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The unique physical profile of each player's role in sub-elite women's cricket is vital for optimizing performance as these players progress to the elite levels. This quantitative, cross-sectional study investigates the physical profiles of sub-elite women's cricket players as a group and compares these profiles across different player roles. Sub-elite female cricket players in the South African domestic women's cricket league were included in this study. A battery of physical assessments were conducted at the start of the 2022/23 season. The physical assessments included body composition, individual muscle strength testing using dynamometry, 2-km time trial (TT), countermovement jump (CMJ), single-leg jump (SLJ), isometric mid-thigh pull, push-up, and hop test on force plates. A total of 44 female players (20.86 ± 1.6 years) were included in the study. Differences were found in muscle mass (p = 0.004) and peak power (p = 0.040) for all-rounders and bowlers. Player roles presented with different dominant (p = 0.006) and non-dominant (p = 0.066) knee flexion strength. The bowlers' body composition and physical strength profile are compromised compared with batters and all-rounders. There were several physical strength and power differences between pace and spin bowlers in CMJ and SLJ tests for jump height (p = 0.009) and peak power (p = 0.006). Batters performed the best in the 2-km TT. Body composition and musculoskeletal profiles for each player role can be baseline markers in sub-elite women's cricket. Stakeholders can use this information to guide physical preparation for players advancing to elite levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Elite golfers have a high incidence of low back pain. Recent reviews have emphasized the need for investigation into how to prevent low back pain in golfers, prompting the current study. Design: Prospective longitudinal cohort study. Methods: Forty-one injury-free golfers were included in this study. At baseline, lower quadrant joint angles and club and ball performance were measured while each golfer performed 10 drives. The golfers were then monitored for 6 months and were allocated into 2 groups depending on whether or not they developed low back pain. The initial, baseline kinematic variables of the low back pain group and the uninjured group were then compared. Results: Over the 6-month monitoring period, 17 (41%) of the golfers developed low back pain. At baseline assessment, the low back pain group had 4° less lead ankle dorsiflexion at setup (P = .01; effect size = 0.82), 6° less lead knee flexion at the top of the backswing (P = .05; effect size = 0.64), 6° less lead ankle dorsiflexion at the top of the backswing (P = .01; effect size = 0.82), 6° more trail hip adduction at the top of the backswing (P = .02; effect size = 0.79), 9° more trail knee flexion at impact (P = .05; effect size = -0.64), and 6° more trail hip adduction at the end of follow through (P < .00; effect size = 1.00). Conclusion: Golfers who developed low back pain during the 6-month monitoring period displayed distinct differences in biomechanics at baseline when all golfers were injury free. These biomechanical differences may be considered a precursor to injury. Three-dimensional motion analysis may indicate whether elite golfers are at risk of developing low back pain. Research is needed to assess whether targeted exercise and sports drills aimed at addressing the biomechanical risk factors identified may prevent low back pain in elite golfers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although many cricket-playing nations have conducted research on bowling volume (BV) and injury risk, this relationship amongst international South African pace bowlers is yet to be investigated. Environmental, socio-economic and training strategy differences warrant similar research in a South African context. The purpose of this preliminary study was to establish whether South African pace bowlers have similar BV and injury associates compared to other elite fast bowlers. Methods: This study was a prospective, observational, cohort study that monitored match and training BV and injuries amongst pace bowlers playing for the South African national team between April 2017 and April 2019. A sample of convenience that included 14 bowlers was selected. Bowling volume was quantified as the number of deliveries bowled during training and competition. Acute-, chronic- and acute:chronic BV ratios were independently modelled as association variables. Results: There were 39 injuries with the most being to the lumbar spine (25.64%). Moderate-to-low and a moderate-to-high acute:chronic bowling load ratios were associated with a lower risk of injury. Chronic bowling load was associated with injury (z = 2.82, p = 0.01). A low acute workload, low chronic workload, moderate-high chronic workload and moderate-low acute:chronic ratio were also associated with an increased risk of injury. Conclusion: These findings confirm that there appears to be a dose–response effect between training BV and the likelihood of an injury occurring with a moderate-to-low and a moderate-to-high BV ratio being optimal. Considering the small sample size, the findings should be interpreted with caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The benefits of research data sharing abound in the literature. However, some factors define how researchers and clinicians approach the challenges surrounding sharing human movement health research data. To describe the perceptions of human movement researchers and clinicians on the barriers and facilitators to research data sharing in Africa. A qualitative descriptive design with a purposive sampling method was used. In-depth interviews with human movement researchers and clinicians across Africa were conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Sixteen (n = 16) participants took part in this study. This sample size was representative of East, West, Northern, and Southern Africa. Efforts made to engage with participants in Central Africa were unsuccessful. Five themes emerged: 1) the researcher-clinician gap; 2) technological pros and cons in Africa; 3) cost matters; 4) bureaucracy and ethical factors; and 5) the unique African perspective. Mainly, barriers rather than facilitators to data sharing exist among African human movement researchers and clinicians. There needs to be a societal and psychological shift through reorientation to encourage data sharing among African human movement researchers and clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eight faculties in South Africa offer undergraduate physiotherapy training with gross anatomy included as a basis for clinical practice. Little information exists about anatomy education for this student body. A 42-question peer-reviewed survey was distributed to physiotherapy gross anatomy course coordinators in all the eight faculties. Seven coordinators from six (75%) of the universities responded. Two respondents' data from the same university were pooled. Collected data show that staff qualifications and experience varied widely and high to average staff to student ratios exist between faculties. Direct anatomy teaching duration was 12.3 (SD ±5.2) weeks per semester. Total number of weeks in courses per faculty was 27.6 (SD ±5.7) varying widely between institutions. Calculable direct contact anatomy hours ranged between 100 and 308 with a mean of 207.6 (SD ±78.1). Direct contact hours in lectures averaged 3.9 (SD ±1.6) per week and the average direct contact hours in practical sessions were 3.5 (SD ±1.8) per week. Dissection, prosection, plastinated models, surface anatomy, and e-learning were available across faculties. Ancillary modalities such as vertical integration and inter-professional learning were in use. All faculties had multiple-choice questions, spot tests, and short examination questions. Half had viva-voce examinations and one had additional long questions assessment. Students evaluated teaching performance in five faculties. Four faculties were reviewing anatomy programs to consider implementing changes to anatomy curriculum or pedagogy. The findings highlighted disparity between programs and also identified the need for specific guidelines to develop a unified South African gross anatomy course for physiotherapy students.

Background: The Functional Movement Screen (FMS) assesses the quality of movements, including the deep squat (DS), which is used in sports settings. The validity of the individual item scores has yet to be established. Objectives: To investigate the validity of the FMS DS by comparing the sagittal plane kinematics of participants who achieve different observer scores. Method: Seventeen injury-free, adolescent male cricket bowlers were assessed. The movement was captured using the Optitrack® motion capture system. Simultaneously, observers scored participants' execution of the DS according to the standard FMS scoring criteria. Participants were grouped into Group 1 (lowest score), Group 2 (altered movement mechanics) or Group 3 (perfect score) according to observer scores. Specific joint angles of each group were compared using the Kruskal--Wallis and Mann--Whitney U tests. Results: There were significant differences in the degree to which the femur passed the horizontal between Group 3 and Group 1 (p = 0.04, r = 0.61) and Group 2 and Group 1 (p = 0.03, r = 0.66) and the difference in the degree to which the torso was kept vertical between Group 3 and Group 1 (p = 0.02, r = 0.66) and Group 2 and Group 1 (p = 0.02; r = 0.72). Conclusion: Kinematic differences exist between participants who achieve different observer scores for the FMS DS. Clinical implications: While differences in sagittal plane kinematics have been observed in participants scoring high on the FMS DS and participants scoring low, further investigation into the validity of the frontal plane kinematics is warranted, as well as the concurrent validity of the individual scoring criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]