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Although various sports footwear demonstrated marked changes in running biomechanical variables, few studies have yielded definitive findings on the underlying mechanisms of shoe constructions affecting running-related performance and injuries. Therefore, this study focused on examining the effect of basic shoe constructions on running biomechanics and assessing the current state of sports shoe production in terms of injury and efficiency. Relevant literature was searched on five databases using Boolean logic operation and then screened by eligibility criteria. A total of 1260 related articles were retrieved in this review, and 41 articles that met the requirements were finally included, mainly covering the influence of midsole, longitudinal bending stiffness, heel-toe drop, shoe mass, heel flare, and heel stabilizer on running-related performance and injuries. The results of this review study were: (1) The functional positioning of running shoe design and the target groups tend to influence running performance and injury risk; (2) Thickness of 15–20 mm, hardness of Asker C50-C55 of the midsole, the design of the medial or lateral heel flares of 15°, the curved carbon plate, and the 3D printed heel cup may be beneficial to optimize performance and reduce running-related injuries; (3) The update of research and development concepts in sports biomechanics may further contribute to the development of running shoes; (4) Footwear design and optimization should also consider the influences of runners' strike patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to review the valuable lower limb biomechanical contribution to table tennis topspin forehand. Databases included Scopus, PubMed, and Web of science. In this case, 19 articles were selected for the systematic review. The mechanics of the plantar, lower limb joints kinematics and kinetics, muscle activity, and racket-joint relationship are described through gender, performance level, and footwork. The study found that the hip movement characteristics and the hip muscle group activity following a proximal-to-distal sequence strategy significantly contributed to the maximum acceleration of the racket. Optimizing the motion strategy of the ankle and plantar as well as the ankle muscle group activity is beneficial for the transmission of energy in the kinetic chain. Muscle groups around the ankle and subtalar joints are heavily activated during landing to maintain foot stability during the landing phase. Lower limb muscle development plays an important role in movement control and stability as well as sports injury prevention in table tennis footwork during the performance of the topspin forehand. Furthermore, physical development levels and anatomical differences (such as hip and lower trunk muscle strength differences), maybe the main reasons for gender differences observed during the topspin forehand. Systematically summarizing this valuable information can contribute to athletes' and coaches' knowledge to enhance topspin forehand performance and training regimes. We suggest that future research could consider the joint contact forces, ball movement, and ball-racket impact during a performance of topspin forehand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of arch support functional insoles to prevent metatarsalgia. METHOD: Twenty-five healthy females participated in the study. A Vicon motion capture system was used to collect kinematics data of the lower limb. An AMTI force plate was used to record the vertical ground reaction force (GRF), and the Novel Pedar-X System was used to measure foot pressure while subjects wore normal insoles or functional insoles with an arch support during walking and jogging. RESULTS: With the arch support functional insoles, the first metatarsal (FM) region's contact area was increased and the peak pressure and time-pressure integral of the FM and second and third metatarsal (SATM) were areas decreased. This suggests a lower risk of longitude stress injuries in these areas. The ankle dorsiflexion angle of jogging with the 'arch support functional insoles' (RF) and walking with the 'arch support functional insoles' (WF) were significantly increased at initial contact and the knee and hip flexion angle of RF and WF were reduced. The peak hip extension angle of WF and RF also declined. The vertical loading rate of RF was lower, which would be beneficial in reducing the risk of lower limb injuries during jogging. CONCLUSIONS: The results demonstrate that arch support functional insoles can be used effectively to prevent and decrease pain and promote a suitable weight-bearing pattern in the foot for promoting the health of young females. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Torsional stiffness of athletic footwear plays a crucial role in preventing injury and improving sports performance. Yet, there is a lack of research focused on the biomechanical effect of torsional stiffness in badminton shoes. This study aimed to comprehensively investigate the influence of three different levels of torsional stiffness in badminton shoes on biomechanical characteristics, sports performance, and injury risk in badminton players. Fifteen male players, aged 22.8 ± 1.96 years, participated in the study, performing badminton-specific tasks, including forehand clear stroke [left foot (FCL) and right foot (FCR)], 45-degree sidestep cutting (45C), and consecutive vertical jumps (CVJ). The tasks were conducted wearing badminton shoes of torsional stiffness measured with Shore D hardness 50, 60, and 70 (referred to as 50D, 60D, and 70D, respectively). The primary biomechanical parameters included ankle, knee, and MTP joint kinematics, ankle and knee joint moments, peak ground reaction forces, joint range of motion (ROM), and stance time. A one-way repeated measures ANOVA was employed for normally distributed data and Friedman tests for non-normally distributed data. The 70D shoe exhibited the highest ankle dorsiflexion and lowest ankle inversion peak angles during 45C task. The 60D shoe showed significantly lower knee abduction angle and coronal motions compared to the 50D and 70D shoes. Increased torsional stiffness reduced stance time in the FCR task. No significant differences were observed in anterior-posterior and medial-lateral ground reaction forces (GRF). However, the 70D shoe demonstrated higher vertical GRF than the 50D shoe while performing the FCR task, particularly during 70% - 75% of stance. Findings from this study revealed the significant role of torsional stiffness in reducing injury risk and optimizing performance during badminton tasks, indicating that shoes with an intermediate level of stiffness (60D) could provide a beneficial balance between flexibility and stability. These findings may provide practical references in guiding future badminton shoe research and development. Further research is necessary to explore the long-term effects of altering stiffness, considering factors such as athletic levels and foot morphology, to understand of the influence of torsional stiffness on motion biomechanics and injury prevalence in badminton-specific tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Due to the more resilient biomaterials, problems related to wear in total knee replacements (TKRs) have decreased but not disappeared. In the design-related factors, wear is still the second most important mechanical factor that limits the lifetime of TKRs and it is also highly influenced by the local kinematics of the knee. During wear experiments, constant load and slide-roll ratio is frequently applied in tribo-tests beside other important parameters. Nevertheless, numerous studies demonstrated that constant slide-roll ratio is not accurate approach if TKR wear is modelled, while instead of a constant load, a flexion-angle dependent tibiofemoral force should be involved into the wear model to obtain realistic results. Methods: A new analytical wear model, based upon Archard's law, is introduced, which can determine the effect of the tibiofemoral force and the varying slide-roll on wear between the tibiofemoral connection under standard and non-standard squat movement. Results: The calculated total wear with constant slide-roll during standard squat was 5.5 times higher compared to the reference value, while if total wear includes varying slide-roll during standard squat, the calculated wear was approximately 6.25 times higher. With regard to non-standard squat, total wear with constant slide-roll during standard squat was 4.16 times higher than the reference value. If total wear included varying slide-roll, the calculated wear was approximately 4.75 times higher. Conclusions: It was demonstrated that the augmented force parameter solely caused 65% higher wear volume while the slide-roll ratio itself increased wear volume by 15% higher compared to the reference value. These results state that the force component has the major effect on wear propagation while non-standard squat should be proposed for TKR patients as rehabilitation exercise. Edizioni Internazionali [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]