Can GPS Tracking Prevent Injuries....?

So the domestic football season has finally come to an end, and if you are a good premiership club you are looking to address the injuries that your players sustained over the course of the last season, and to try and prevent them from happening again next season... But how exactly do you achieve that? Well Arsenal FC will be GPS tracking all of their players in future to find out.

The theory is that Arsenal will be able to ascertain the fatigue levels of their players by monitoring how far and fast they run during each training session, and the length of time the player has his foot on the floor during the stance phase of their running gate (load data). Essentially if the player is in good shape he will be on his toes and will be moving around quickly, and if the player is tired then their movement will be slower and their load data will increase indicating that the player is potentially at risk of being injured.

The system which is similar to one being used in aussie rules will take some time to get up and running as they will need to establish the players normal level of activity and how this changes during training and matches but if it helps predict or reduce the incidence of injury then it is a great idea. Whilst it may be some time before the benefits of this system are realised it is a bold step, it shows the dedication and investment that top flight clubs are prepared to make to reduce their ever lengthening injury lists. Will this system result in players being rested for matches based on their poor performance in training? Probably yes, and herein lies the crux of the issue with this system – are all players’ consummate professionals who always give 100% in training? No. But they will soon learn that with this system that there is nowhere to hide.

On a similar theme AC Milan have invested in perhaps the most advanced multipurpose medical centre on the planet, which they use to maintain the players’ fitness and to detect any potential injuries. As well as the more normal sports therapy/physiotherapy practitioners they have specialist’s from the fields of neurology, biochemistry, psychology, dentistry and chiropractic that contribute to overall well being of the players. The psychological element is very interesting as there is lot of evidence to suggest that there is a psychological factor involved in injury and it is less common for sports psychologists to work in football than other sports.

http://www.fitforsportclinic.com/

Scrubs...

To coin a football phrase it’s squeaky bum time, I have two pieces of coursework due next week, dissertation due on the 14^th May, then it’s exams and then around about the 4^th June its all over. If only I could fast-forward a month…. Despite the pressing deadlines I was fortunate to be able to spend some time with one of the master class presenters at this years Society of Sports Therapists Student Conference Dr Ian McDermott. I spent Friday morning at the London Bridge Hospital where I observed an ACL reconstruction and a high tibial osteotomy. The ACL reconstruction is a relatively straightforward procedure now and estimates suggest that  in the US approximately 100,000 ACL reconstructions are carried out each year. Dr McDermott carries out in the region of 40-50 each year. To see what i'm talking about have a look at this video - not exactly the same technique but it uses an allograft and is a quite similar albeit shortened view of what I saw.

High Tibial Osteotomy

The high tibial osteotomy on the other hand is not a routine procedure. The osteotomy is essentially the breaking and realigning of the tibia in order reduce the effect of osteoarthritis on one side of the knee. During the arthroscopy the surgeon will assess the state of the articular surgery on the affected side of the knee, and possibly carry out drilling or microfracture to the affected cartilage in an attempt to stimulate cartilage regrowth. 

Normal Cartilage (left) Cartilage damage (middle) and cartilage drilling (right) 

When the arthroscopy is finished the remainder of the operation is carried out with a portable x ray machine, so everyone in the operating theater is required to lead lined aprons - lets face it none of us want to have our bits frazzled. The tibia is then drilled and a fragment of bone removed so that the tibial plateau can be realigned, it is then fixed in place with a wedge replacing the removed bone. That makes it sound remarkably simple - it wasn't. The thing that surprised me most about both operations was the heavy duty tools that were used and also the force required for elements of each procedure.

It was a great experience being able to view both operations and it gives me a better understanding of the surgical procedures involved which in the future will help shape they way I rehabilitate patients. Thanks to Ian McDermott and his team for making it a great day. If you get a chance to view some surgery I'd highly recommend it.

None of the photo's or x-rays of the operation are from my visit. 

www.fitforsportclinic.com