Force transducer system for measurement of ice hockey skating force

Early return to sport post maxillofacial fracture injury in the professional athlete: A systematic review

INTRODUCTION

To summarize the current literature on return to sport times post-maxillofacial fracture injury in the professional athlete.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A literature search on six databases for articles relating to maxillofacial fractures, professional athletes, and return to sport times. Study design, clinical data, and author recommendations were analysed.

RESULTS

17 studies were retrieved. One prospective study returned 17 athletes to competitive rugby union and soccer at 3 weeks post injury without complication. Two large retrospective studies (n = 278) returned patients to sport at approximately 7 weeks without complication. 64% (n = 7) of patients from case based studies returned to sport at 3-14 days, 4 of which utilized protective facemasks. Athletes generally returned to competition earlier for lower grade (3-10 days) compared to higher grade contact sport (21 days at least). 2 articles recommended a 3 months recovery period for combat sports. 8 articles supported the utility of protective facemasks.

CONCLUSION

Early return to sport (<6 weeks) in the professional athlete post maxillofacial fracture injury is achievable. The optimal clinical approach may be to grade the sport according to its impact forces, discuss an early return with reference to the available literature, the potential utility of facemasks, risks of refracture and its operative implications.

New method to evaluate three-dimensional push-off angle during short-track speed skating using wearable inertial measurement unit sensors

The push-off mechanism to generate forward movement in skating has been analyzed by using high-speed cameras and specially designed skates because it is closely related to skater performance. However, using high-speed cameras for such an investigation, it is hard to measure the three-dimensional push-off force, and a skate with strain gauges is difficult to implement in the real competitions. In this study, we provided a new method to evaluate the three-dimensional push-off angle in short-track speed skating based on motion analysis using a wearable motion analysis system with inertial measurement unit sensors to avoid using a special skate or specific equipment insert into the skate for measurement of push-off force. The estimated push-off angle based on motion analysis data was very close to that based on push-off force with a small root mean square difference less than 6% when using the lateral marker in the left leg and the medial marker in the right leg regardless of skating phase. These results indicated that the push-off angle estimation based on motion analysis data using a wearable motion capture system of inertial measurement unit sensors could be acceptable for realistic situations. The proposed method was shown to be feasible during short-track speed skating. This study is meaningful because it can provide a more acceptable push-off angle estimation in real competitive situations.

Towards a wearable monitoring tool for in-field ice hockey skating performance analysis

The capturing of movements by means of wearable sensors has become increasingly popular in order to obtain sport performance measures during training or competition. The purpose of the current study was to investigate the feasibility of using body worn accelerometers to identify previous highlighted performance related biomechanical changes in terms of substantial differences across skill levels and skating phases. Twenty-two ice hockey players of different caliber were equipped with two 3D accelerometers, located on the skate and the waist, as they performed 30 m forward skating sprints on an ice rink. Two measures of the temporal stride characteristics (contact time and stride time) and one measure of the propulsive power (stride propulsion) of a skating stride were calculated and checked for discriminating effects across (i) skill levels and (ii) sprint phases as well as for their (iii) strength of association with the sprint performance (total sprint time). High caliber players showed an increased stride propulsion (+22%, P < 0.05) and shorter contact time (-5%, P < 0.05). All three analysed variables highlighted substantial biomechanical differences between the accelerative and constant velocity phases (P < 0.05). Stride propulsion of acceleration strides primarily correlated to total sprint time (r = -0.57, P < 0.05). The results demonstrate the potential of accelerometers to assess skating technique elements such as contact time or elements characterizing the propulsive power such as center of mass acceleration, to gauge skating performance. Thus, the findings of this study might contribute to establishing wearable sensors for in-field ice hockey skating performance analysis.

Ice hockey skating sprints: run to glide mechanics of high calibre male and female athletes

The skating acceleration to maximal speed transition (sprint) is an essential skill that involves substantial lower body strength and effective propulsion technique. Coaches and athletes strive to understand this optimal combination to improve performance and reduce injury risk. Hence, the purpose of this study was to compare body centre of mass and lower body kinematic profiles from static start to maximal speed of high calibre male and female ice hockey players on the ice surface. Overall, male and female skaters showed similar centre of mass trajectories, though magnitudes differed. The key performance difference was the male's greater peak forward skating speed (8.96 ± 0.44 m/s vs the females' 8.02 ± 0.36 m/s, p < 0.001), which was strongly correlated to peak leg strength (R ² = 0.81). Males generated greater forward acceleration during the initial accelerative steps, but thereafter, both sexes had similar stride-by-stride accelerations up to maximal speed. In terms of technique, males demonstrated greater hip abduction (p = 0.006) and knee flexion (p = 0.026) from ice contact to push off throughout the trials. For coaches and athletes, these findings underscore the importance of leg strength and widely planted running steps during the initial skating technique to achieve maximal skating speed over a 30 m distance.