A Cross-Sectional Study Comparing Overhead Activities of Senior Tennis Players With and Without Shoulder Pain

Suegnet Meyer, MSc BPHYST MCSP  

MSc Sports Physiotherapy Dissertation

University of Bath, 2018

Abstract

Study Design

Cross-sectional design

Background

Repetitive overhead activity during tennis is a causative factor of shoulder pain. Age and playing years will influence shoulder movement and possibly result in shoulder injuries for throwers and hitting athletes. Literature assessing the shoulder movements of senior overhead athletes with shoulder pain exist, but correlation with serve kinematics is lacking.

Tennis player with motion sensors attached
Tennis player with motion sensors attached
Objectives

This study compares the effect of shoulder overhead activities on senior tennis player – with and without shoulder pain. The differences between movement patterns by means of inertial measurement and shoulder clinical assessments were assessed and correlated with the effect of age and playing history.

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Prevention and Rehabilitation of Thrower’s Elbow

1. What is Thrower’s elbow?

Medial or inside elbow pain may be caused by performing repetitive badminton overhead smashing. These forceful strokes cause inside elbow stress on the elbow (or medial valgus stress), (Fleisig et al., 1996), and may have the following consequences: golfer’s elbow (flexor-pronator tear or tendinosis), nerve irritation (ulnar neuritis), or Ulnar Collateral Ligament (UCL) sprains or ruptures, (Bell, 2006). This ongoing stress on the elbow causes further damage by overloading the bony elbow structures at the back and cause loose bodies and more instability Continue reading

Skiing

Management of ACL Ruptures in Skiers

Clinical Guidelines for the Management and Return to Competition of Professional Alpine Skiers Suffering from Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Rupture

Author: Suegnet Meyer

Introduction

Knee InjuryThe Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is the primary knee stabiliser that prevents anterior laxity of the tibia in relation to the femur and provides rotational knee stability (Negus et al., 2012). In the United States, approximately 200,000 Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions (ACLR) are performed annually at a cost of $3 billion (Brophy et al., 2009). Devastating evidence estimates up to 10% of professional alpine skiers will end their careers due to ACL ruptures or tears (Pujol et al., 2007).

Aim

This Clinical Guidance is aimed at Physiotherapists, Strength & Conditioning Coaches and Doctors to prevent and manage ACL ruptures during professional downhill, freestyle skiing and ski-cross during off-season. Continue reading

Quadriceps Dysfunction in Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome

Knee PainThere exists a lack of consensus determining the etiology of Quadriceps Dysfunction in Patello Femoral Pain Syndrome (PFPS). It is suggested that multifactorial causes for PFPS exist. For example: Quadriceps muscle mass can be reduced due to Vastus medialis atrophy causing Quadriceps strength deficiency or altered Quadriceps recruitment patterns. Abnormal activation patterns due to deficient neuromuscular imbalance causing Vastus lateralis to contract earlier than Vastus Medialis Oblique resulting in a lateral directed force on the patella and abnormal patella tracking has also been suggested. Thus abnormal activation patterns due to a deficient neuromuscular pattern has been considered. Continue reading

Spine Injuries in Sport

Author: Suegnet Meyer

Introduction

This literature review looks at Cervical Injuries that occur during participation in sport. It looks at injuries that happen in sport with frequent impact, e.g. Rugby and American Football, and also injuries due to continuous strain induced by high G-forces, e.g. Motorsport and Bob-Skeleton.

Aims

The aims of this literature review are to establish: 1) Which muscles stabilise the neck? 2) Which Cervical Strengthening (CS) exercises are most effective? 3) Whether cervical strengthening is effective for rehabilitation and injury prevention? Continue reading

Biomechanical Analysis and Measurement of Vertical Jump as a Performance Indicator in Basketball

Author: Suegnet Meyer

Introduction

Vertical jump (VJ) determines explosive lower limb power (Linthorne, 2001). This discussion highlights the VJ kinetic and kinematic pattern and the biomechanical factors maximising vertical jump height (VJH). Furthermore, VJ measurements are analysed and VJ as a basketball performance measure is assessed.

1. Kinetic & Kinematic analysis

Various VJ techniques take place in a sagittal plane. The squat jump (SJ) starts from a stationary semi-squat position excluding the pre-stretching phase. The countermovement jump (CMJ) phases: Continue reading