Medical infrared thermography (MIT) is used for analyzing physiological functions related to skin temperature. Technological advances have made MIT a reliable medical measurement tool. This paper provides an overview of MIT´s technical requirements and usefulness in sports medicine, with a special focus on overuse and traumatic knee injuries. Case studies are used to illustrate the clinical applicability and limitations of MIT. It is concluded that MIT is a non-invasive, non-radiating, low cost detection tool which should be applied for pre-scanning athletes in sports medicine.

Background Epidemiological studies have shown a high incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among competitive alpine skiers. Little is known regarding modifiable risk factors in young skiers. There are still uncertainties in gender-related risk factors. Objective The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between ACL injuries and internal risk factors. Methods Retrospective data analyses were performed based on a group of 175 female and 195 male alpine ski racers between the ages of 14 and 19 years. The athletes underwent physical testing annually from 1996 to 2006. Z score transformations normalised the age groups. Multivariate binary logistic regressions were calculated for men and women separately to detect significant predictors of ACL ruptures. t Tests were computed to reveal the differences in test scores between injured and non-injured athletes. Results A total of 57 (15%) ACL injuries occurred. The female−male risk ratio (RR) was higher in females (2.3, 95% CI 1.3 to 4.2). Z scores for relative leg force, ratio of absolute core flexion to extension force, relative core strength and reactive strength index were predictive variables for men. Z scores of all of these predictive variables except relative leg force were higher in the non-injured group. The ratios of absolute flexion to extension force and absolute core strength were predictive covariates for women. Z scores for absolute core strength were higher in the non-injured group. Conclusions The risk of ACL injury was greater in female athletes. The findings suggest that core strength is a predominant critical factor for ACL injuries in young ski racers.

Background: Owing to the separation into age groups at the first winter Youth Olympic Games (YOG), athletes differed in age by up to two years, leading to a potential relative age effect (RAE).Objective: The purpose of this study was to define the role of the RAE in the first winter YOG with regard to sex, type of sport and performance.Methods: The birth dates and anthropometric data of all 1021 athletes (557 male, 464 female, 14–19 years old) participating in 15 sports were analysed. A χ²test was used to assess the difference between the observed and expected birth distributions. ANOVA (analysis of variance) and Kruskal−Wallis analyses were used to investigate differences in anthropometrics.Results: The birth date distribution of the overall sample was significantly different from an equal distribution, with an over-representation of athletes born shortly after the cut-off date (χ²=284.7, p<0.001). A significant RAE was found in both male (χ²=245.1, p<0.001) and female competitors (χ²=74.6, p<0.001). An analysis based on the type of sport showed an RAE in all categories (strength—χ²=229.9, p<0.001, endurance—χ²=60.4, p<0.001 and technique-related sports χ²=25.2, p=0.001). Relatively older competitors were also over-represented among medal winners (χ²=47.9, p<0.001). Relatively older male competitors were significantly taller (p=0.005) and heavier (p<0.001) than younger competitors. No differences were found in female competitors.Conclusions: The results suggest that relative age had a highly significant influence on participation in various sports regardless of sex. A possible strategy to reduce the RAE would be a fixed quota for each birth year within the two-year age group across events.

Although balance is a key ability in the strength demands of alpine ski racing, affecting both performance and injury prevention, few studies have examined balance or related sex differences among still-maturing athletes. In this 10-year study, we investigated cross-sectional balance performances at different age periods of a representative sample of over 500 11–18-year-old elite skiers of both genders. Participants performed balance tests using the MFT S3-Check. Left–right and forward–backward movements were used to calculate sensory and symmetry balance scores, which were both incorporated into a stability score. Mann–Whitney U tests assessed gender-specific differences by age-group with a significance level set at p < .05. Results showed gender differences only on forward–backward measurements for 14–16-year-olds, with females showing better stability and sensory (but not symmetry) scores than males. Thus, gender interacted with age and maturation to influence balance ability in these participants. Additionally, these rare 10-year data support coaches in their training and talent development of maturing athletes by providing important sport-, age-, and gender-specific normative comparison data for individual trainees.

Einleitung: Obwohl die koordinativen Fähigkeiten für viele Aktivitäten des täglichen Lebens von grundlegender Bedeutung sind, existieren kaum Diagnoseverfahren, die den wissenschaftlichen Kriterien genügen und gleichzeitig einem breiten Anwenderkreis zur Verfügung stehen. Ziel dieses Beitrages ist die Überprüfung der wissenschaftlichen Kriterien sowie die Normwerteerhebung beim MFT-S3-Check, einem Messsystem zur Beurteilung der Gleichgewichtsfähigkeit. Methodik: Die Reliabilitätsprüfung erfolgte mit 30 Probanden an 2 verschiedenen Testtagen. Um die Objektivität zu erheben, wurden 10 Probanden von 2 unterschiedlichen Testleitern untersucht. Die Normwerte wurden an über 5000 Personen (8 - 70 Jahre) erhoben. Zur Validierung wurden 758 Messungen junger SkirennläuferInnen (10 - 18 Jahre) mit den Normwerten verglichen. Ergebnisse: Die Objektivität und Reliabilität konnten für den Sensomotorik- und den Stabilitätsindex durch mittlere bis sehr hohe Korrelationen nachgewiesen werden. Es wurden Normwerte für alle Altersklassen (♀, ♂) erhoben. SkirennläuferInnen erzielten signifikant bessere Ergebnisse als die Normwertegruppe. Diskussion: Der S 3-Check erfüllt die wissenschaftlichen Anforderungen und findet bereits breite Anwendung in Fitnesseinrichtungen und Physiotherapien. Introduction: Balance is very important in daily living, but there are practically no balance evaluation methods which fulfill scientific criteria and are available to the fitness community and other groups. The aims of this paper are to determine if the MFT-S3-Check, a system to measure balance, is scientifically objective, valid and reliable; and to establish norms for the MFT S 3-Check system. Methods: Reliability was evaluated with 30 subjects in two testing sessions on two different days. Objectivity was determined by having two different test administrators test 10 subjects. Norms were generated from the data of over 5000 subjects (8 - 70 years of age). Validity was checked by comparing norms to data collected from 758 tests performed on ski racers (10 - 18 years of age). Results: The objectivity and reliability tests for the sensor motor and stability indexes produced correlations which were moderate to very high. Norms were created for all age groups (♀, ♂). The ski racers had significantly better values than the norms. Discussion: The MFT S 3-Check fulfills the scientific criteria and is in use in fitness settings and in physiotherapy.