or prevention of repeated ankle sprains is limited . Since most sprains occur in the latter halves of matches, the purpose of this study was to determine the effects of fatigue on lower limb movement variability in individuals with and without CAI during running gait using 3D inertial sensors Evolve Biomed 2015, Dublin, Ireland, 29-30 2015 2015-04-30T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/7876 Evaluating Performance of the Lunge Exercise with Multiple and Individual Inertial Measurement Units Whelan, Darragh; O'Reilly, Martin; Ward, Tomás; Delahunt, Eamonn; Caulfield, Brian The lunge is an important component of lower limb rehabilitation, strengthening and injury risk screening. Completing the movement incorrectly alters muscle activation and increases stress on knee, hip and ankle joints. This study sought to investigate whether IMUs are capable of discriminating between correct and incorrect performance of the lunge. Eighty volunteers (57 males, 23 females, age: 24.68± 4.91 years, height: 1.75± 0.094m, body mass: 76.01±13.29kg) were fitted with five IMUs positioned on the lumbar spine, thighs and shanks. They then performed the lunge exercise with correct form and 11 specific deviations from acceptable form. Features were extracted from the labelled sensor data and used to train and evaluate random-forests classifiers. The system achieved 83% accuracy, 62% sensitivity and 90% specificity in binary classification with a single sensor placed on the right thigh and 90% accuracy, 80% sensitivity and 92% specificity using five IMUs. This multi-sensor set up can detect specific deviations with 70% accuracy. These results indicate that a single IMU has the potential to differentiate between correct and incorrect lunge form and using multiple IMUs adds the possibility of identifying specific deviations a user is making when completing the lunge. Pervasive Health 2016: 10th EAI International Conference on Pervasive Computing Technologies for Healthcare, Cancun, Mexico, 16-19 May 2016 2016-05-19T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/6555 Star Excursion Balance Test performance and application in elite junior rugby union players Coughlan, Garrett; Delahunt, Eamonn; O'Sullivan, Eoghan; Fullam, Karl; Green, Brian; Caulfield, Brian Objectives: To evaluate performance on selected reach directions of the Start Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) in an elite underage rugby union population, and determine if differences exist between the forward and back position units. This information may have implications for the application of this test in player injury prevention and management. Design: Descriptive study. Setting: Gymnasium at an elite junior rugby union screening camp. Participants: 102 healthy male elite rugby union players (age = 17.9 ± 1.1 years, height = 1.83 ± 0.07 m, body mass = 90.5 ± 11.3 kg). Main outcome measures: Participants were assessed on the Anterior (A), Posterior-medial (PM), and Posterior-lateral (PL) reach directions of the SEBT. Results: Normative data for SEBT performance in the A, PM and PL reach directions were established for an elite junior rugby union population. No significant differences in dynamic postural stability were observed between the forward and back position units. Conclusions: This study provides normative SEBT data on an elite junior rugby union population, which enables clinicians to compare player dynamic postural stability and has implications for use in the prevention and management of player injuries. 2014-11-01T00:00:00Z http://hdl.handle.net/10197/6419 An Ambulatory Method of Identifying Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructed Gait Patterns Patterson, Matthew; Delahunt, Eamonn; Sweeney, Kevin T.; Caulfield, Brian The use of inertial sensors to characterize pathological gait has traditionally been based on the calculation of temporal and spatial gait variables from inertial sensor data. This approach has proved successful in the identification of gait deviations in populations where substantial differences from normal gait patterns exist; such as in Parkinsonian gait. However, it is not currently clear if this approach could identify more subtle gait deviations, such as those associated with musculoskeletal injury. This study investigates whether additional analysis of inertial sensor data, based on quantification of gyroscope features of interest, would provide further discriminant capability in this regard. The tested cohort consisted of a group of anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed (ACL-R) females and a group of non-injured female controls, each performed ten walking trials. Gait performance was measured simultaneously using inertial sensors and an optoelectronic marker based system. The ACL-R group displayed kinematic and kinetic deviations from the control group, but no temporal or spatial deviations. This study demonstrates that quantification of gyroscope features can successfully identify changes associated with ACL-R gait, which was not possible using spatial or temporal variables. This finding may also have a role in other clinical applications where small gait deviations exist. 2014-01-07T00:00:00Z