Clinical Research Directory

The Effects of Neuromuscular Training on Knee Biomechanics During Jump-Landing Among College Basketball Players Post ACL Reconstruction and Rehabilitation

Basketball players often injure the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a key structure that stabilizes the knee. Even after surgery and standard rehabilitation, many athletes continue to have problems with knee stability, movement control, and performance during jumping and landing. These issues increase the risk of re-injury and can limit their ability to return to competition. Neuromuscular training (NMT) is a type of exercise program that focuses on improving balance, muscle coordination, and movement patterns. It uses activities such as jump-landing drills, balance tasks, agility exercises, and core training. Previous research shows that NMT can help athletes land more safely, reduce harmful knee movements, and improve sport performance. However, little is known about its long-term benefits in college basketball players who are more than one year post-ACL surgery. This study aims to evaluate whether a 12-week NMT program, added to standard basketball training, can improve knee biomechanics, stability, and performance in college basketball players with a history of ACL reconstruction. Thirty participants will be randomly assigned to either an NMT group or a control group. Both groups will complete basketball training, but only the NMT group will receive the additional neuromuscular exercises. Knee movement will be measured using 3D motion capture and force plates, and performance will be tested through vertical jumps and other sport-specific tasks. The main outcomes will include knee angles during landing, ground reaction forces, dynamic stability, and jump height. The expected outcome is that athletes who undergo NMT will demonstrate safer landing strategies, better knee control, and improved performance compared to those who only receive standard basketball training. These findings may help coaches and healthcare providers design safer, more effective rehabilitation programs for athletes after ACL surgery.

Sensor Ankle Brace for Special Operations Rehabilitation

The primary purpose of this study is to conduct a clinical trial to test a prototype device for feasibility and not health outcomes. To do this, the investigators will evaluate the performance of commercially available inertial measurement unit sensors incorporated into an existing ankle brace ("sXAB") by TayCo Brace, Inc. We will compare the gait metrics calculated from the sensors incorporated into the brace with gold-standard equipment that is used in research and clinical settings to determine whether the sXAB performs adequately in terms of measurement or technical feasibility prior to further clinical evaluation. The sensors in the ankle brace will be validated in the lab, first on healthy subjects walking in standard tennis shoes/sneakers (protocol 1), and secondarily in the lab on healthy subjects wearing combat boots performing walking, running, jumping, and stair climbing (protocol 2). These movements were selected because they simulate key movements performed during operational activities. Protocol 1 will take place first, then aspects of the sXAB will be evaluated and implemented, then protocol 2 will take place. Participants completing protocol 1 are eligible to complete protocol 2. The study includes two cohorts of participants completing different functional tasks. All participants experience both conditions: with an ankle brace and without an ankle brace. Comparisons are made within-subject between brace and no-brace conditions. It is hypothesized that the sensor-enabled ankle brace will measure gait metrics with a high degree of accuracy (within 5%) when compared against the gold-standard lab equipment (i.e., motion capture and research-grade inertial measurement units).