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Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the balance recovery strategy in children with hearing (HI) and visual impairments (VI) compared with those without these disorders. Materials and Methods: This study featured a cross-sectional design with subjects (N = 45) placed within one of three equally stratified purposive groups (HI, VI, and comparison) within the age range of 9–13 years (mean = 11.43, SD = 1.5). Balance recovery strategy was measured in static and after-perturbation conditions by a four-camera Vicon system used to record three-dimensional lower body kinematic data. A repeated-measures analysis of variance (3 × 2, Group × Condition) was utilized to analyze data. Significance was set at p ≤.05. Results: In the static condition, the results of the study showed that there was no significant difference between the groups in the ankle joint sway (p >.05). In hip joint sway, VI children had greater sway compared with comparison (p =.001) and HI children (p =.02). Also, HI children had greater sways than comparison (p =.02). In the after-perturbation condition, the results showed that VI children had greater sway in the hip and ankle joints than HI children (p =.001) and comparison (p =.001) to restore and maintain balance. Conclusion: It seems that comparison as well as higher proportion VI children use a hip strategy to maintain and restore balance. Also, it seems that HI children use a different strategy (ankle strategy) to maintain and restore balance compared with comparison and VI children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Individuals with visual impairment have balance deficits; therefore, this systematic review aimed to provide comprehensive insights into the balance control of individuals with visual impairments when compared with individuals with full vision. Methods: Primary sources were obtained from eight databases including PubMed. LILACS, Science Direct, SCOPUS, CINAHL. PEDro, CENTRAL. and Web of Science. The search period covered years from inception to January 10, 2022. Results: A total of 20 studies with 29 trials with 1,280 participants were included in the systematic review. The results showed that individuals with sight had better static and dynamic balance than individuals with visual impairment (p = .001). However, individuals with visual impairment had significantly better static balance with visual perturbation and stronger static balance with visual and proprioception perturbation (p = .001). Furthermore. individuals with sight had better balance control than individuals with visual impairment who participated in sports (p = .001). Finally, individuals with visual impairment who participated in sports had better balance control than sedentary people with visual impairment (p = .001). Conclusion: individuals with visual impairment have defects in both dynamic and static balance when compared to individuals with sight. In addition. balance improved with increasing age in individuals with visual impairment while balance control was dependent on the proprioception and vestibular systems. Also, individuals with sight had better balance than individuals with visual impairment who participated in sports and individuals with visual impairment who participated in sports compared with sedentary people with visual impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Since the foot is vital for maintaining stability and posture, knowing the difference between dominant and non-dominant knees can help reduce the risk of knee injury. Basketball players with dynamic knee valgus (DKV) following fatigue application were the subjects of the current study, which compared the angle and pattern... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is one of the injuries that can permanently end the professional courier of an athlete. Almost half of athletes cannot return to their competitive levels before injury, even after successful rehabilitation. For this reason, there is another factor besides physical factors in not returning to sports practice, which in most studies is attributed to psychological factors. Fear of re-injury and fear of movement (kinesiophobia) are factors that prevent athletes from returning to sports activities after the reconstruction of the ACL. Many studies have examined the psychological factors after reconstruction and injury of the ACL. However, no study has so far examined and concluded about kinesiophobia after ACL reconstruction. Methods In this study, we searched published studies from 2000 to 2020 examining the effect of kinesiophobia on return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. In this study, we searched the relevant articles considering specialized English and Persian keywords, including «fear of movement,» «fear of re-injury,» «kinesiophobia,» «psychological factors of exercise,» «return to sport,» and «anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction» in academic Persian and English databases: Google Scholar, TRIP, PEDro, PubMed, Irandoc, SID, and Magiran. Results After the search, 162 articles were initially found. After reviewing the abstracts, 57 articles were remained. Then, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, 26 articles were finally selected for inclusion in this study. Conclusion According to research findings, fear of movement and fear of re-injury in athletes after ACL reconstruction can delay their return to sports activities. This setback can reduce the quality of life and participation in sports and recreational games and causes depression and stress. Different rehabilitation approaches are highly effective in gaining various results after the reconstruction of ACL. Because physical and psychological improvement do not advance in parallel, it seems necessary to establish a new approach in sports rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive insights into balance control of individuals with hearing impairment are compared with individuals with hearing. Primary sources were obtained from 7 databases including PubMed, LILACS, SCOPUS, CINAHL, PEDro, CENTRAL, and Web of Science. The search period extended from inception until January 5, 2022. The systematic review included 24 studies and 27 trials, with a total of 2,148 participants. The meta-analysis showed a significant difference in the average balance control between individuals with hearing impairment and individuals with hearing, with individuals with hearing having a favorable advantage (p = 0.001). Additionally, average balance control was found to be in favor of individuals with hearing (p = 0.001) when comparing individuals with hearing impairment who participated in sports. Finally, individuals with hearing impairment who participated in sports demonstrated a significantly higher average difference in balance control (p = 0.001) when compared to sedentary people with hearing impairment. Our meta-analysis results indicate a balance defect in individuals with hearing impairment compared to individuals with hearing. In addition, with increasing age, the balance in individuals with hearing impairment improved. Additionally, the dependence of individuals with hearing impairment on the visual and proprioception systems to maintain balance increased. Finally, there was more dependence on the proprioception than the visual system, while individuals with hearing had stronger average balance control than individuals with hearing impairment who participated in sports, when compared to sedentary people with hearing impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Shoulder arthroplasty, a dependable and successful method to relieve pain and restore joint mobility, is increasingly chosen by a large number of individuals. The recent rise in interest in a return to sport (RTS) after shoulder arthroplasty prompts a comprehensive review of RTS outcomes in this context. Methods: This systematic review was conducted to extensively examine RTS elements following shoulder arthroplasty. The review included searches from various databases, including Web of Science, PEDRO, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, and CINAHL, spanning from January 2000 to May 2023. Additionally, a thorough manual search was undertaken, including a comprehensive review of article sources. Results: Among 18 articles, we found significant RTS rates (>80%), level (high/excellent), time to RTS (5.3 months to 9.1 months), and a high number of RTS patients in swimming after shoulder arthroplasty. After shoulder arthroplasty, patients returned to some sports activities, such as swimming, tennis, golf, leg sports, skiing, and so on. Conclusion: This systematic review showed significantly high RTS rates, levels, and number of patients among different arthroplasty types, such as total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and reversed total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). The most prevalent sport was swimming among patients. We hope this comprehensive systematic review provides insight into coaches and trainers to help patients increase their quality of life and have successful RTS after shoulder arthroplasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Dynamic knee valgus (DKV) and impaired static and dynamic balances are the risk factors of the anterior cruciate ligament injuries in football players. This study aims to investigate the effect of the knee control program on knee valgus angle and static and dynamic balances in young male football players with DKV. Methods This is a quasi-experimental study. Of 156 young male football players, 48 with DKV were recruited and randomly assigned to intervention group (n=24, Mean age=12.70±0.62 years, height=1.52±0.07 m, weight=48.87±6.67 kg, BMI=21.10±2.18 kg/m2) and control group (n=24, mean age=12.58±0.65 years, height= 1.52±0.08 m, weight= 50.45±6.79 kg, BMI=21.88±2.92 kg/m2). The drop-jump test, Stork test, and Y balance test were used to measure dynamic knee valgus angle, static balance, and dynamic balance, respectively. The intervention group received the knee control program as a warm-up exercise for 8 weeks, while the control group performed their routine warm-up exercises during this time. Analysis of covariance and the paired t-test were used to evaluate differences in the study variables. Results In the intervention group, there was a significant reduction in knee valgus angle (P=0.001) and significant improvements in static balance (P=0.001) and dynamic balance (P=0.001) in the post-test phase compared to the pre-test phase, but there were no significant differences in the control group (P>0.05). Moreover, the results showed significant differences between the two groups in knee valgus angle (P=0.001), static balance (P=0.001) and dynamic balance (P=0.002). Conclusion The knee control program is effective in reducing dynamic knee valgus angle and improving static and dynamic balances in young football players with DKV. Thus, it seems that this program can reduce the risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in young male football players. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to the mobility problems of the elderly, it is better to use low-cost and applicable methods in any place, which do not require expertise to measure gait. One of these ubiquitous methods is functional gait assessment (FGA). Objectives: The purpose of this study was to collect and evaluate FGA in the elderly. Materials & Methods: This study conducted a comprehensive study of FGA in the elderly by searching the databases of PubMed, MEDLINE, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Clinical Trials, Google Scholar, Scopus, MAGIRAN, IRANDOC, Iran Medex, MedLib, and SID from 1996 to November 2020. After compiling the search results, we first studied the titles and then the abstracts. If an article matched the inclusion and exclusion criteria, its results were used in the review study; otherwise, it was excluded. Results: Based on the research criteria and objectives, from 23 different tests, the results of 19 articles that studied FGA in the elderly were selected and reported. Conclusion: Studies seem to attempt FGA in the elderly using different methods and for different purposes. For example, studies to assess gait velocity, normal gait, and gait, along with functional and cognitive tasks, have measured FGA in the elderly. Besides, the two main features of a valid test including sensitivity and specificity have been less studied. Therefore, more studies should focus on these test features in measuring FGA in the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Understanding the relationships between exercise and performance tests is crucial for the sports rehabilitation expert. Objectives: To comprehensively review functional tests and their reliability for return to sport (RTS) after shoulder injuries. Methods: During this research, a comprehensive review of the functional tests for RTS after shoulder injuries was performed by searching the Web of Science, PEDro, Google Scholar, PubMed, ScienceDirect, SCOPUS, and CINAHL databases with the keywords shoulder RTS, return to play, upper limb and shoulder functional tests from 2000 to June 2021. English was used in this search. After gathering the research results, first, the titles and then the summary of the research papers were studied. If the research papers meet the inclusion and exclusion criteria, their results will be utilized in the study of review otherwise they will be excluded. Results: When searching the texts, 123 research papers were found, after deleting 11 identical titles, 112 abstracts were chosen for review. After analyzing the abstracts, 79 research papers were removed and 33 research papers were selected for full study. After reviewing the fulltext research papers, 21 research papers were removed and 12 research papers were selected from among the research papers that were very closely related to the subject under study. Many functional tests exist, but few have been studied to evaluate the RTS after a shoulder injury. Conclusion: Functional tests can assist in estimating when an athlete will RTS or exercise without restrictions. Therefore, according to the results of the current research, functional tests can be an effective tool to assess RTS after shoulder injuries, but due to the limitations and lack of information in this area, further studies are required to be conducted. Therefore, caution should be taken and a general rule should not be drawn for all shoulder injuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The present study aimed to investigate the effect of scapular stability-based corrective exercise program on scapular upward rotation and scapulohumeral rhythm in Wheelchair Basketball (WB) players with bilateral scapular downward rotation syndrome. Materials & Methods According to the research conditions, 24 wheelchair basketball athletes with spinal cord injury voluntarily participated in this study. Initially, eight players were selected from each sport class (1 to 1.5 class, 2 to 2.5 class, and 3 to 4.5 class). Then, four subjects in each group were randomly assigned to each group (12 control subjects with Mean±SD age of 43.23±11.0 years and 12 experimental subjects with Mean±SD age of 39.08±5.08 years). Thus, the control and experimental groups were present in an equal number of three sport classes. WB athletes were professional players in Mashhad City league, Iran. The participants were classified according to the Classification Committee of the IWBF, as well as the corresponding national classification from the Islamic Republic of Iran Sports Federation for the Disabled (IRISFD). Two digital inclinometers were used to measure the humeral range of motion and scapular upward rotation and scapulohumeral rhythm in resting position, 45°, 90°, and 135° shoulder abduction in scaption plane. The exercise group performed scapular stabilitybased corrective exercises based on the Gym training principles and following ACSM guidelines for eight weeks. The independent t-test, analysis of variance, and analysis of covariance were used for statistical analysis at the significant level of less or equal to 0.05. Results The results showed no significant asymmetry between dominant and non-dominant shoulders in the scapula's upward rotation at different angles of shoulder abduction. Contrary to the non-dominant shoulder, the dominant shoulder's scapula had a less downward rotation at the resting position and a higher upward rotation at 45° of shoulder abduction. Also, in 45° humeral abduction, the dominant shoulder has a less scapulohumeral rhythm ratio than the non-dominant shoulder. WB athletes' dominant shoulders in lower classes (2-2.5 and 3-4.5) have less scapular downward rotation in scapular resting position and more scapular upward rotation in 45°, 90° 135° humeral abduction. There was no significant difference in scapulohumeral rhythm ratio between WB players with different classes. Scapular upward rotation increased significantly after eight weeks of scapular stability-based corrective exercise program (P≤0.05). Also, a significant decrease in the scapular upward rotation was observed at post-program in resting position (P=0.001) and significantly increased in 45° (P=0.01), 90° (P=0.001), and 135° (P=0.001) humeral abduction compared with pre-program in dominant and non-dominant shoulders. However, the ratio of scapulohumeral rhythm in the dominant shoulder did not improve significantly, and the ratio of scapulohumeral rhythm in the non-dominant shoulder improved at 90° and 135°. Conclusion Scapular stability-based corrective exercises can be used as one of the training methods to restore muscle balance, prevent and correct scapular upward rotation and scapulohumeral rhythm in wheelchair basketball athletes. Therapists should know that some degrees of scapular upward rotation and scapulohumeral rhythm asymmetry may be common in WB players. This asymmetry should not always be considered a pathological symptom but may be an adaptation to exercise training and frequent use of the upper extremity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Damage to parts of the vestibulocochlear nerve not only results in sensory-neural hearing loss and deafness but may also lead to balance problems. This is the reason why the hearing-impaired and deaf people are struggling with balance problems. Given the ever-increasing development of the adaptive sports, specific to the deaf, who are considered as part of the active individuals in the community, detailed studies are required on the balance of the deaf, which is an important part of routine activities and sports performances. Therefore, this study generally aims to investigate the balance skills of the deaf in comparison to their normal counterparts. Materials & Methods In this study, a comprehensive review on 'the balance of the deaf' has been carried out by searching English databases, such as Science Direct, PubMed, Cochrane review, TRIP, PEDro, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Google Scholar, for the following keywords: "Deaf", "Postural control in Deaf Hearing Loss", "Deafness", "Balance" and "Balance in Deaf". In addition, the Persian databases, such as Magiran, Irandoc, IranMedex, MedLib, Sid were searched for the following Persian equivalent keywords: Balance in the deaf, postural control in the deaf, deaf, congenital deafness and balance, from 1932 to June 2018. Moreover, manual searching and full reviewing of resources of the articles were carried out to find the respective articles. Articles were narrowed down and sorted out by the titles such as the English language, Persian language, Human, original article, and review article. After collecting the search results, the titles and abstracts of the articles were studied. If the ar- ticles met the inclusion and exclusion criteria, their results would be employed in the review study; otherwise, they would be excluded. Results Based on the criteria and objectives of the research, 51 articles were selected. Forty-eight papers were provided in full text and the rest were summarized. In general, the balance of the deaf was investigated in three different respects of 1) a comparison of the balance of the deaf with that of the normal counterparts, 2) the effect of age on the balance of the deaf, and 3) the effect of the training protocols on the balance of the deaf. Conclusion The deaf people appear to struggle with balance problems when the vestibular system information is the only sensory source available; however, when the information of the proprioception and vision systems is available, there can be no balance problem as compared to normal counterparts. Several studies have also shown that the deaf, as they age, make up for the balance impairment resulting from vestibular impairments with proprioception and vision systems; it also appears that their proprioception and vision systems are better than or equal to those of their normal counterparts. However, it has not been determined yet that by increasing age in the deaf people, which proprioception system dominates and contributes to maintaining the balance of the deaf better than other systems. Furthermore, a review of studies has shown that all training programs and rehabilitation protocols have positive effects on the balance of the deaf. However, it has not been determined yet which training programs have a long and lasting effect on the balance of the deaf, and few studies have been carried out in this area. In addition, the same balance tests are used in all community groups, which may be inappropriate for measuring the balance in deaf people, since it is still not clear which motion strategies have been employed by the deaf to maintain balance. Therefore, to reach the final conclusion about the balance of the deaf people, further studies should be conducted on the proper tests to measure the balance of the deaf so that accurate and high-quality reports on their balance can be obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Balance or postural control is the ability to maintain the center of gravity of the body within the base of support. Falling is one of the most common problems influencing both physical health and quality of life of people with Intellectual Disability (ID). The purpose of this research was to evaluate balance scores and Fear of Falling (FoF) in ID. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, including 54 ID subjects. Subjects were aged between 16 and 30 years. The experimental group included 34 ID subjects while the control group included 20 individuals with Down Syndrome (DS). Balance scores and FoF were assessed using the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) and Falls Efficacy Scale -- International (FES-I) questionnaire. Unpaired 't' test was used to compare ID and DS groups. Results: According to the findings of this research referring to the total Balance Evaluation Systems Test and section Balance Evaluation Systems Test scores, FoF was found to be statistically and significantly different in DS compared to ID. Balance Evaluation Systems Test scores significantly correlated with FES-I scores. Conclusion: It appears that due to the lowest section scores related to mechanical constraints, sensory orientation and stability in gait, measures to improve these sections are highly needed in Intellectual Disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of six weeks of depth jump (DJ) vs. countermovement jump (CMJ) training on sand on muscle soreness, jump, sprint, agility and leg press strength. Thirty healthy men (age 20.4±1.1 years; height 177.4±5.1 cm; mass 72.8±9.7 kg) volunteered to participate and were randomly assigned to one of three groups: DJ training group (n=10), CMJ training group (n=10) or control group (n=10). The experimental groups performed either DJ or CMJ training two days a week for six weeks. The training program included five sets of 20 repetitions DJ (from the height of a 45-cm box) or CMJ exercise onto 20 cm of dry sand. Assessments of Vertical Jump Test (VJT), Standing Long Jump Test (SLJT), 20 and 40 m sprints, T-Test (TT), Illinois Agility Test (IAT), and one-repetition maximum Leg Press (1RMLP) were performed a week before and following the 6-week training period. Muscle soreness was also measured pre, immediately post, 24 and 48 hours after the first and last training sessions. Significant increases were observed in both the DJ and CMJ groups in VJT (16.2 vs. 13.5%), and SLJT (13.9 vs. 14.4%) (p<.05). Significant decreases in 20 and 40 m sprint times, TT and IAT were observed in both groups (20 m: 8.5 vs. 7.4%; 40 m: 6.1 vs. 3.8%; TT: 9.3 vs. 12%; IAT: 9.2 vs. 10.6% in DJ and CMJ groups, respectively). Only the CMJ group made significant improvements in 1RMLP (p<.05). The CMJ group had significantly greater perception of muscle soreness than the DJ and CG groups in the rectus femoris at 48 hours post the first training session (p<.05). No significant differences were observed among groups in muscle soreness after the last training session (p>.05). These observations may have considerable practical relevance for the optimal design of plyometric training programs, given that DJ and CMJ training on sand is effective for improving muscular performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of activity related fatigue on static and dynamic postural control in college athletes. Thirty college athletes (15 males, 15 females, age = 22.32 ± 0.92 years, height = 169.5 ± 5.7cm, and weight = 64.2 ± 3.4 kg) participated in this study voluntary. Leg stance time and Star Excursion Balance Test were used for evaluation of static and dynamic postural control, respectively. Subjects performed a functional fatigued protocol that lasted 15 minutes. Using the Borg scale, also measured rating of perceived exertion before, middle and after the fatigue protocol. Repeated measure (1×3) ANOVA and post-hoc (LSD) was used for comparison of difference in fatigue reported scores. Paired sample test was used for comparison of difference between pre and post test in static and dynamic postural control. The findings indicated that dynamic postural control decreased after fatigue (P<0.05), in contrast there is no significant difference between pre and post test in static postural control (P< 0.05). Although it is not realistic to expect a coach to stop practice or decrease practice times because someone is experiencing fatigue which may lead to injury, this topic needs attention. To be realistic, most coaches could rearrange how practices are conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]