Lower Limb Injuries in Sports: An Anatomical and Biomechanical Study

Mechanisms

Lower limb injuries are common in a variety of sporting disciplines and can result in significant amounts of time lost from training and/or competition. Much research has focused on identifying predisposing/risk factors and investigating methods of enhancing treatment and rehabilitation. You are required to research a lower limb injury of your choice (guidance will be given in class) and write a report detailing prevalence (in a specific sport/population) and discussing anatomical and biomechanical factors that result in or predispose this injury.

Your assignment should be split into three subsections:

1) Introduction

Describe the injury, discuss local anatomy, and briefly explain signs and symptoms and what is causing them.

2) Mechanisms

Detail some common mechanisms of injury specific to your chosen sport/population

3) Anatomical and biomechanical considerations

Discuss some anatomical and biomechanical factors that might predispose the injury in your chosen sport/population. Highlight what you think are the key factors and discuss these in more detail.

As a guide, subsections 1 and 2 combined should amount to approximately 500 words, and subsection 3 should amount to approximately 1000 words.

4. Opportunities for Skills Development

The practical sessions will provide you with the opportunity to develop your understanding of the anatomy of the musculoskeletal system. You will be able to identify specific landmarks on both models and peers whilst also developing skills in examination and assessment. You must build upon the information provided during both

Lectures and practical sessions with the use of external sources including books and journals.

5. Assessment Criteria

Please use the following criteria as a guide only

The essay will be logically structured (introduction, body of arguments, conclusion).

The arguments will be clearly marshalled into sound conclusions based upon the scientific evidence provided.

There will be extensive and correct referencing using the Vancouver system.

There will be extensive evidence of wider reading with the inclusion of a variety of textbooks in the reference list and maybe some original research papers.

Internet sources will have been avoided.

The essay will have comprehensively answered the question set.

There will be an excellent standard of English and the writing will be easily understood by the marker.

I do not expect to see diagrams (bar the occasional one or two where it is hard to avoid their use), charts, subheadings, tables or figures as this is not the accepted style for an essay.

There will be evidence of excellent subject knowledge. For a merit /2:1 class grade

Anatomical and biomechanical considerations

The essay will be well structured (introduction, body of arguments, conclusion)

The arguments will be clearly stated and will support the conclusions with most based upon the scientific evidence provided.

There will be a wide range of mostly correct referencing using the Vancouver system.

There will be good evidence of wider reading with the inclusion of a variety of textbooks in the reference list.

Internet sources will have been avoided.

The essay will have clearly answered the question set.

There will be a high standard of English and the writing will be easily understood by the marker.

I would not expect to see diagrams (bar the occasional one or two where it is hard to avoid their use), charts, subheadings, tables or figures as this is not theaccepted style for an essay.

There will be evidence of good subject knowledge.

The essay will have an obvious structure (introduction, body of arguments, conclusion) although there may be some deviation from this

The arguments will be reasonably well-stated and most of the conclusions will be supported by scientific evidence.

There will be a wide range of mostly correct referencing using the Vancouver system although there may be a number of errors.

There will be evidence of wider reading with the material coming from a minimum of three or more sources.

Internet sources will have for the most part been avoided, although some may have crept in.

The essay will have generally answered the question, although some major points may have been missed.

There will be a high standard of English and the writing will be easily understood by the marker.

I would not expect to see diagrams (bar the occasional one or two where it is hard to avoid their use), charts, subheadings, tables or figures although some may have crept in.

There will be evidence of generally sound subject knowledge, although there may be some misconceptions.

The essay will have some structure but there may be significant deviations from convention.

Some key arguments will have been stated but there may be significant misconceptions and the scientific evidence in support of them is likely to be limited.

There will be some attempt at referencing using the Vancouver system although there is likely to be a number of significant errors.

There will be limited evidence of wider reading with the material coming mostly from one or two books and lecture notes.

Internet sources may not have been avoided and the student may have substituted internet sources in place of reading of academic texts.

The essay will just about answered the question and meet the learning outcomes, although many major and minor points will have been missed.

The standard of English is likely to be poor and the writing not easily understood by the marker.

I would not expect to see diagrams, figures etc. may be prominent in the essay. Subject knowledge is likely to be limited.

A fail grade might have the following characteristics:

The structure may not follow the conventions of an essay.

There will be limited scientific support for the arguments.

Most major and many minor points will have been missed.

Very limited evidence of reading with most material from lecture notes or internet sources.

The essay will not have answered the question or met the learning outcomes.

The standard of English is likely to be very poor.

The candidate may have relied upon diagrams, figures etc in place of written discussion