Magister Scientiae - MSc (Physiotherapy) / Across the world, physical inactivity was found to be associated with cardiovascular and chronic diseases of lifestyle which often leads to an increased rate of various physical disabilities and premature death. To combat these high incidences of chronic diseases of lifestyle, WHO strongly encourages people to become physically active on a daily basis to reduce the risk of premature death. Running has thus become the preferred choice of physical activity by thousands of people to help improve their overall health and wellbeing. Apart from the health benefits&nbsp; that running provides, it can also predispose the runner to potential injury especially when runners follow an inappropriate training programme and have inadequate knowledge about factors causing injury. Therefore, baseline data about the prevalence, incidence of injury and the identification of the aetiological factors associated with running injuries are needed to develop and implement preventative programmes to allow runners to optimally perform in training and races without injury. In South Africa, there is limited research available on the incidence of injury in runners yet there is an annual increase in participation in races such as Two Oceans and Comrades marathon which could lead to an increase in the number of running injuries.Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of injuries and identify the various risk factors that are associated with injuries in road runners at a local athletic club. Methods: A prospective cohort study design over a 16 week period using quantitative research methods was used. A sample of 50 runners had consented to participate in the study. The participants had to complete a self-administered questionnaire and clinical measurements of BMI, Q-angle, leglength, muscle strength of lower leg and ROM of hip and knee were recorded. The participants had to complete an injury report form to record any new injuries sustained over the 16 week period of the study. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18 and software SAS v9 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) was used for data capturing and analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistics were done to summarize the data and was expressed as frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations. Injury prevalence and cumulative incidence was calculated as a proportion rate along with 95% confidence interval. The Poisson regression model was used to analyse the association between running injury and the independent variables of interest such as demographics, anthropometric measurements, training methods, running experience and previous injury. The alpha level was set as p< 0.05. Results: The study found that the majority (92%) of the participants (n=46) sustained running injuries in the past prior to the study. A total of 16 participants sustained a number of 50 new injuries over the 16 week study period. Thus the prevalence rate of injuries was 32%. The incidence rate of injuries for this study was 0.67 per 1000km run at a 95% confidence interval of 0.41, 1.08. Furthermore, the most common location of new injuries reported were the calf (20%) and the second most common location was the knee (18%). PFPS was the most common type of knee injury diagnosed, followed by lumbar joint sprain. The results showed that none of the identified factors (running distance, stretching, age, Q-angle, BMI, running experience, leg-length discrepancy and previous running injuries) were directly associated with running injuries. However, a marginal significance was found for running distance (p = 0.08) and leg length discrepancy (p = 0.06). Conclusions: The study found a high prevalence and incidence rate of injury thus the need for preventative programmes have been highlighted. There was no statistical significance found between the identified factors and risk of injury however, there was clinical relevance found between factors identified. One major limitation was the small sample of participants and the short duration of study period. Thus, future research is needed to further determine possible factors associated with running injuries over a longer period and including a larger sample. The results of the study will be made available to all the stakeholders (runners, coaches and medical team) to implement in athletic club. / South Africa

Submitted in partial compliance with the requirements for the Master’s Degree in Technology: Chiropractic, Durban University of Technology, Durban, South Africa, 2016. / Background: Running injuries are increasingly common as participation in this sport increases. Health care providers need to be better able to treat and manage these injuries and prevent their recurrence. Thus, there is a need for profiles of different population groups to enable the development of health promotion and injury prevention strategies. This research study profiled and tracked runners over seven marathons held in the eThekwini and uMgungundlovu Municipalities during the first quarter of 2014. Methods: This Durban University of Technology, Institutional Research and Ethics Committee approved retrospective Chiropractic Treatment Facility record analysis, analysed 741 recorded marathon visits. The records were based on a previously validated data collection tool (CSSA questionnaire) that allowed clinical data to be captured relating to patient demographics, anatomical site of the complaint, clinical impression, diagnosis and treatment. These fields were analysed for each visit, and then captured in SPSS version 22 with records only being excluded because they were unsigned. Descriptive and inferential statistics (McNemar’s tests) were compiled and a p-value of 0.05 was used. Results: The majority of the runners were Black males of approximately 40 years of age. A total of 95.6% of runners presented with overuse injuries, of which 73.6% and 89.3% had no history of previous injury or trauma respectively, and with 94.7% being able to continue participation. The shin and calf (21.7%), thigh (21.6%) and lumbar regions (16.1%) were most commonly affected by injuries which were predominantly muscle strains (23.2%) and SI syndrome (21.4%). These injuries were treated by manipulation (82.8%), massage (57.2%) and PNF stretching (33.6%). With runners that presented at subsequent marathons, a significant difference (McNemar’s p=0.013) in history of previous injury between the first and second marathon was found, with the runner being more likely to report a history of previous injury at their second marathon visit. Specific trends, although not significant, were found for specific subgroups (defined by age, gender, ethnicity, history of previous injury / trauma and chronicity of the diagnoses). Conclusion: The data is not dissimilar to the literature on running injuries, although specific trends in terms of sub categories were noted. These trends require further investigation through prospective, longitudinal studies. / M

Title: Musculoskeletal assessment analysis of triathletes Objectives: The main aim of this master degree thesis is the diagnostics of the current condition of the complex kinesiological examination of musculo-skeletal system in elite performance triathtletes of the Czech National Team level (Junior and U23 categories), including compensational exercises specifically devised for triathlets. Futhermore with the help of the selected data this study is expected to draw some basic conclusions and establish the typical postural characteristics of athletes related to the sport of triathlon. Methods: In this thesis we have used following testing methods: complex musculo skeletal examintation including evaluation of medical history, an antropometrical screening, standing static postural assessment, gait assessment, soft-tissue palpation exam, assessment of the fundamental movement patterns of an individua, examination of neurological reflexes, flexibility and range of motion screening. Based on the above mentioned tests we have received a complete functional and musculo skeletal system profile of each triathlete's. For collection we have used the SPSS 22 data analysis software. For the gender diferentiation we have used non-pairred T-Test and for perofrmance variability within the 3 levels we have used...

The main problems concerning birth of running injuries is their unclear ethiopathogenesis and high frequency. Injuries are often lined with forces affected on tread-down which have to be defused by running shoes. There are also opinions that currently used footwear can cause injuries on the contrary. This work explores impact of particular types of running shoes for influencing of stability. Methods: There are compared two groups of runners: minimalists and classic runners. Their stability is examined with help of posturography in three versions: barefoot, classic and minimalistic footwear. Thereafter there is analyzed relation among stability, used footwear, training usage and frequency of injuries. Results: Minimalists and classic runners have the same stability while they are barefoot. Usage of footwear does not cause significant deterioration of stability in any of groups. Nevertheless most of runners subjectively evaluate the variant of testing barefoot as the simplest. There is more frequent occurence of flat foot among classic runners in comparison with minimalists. Flat foot increases risk of formation injuries, on the contrary, regular compensation motion activity decreases this risk.

Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a stress and overuse injury that presents as pain on the medial aspect of the lower two-thirds of the tibia. It is most often caused by repetitive actions on hard surfaces such as running, marching, and dancing. Individuals most affected by MTSS are runners, members of the military, dancers, and athletes that play soccer, volleyball and basketball. While MTSS has a relatively standard presentation of pain on the medial aspect of the tibia, it can occasionally be mistaken for other injuries such as stress fractures or compartment syndrome. If a diagnosis is unsure, methods such as x-ray, bone-scan, and MRI can be utilized to better obtain the correct diagnosis. A variety of treatments exist for MTSS including, ice, massage, muscle strengthening, and rest. A combination of these various techniques is most often what is employed. In this study, the effectiveness of a set of resistance ankle exercises in combination with ice and massage was tested and compared to that of ice and massage alone. The hypothesis was that athletes receiving the exercises as part of their treatment, in addition to the icing and massaging, would have a greater decrease in pain from MTSS than athletes just receiving ice and massage as treatment. The exercises would strengthen the muscles of the lower leg that, when weak, can contribute to the development of MTSS. Results indicated that the exercises yielded a more significant decrease in pain from MTSS than ice and massage alone.

Chronic posterior compartment syndrome (CPCS) of the leg is a pathological condition which is often encountered by participants in exercise related activities such as running. To date no successful conservative treatment approach existed for the condition. The mainstay of the management of the condition at present is the surgical release of the involved fascia that surrounds the compartment. The main aim of the research project was thus to develop a successful conservative treatment approach for the symptoms of CPCS. It was identified that the current theoretical base did not incorporate the continuous and relatively inelastic nature of the fascia which plays an important role in the condition. Based on an extended literature review, muscles which are linked to the posterior compartment via the myofascial tissue were identified. Tightness in these clinically significant muscles is able to induce stresses in the myofascial chain which could ultimately influence stresses in the posterior compartment of the leg. The release of tightness in these muscles external to the posterior compartment through soft tissue mobilization techniques provides an effective conservative treatment approach for the symptoms of CPCS. A revised model for the pathogenesis of CPCS was developed which formed the basis for treatment interventions. The revised theoretical model for the pathogenesis of CPCS was validated based on a mixed-methodological approach which included a series of exploratory as well as explanatory case studies. This qualitative approach was supplemented by quantitative experiments in which the causal relationships of the condition on certain biomechanical aspects were explored. The treatment interventions had a hundred percent success rate and the results of the experimental research conducted also supports the new theoretical model for the pathogenesis of CPCS. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

Text in English / Regular exercise has significant physical and psychological health benefits yet, paradoxically, may also have harmful effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the physical and psychological health risks of distance running, a popular participation sport in South Africa. Structural equation modelling was employed to examine the personality and motivational antecedents of running addiction and its influence, in turn, on self-reported overuse injuries and upper respiratory tract infections in 220 athletic club members. The predictors and physical health effects of customary training load were also assessed. It was found that perfectionistic concerns, Type A behaviour pattern, and task goal orientation had a direct, positive impact on running addiction, which predicted higher running injury scores. In contrast, training workload (Volume × Intensity) was inversely related to injury risk. Neither running addiction nor any training load variables influenced infectious illness susceptibility. The findings of this study indicate that maladaptive perfectionism, Type A behaviour, and achievement goal orientation may be risk factors for running addiction, which may, in turn, contribute to increased injury incidence in South African distance runners. Conversely, heavier training loads may be protective against injury occurrences in this population. The results of this research may help to enhance current understanding of the possible health hazards of distance running. This knowledge may have practical implications for the health and well-being of runners of diverse levels of ability and experience. / Psychology / D.Litt. et Phil. (Psychology)