The Use of Wearable Sensor Technology to Detect Shock Impacts in Sports and Occupational Settings: A Scoping Review

MultiSenseBadminton: Wearable Sensor-Based Biomechanical Dataset for Evaluation of Badminton Performance

The sports industry is witnessing an increasing trend of utilizing multiple synchronized sensors for player data collection, enabling personalized training systems with multi-perspective real-time feedback. Badminton could benefit from these various sensors, but there is a scarcity of comprehensive badminton action datasets for analysis and training feedback. Addressing this gap, this paper introduces a multi-sensor badminton dataset for forehand clear and backhand drive strokes, based on interviews with coaches for optimal usability. The dataset covers various skill levels, including beginners, intermediates, and experts, providing resources for understanding biomechanics across skill levels. It encompasses 7,763 badminton swing data from 25 players, featuring sensor data on eye tracking, body tracking, muscle signals, and foot pressure. The dataset also includes video recordings, detailed annotations on stroke type, skill level, sound, ball landing, and hitting location, as well as survey and interview data. We validated our dataset by applying a proof-of-concept machine learning model to all annotation data, demonstrating its comprehensive applicability in advanced badminton training and research.

A Wearable Biofeedback Device for Monitoring Tibial Load During Partial Weight-Bearing Walking

Patients with tibial fractures are usually advised to follow a partial weight-bearing gait rehabilitation program after surgery to promote bone healing and lower limb functional recovery. Currently, the biofeedback devices used for gait rehabilitation training in fracture patients use ground reaction force (GRF) as the indicator of tibial load. However, an increasing body of research has shown that monitoring GRF alone cannot objectively reflect the load on the lower limb bones during human movement. In this study, a novel biofeedback system was developed utilizing inertial measurement units and custom instrumented insoles. Based on the data collected from experiments, a hybrid approach combining a physics-based model and neural network architectures was used to predict tibial force. Compared to the traditional physics-based algorithm, the physical guided neural networks method showed better predictive performance. The study also found that regardless of the type of weight-bearing walking, the peak tibial force was significantly higher than the peak tibial GRF, and the time at which the peak tibial compression force occurs may not be consistent with the time at which the peak vertical GRF occurs. This further supports the idea that during gait rehabilitation training for patients with tibial fractures, monitoring and providing feedback on the actual tibial force rather than just the GRF is necessary. The developed device is a non-invasive and reliable portable device that can provide audio feedback, providing a viable solution for gait rehabilitation training outside laboratory and helping to optimize patients' rehabilitation treatment strategies.

Dementia in former amateur and professional contact sports participants: population-based cohort study, systematic review, and meta-analysis

Background

Although there is growing evidence that former professional athletes from sports characterised by repetitive head impact subsequently experience an elevated risk of dementia, the occurrence of this disorder in retired amateurs, who represent a larger population, is uncertain. The present meta-analysis integrates new results from individual-participant analyses of a cohort study of former amateur contact sports participants into a systematic review of existing studies of retired professionals and amateurs.

Methods

The cohort study comprised 2005 male retired amateur athletes who had competed internationally for Finland (1920-1965) and a general population comparison group of 1386 age-equivalent men. Dementia occurrence was ascertained from linked national mortality and hospital records. For the PROSPERO-registered (CRD42022352780) systematic review, we searched PubMed and Embase from their inception to April 2023, including cohort studies published in English that reported standard estimates of association and variance. Study-specific estimates were aggregated using random-effect meta-analysis. An adapted Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool was used to assess study quality.

Findings

In the cohort study, up to 46 years of health surveillance of 3391 men gave rise to 406 dementia cases (265 Alzheimer's disease). After adjustment for covariates, former boxers experienced elevated rates of dementia (hazard ratio: 3.60 [95% CI 2.46, 5.28]) and Alzheimer's disease (4.10 [2.55, 6.61]) relative to general population controls. Associations were of lower magnitude in retired wrestlers (dementia: 1.51 [0.98, 2.34]; Alzheimer's disease: 2.11 [1.28, 3.48]) and soccer players (dementia: 1.55 [1.00, 2.41]; Alzheimer's disease: 2.07 [1.23, 3.46]), with some estimates including unity. The systematic review identified 827 potentially eligible published articles, of which 9 met our inclusion criteria. These few retrieved studies all sampled men and the majority were of moderate quality. In sport-specific analyses according to playing level, there was a marked difference in dementia rates in onetime professional American football players (2 studies; summary risk ratio: 2.96 [95% CI 1.66, 5.30]) relative to amateurs in whom there was no suggestion of an association (2 studies; 0.90 [0.52, 1.56]). For soccer players, while dementia occurrence was raised in both erstwhile professionals (2 studies; 3.61 [2.92, 4.45]) and amateurs (1 study; 1.60 [1.11, 2.30]) there was again a suggestion of a risk differential. The only studies of boxers comprised former amateurs in whom there was a tripling in the rates of dementia (2 studies; 3.14 [95% CI 1.72, 5.74]) and Alzheimer's disease (2 studies; 3.07 [1.01, 9.38]) at follow-up compared to controls.

Interpretation

Based on a small number of studies exclusively sampling men, former amateur participants in soccer, boxing, and wrestling appeared to experience an elevated risk of dementia relative to the general population. Where data allowed comparison, there was a suggestion that risks were greater amongst retired professionals relative to amateurs in the sports of soccer and American football. Whether these findings are generalisable to the contact sports not featured, and to women, warrants examination.

Funding

This work was unfunded.

Neurotrauma Prevention Review: Improving Helmet Design and Implementation

Neurotrauma continues to contribute to significant mortality and disability. The need for better protective equipment is apparent. This review focuses on improved helmet design and the necessity for continued research. We start by highlighting current innovations in helmet design for sport and subsequent utilization in the lay community for construction. The current standards by sport and organization are summarized. We then address current standards within the military environment. The pathophysiology is discussed with emphasis on how helmets provide protection. As innovative designs emerge, protection against secondary injury becomes apparent. Much research is needed, but this focused paper is intended to serve as a catalyst for improvement in helmet design and implementation to provide more efficient and reliable neuroprotection across broad arenas.

The Ecological Validity of Countermovement Jump to On-Court Asymmetry in Basketball

Jump-based asymmetry is often used as an indicator of sport performance and may be used to discern injury susceptibility. Due to task specificity, however, countermovement jump asymmetry may not be representative of on-court asymmetry. As such, we assessed the association between countermovement jump asymmetry and on-court impact asymmetry metrics (n=3, and n=4, respectively) using linear regressions (α=0.05). Fifteen female basketball athletes completed countermovement jump and on-court sessions across a competitive season. A significant negative association was found between peak landing force asymmetry and both overall and medium acceleration on-court asymmetry (b=–0.1, R ² =0.08, p<0.001; b=–0.1, R ² =0.11, p<0.001, respectively), as well as between peak propulsive force asymmetry and on-court medium acceleration asymmetry (b=–0.24, R ² =0.04, p=0.01). Alternatively, both peak landing and peak propulsive force asymmetry were significantly positively associated with on-court high acceleration asymmetry (b=0.17, R ² =0.08, p<0.001; b=0.35, R ² =0.02, p=0.04, respectively). While some overlap may exist, countermovement jump and on-court impact asymmetry appear to be independent. Thus, sport-specific monitoring may be necessary to adequately monitor injury susceptibility using asymmetry.

A Focused Review on the Flexible Wearable Sensors for Sports: From Kinematics to Physiologies

As an important branch of wearable electronics, highly flexible and wearable sensors are gaining huge attention due to their emerging applications. In recent years, the participation of wearable devices in sports has revolutionized the way to capture the kinematical and physiological status of athletes. This review focuses on the rapid development of flexible and wearable sensor technologies for sports. We identify and discuss the indicators that reveal the performance and physical condition of players. The kinematical indicators are mentioned according to the relevant body parts, and the physiological indicators are classified into vital signs and metabolisms. Additionally, the available wearable devices and their significant applications in monitoring these kinematical and physiological parameters are described with emphasis. The potential challenges and prospects for the future developments of wearable sensors in sports are discussed comprehensively. This review paper will assist both athletic individuals and researchers to have a comprehensive glimpse of the wearable techniques applied in different sports.

Human Movement Quality Assessment Using Sensor Technologies in Recreational and Professional Sports: A Scoping Review

The use of sensor technology in sports facilitates the data-driven evaluation of human movement not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of quality. This scoping review presents an overview of sensor technologies and human movement quality assessments in ecologically-similar environments. We searched four online databases to identify 16 eligible articles with either recreational and/or professional athletes. A total of 50% of the studies used inertial sensor technology, 31% vision-based sensor technology. Most of the studies (69%) assessed human movement quality using either the comparison to an expert’s performance, to an exercise definition or to the athletes’ individual baseline performance. A total of 31% of the studies used expert-based labeling of the movements to label data. None of the included studies used a control group-based study design to investigate impact on training progress, injury prevention or behavior change. Although studies have used sensor technology for movement quality assessment, the transfer from the lab to the field in recreational and professional sports is still emerging. Hence, research would benefit from impact studies of technology-assisted training interventions including control groups as well as investigating features of human movement quality in addition to kinematic parameters.

Reliability and Validity of Running Cadence and Stance Time Derived from Instrumented Wireless Earbuds

Instrumented earbuds equipped with accelerometers were developed in response to limitations of currently used running wearables regarding sensor location and feedback delivery. The aim of this study was to assess test-retest reliability, face validity and concurrent validity for cadence and stance time in running. Participants wore an instrumented earbud (new method) while running on a treadmill with embedded force-plates (well-established method). They ran at a range of running speeds and performed several instructed head movements while running at a comfortable speed. Cadence and stance time were derived from raw earbud and force-plate data and compared within and between both methods using t-tests, ICC and Bland-Altman analysis. Test-retest reliability was good-to-excellent for both methods. Face validity was demonstrated for both methods, with cadence and stance time varying with speed in to-be-expected directions. Between-methods agreement for cadence was excellent for all speeds and instructed head movements. For stance time, agreement was good-to-excellent for all conditions, except while running at 13 km/h and shaking the head. Overall, the measurement of cadence and stance time using an accelerometer embedded in a wireless earbud showed good test-retest reliability, face validity and concurrent validity, indicating that instrumented earbuds may provide a promising alternative to currently used wearable systems.

Reliability of MEMS in Shock Environments: 2000-2020

The reliability of MEMS in shock environments is a complex area which involves structural dynamics, fracture mechanics, and system reliability theory etc. With growth in the use of MEMS in automotive, IoT, aerospace and other harsh environments, there is a need for an in-depth understanding of the reliability of MEMS in shock environments. Despite the contributions of many articles that have overviewed the reliability of MEMS panoramically, a review paper that specifically focuses on the reliability research of MEMS in shock environments is, to date, absent. This paper reviews studies which examine the reliability of MEMS in shock environments from 2000 to 2020 in six sub-areas, which are: (i) response model of microstructure, (ii) shock experimental progresses, (iii) shock resistant microstructures, (iv) reliability quantification models of microstructure, (v) electronics-system-level reliability, and (vi) the coupling phenomenon of shock with other factors. This paper fills the gap around overviews of MEMS reliability in shock environments. Through the framework of these six sub-areas, we propose some directions potentially worthy of attention for future research.