4 Clinical Trials for Various Conditions
The investigators will combine state-of-the-art quantitative imaging, on-field biomechanics, and computational analytics into the largest-of-its-kind study to assess hamstring strain injury (HSI) risk and recovery in elite collegiate football players. The study will take place over 3 years and enroll up to 560 student athletes from Division I (D1) teams: University of Wisconsin-Madison, Brigham Young University and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.
Purpose: To conduct a pilot study of the effect of Cranial Laser Reflex Technique (CLRT) compared with sham laser on hamstring muscle flexibility, strength, and pain pressure threshold. Participants: Active, young adults ages 18 to 35. Procedures: A two-visit, assessor and participant-blinded crossover study with 1-week washout. Subjects will complete three functional hamstring tests before and after CLRT and sham laser treatment. Subjects will also complete questionnaires to assess their expectations and perceptions of the interventions.
The goal of this study is to determine safety and tolerability of Losartan when used for treatment of an acute grade II or III hamstring strain and determining the effect of losartan on recovery of hamstring muscle function. Subjects will be adults age 18 and older with grade 2 or 3 hamstring injury who participate in greater than 100 hours per year in Level 1 or Level 2 athletics or have a similar activities or physical work load (e.g. military personnel). Subjects will undergo examination, MRI, and functional assessment before, during, and after 4 weeks of losartan (50mg QD) or placebo.
Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries constitute a significant portion of major knee joint injuries sustained by young, active individuals, and significantly increase risk for long-term disability. Yet the recommended solution to restore joint stability following injury--ACL reconstruction (ACLR)--does not prevent post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis (PTOA). Post-traumatic quadriceps (dys)function is a hallmark characteristic following ACLR, reported to accelerate the onset of PTOA after ACL injury, making the recovery of muscle function a primary concern to clinicians. However, hamstrings muscle function is drastically underrepresented relative to the quadriceps in the context of recovery from ACLR, which impedes the ability to develop targeted treatment approaches. Persistent hamstrings weakness is widely reported in patients who undergo ACLR with a hamstring tendon (HT) autograft, which increases ACL strain, and may contribute to higher graft failure rates in this population. To effectively treat muscular impairments, underlying neuromuscular adaptations known to occur in response to ACLR must be targeted. Eccentric exercise is uniquely suited to enhance neuromuscular function. The Nordic hamstring exercise (NHE) is a specific form of eccentric exercise that is clinically relevant and easy to implement, but has not been explored as an intervention for hamstrings neuromuscular dysfunction in patients who undergo ACLR with HT. To establish an evidence-based treatment model, the investigators will use a single-blind, randomized controlled clinical trial to establish the feasibility and efficacy of a 4-week NHE protocol in patients who undergo ACLR with HT. Separate factorial ANOVAs will be used to assess the effects of group (NHE, control) and time (baseline, 4 weeks) on selected outcomes. Effect sizes will be calculated for within- and between-group comparisons. The investigators expect to observe improvements in hamstrings neuromuscular function following the NHE protocol, and that those improvements will be greater than the control group. Additionally, the investigators expect the protocol to be feasible in terms of intervention adherence and patient retention. This study will identify specific barriers to the implementation of NHE in patients who undergo ACLR with HT, and will provide support for the application of an easy to implement clinical intervention able to address a complex neurophysiological problem.