According to the World Health Organization, one-third of elderly people aged 65 or over fall annually, and this number increases after 70. Several gait biomechanical parameters were associated with a history of falls. This study aimed to conduct a systematic review to identify and describe the gait biomechanical parameters related to falls in the elderly. MEDLINE Complete, Cochrane, Web of Science, and CINAHL Complete were searched for articles on 22 November 2023, using the following search sentence: (gait) AND (fall*) AND ((elder*) OR (old*) OR (senior*)) AND ((kinematic*) OR (kinetic*) OR (biomechanic*) OR (electromyogram*) OR (emg) OR (motion analysis*) OR (plantar pressure)). This search identified 13,988 studies. From these, 96 were selected. Gait speed, stride/step length, and double support phase are gait biomechanical parameters that differentiate fallers from non-fallers. Fallers also tended to exhibit higher variability in gait biomechanical parameters, namely the minimum foot/toe clearance variability. Although the studies were scarce, differences between fallers and non-fallers were found regarding lower limb muscular activity and joint biomechanics. Due to the scarce literature and contradictory results among studies, it is complex to draw clear conclusions for parameters related to postural stability. Minimum foot/toe clearance, step width, and knee kinematics did not differentiate fallers from non-fallers.

Injuries to the locomotor system are a common problem in athletic horses. Veterinarians address these injuries using appropriate medical, surgical, and pharmacological treatments. During or after recovery from the initial injury, horses may be treated for functional locomotor deficits using specific rehabilitation techniques aimed at restoring full athletic performance. This study reviews the literature to identify which rehabilitative techniques have been used most frequently in horses over the past 20 years, the protocols that were used, and the outcomes of the treatments in naturally occurring injuries and diseases. Publications were identified using keyword selection (Equine Athlete OR Equine OR Horse) AND (Rehabilitation OR Physiotherapy OR Physical Therapy). After removing duplicates and screening papers for suitability, 49 manuscripts were included in the study. The majority of publications that met the inclusion criteria were narrative reviews (49%) in which the authors cited the relatively small number of published evidence-based studies supplemented by personal experience. Observational/descriptive studies were also popular (35%). Randomized control trials accounted for only 10%. The most frequently reported rehabilitation techniques were exercise, electrotherapy, and hydrotherapy. The findings highlight the need for further information regarding type of intervention, parameterization, and outcomes of equine rehabilitation in clinical practice.

Physiological perfusion asymmetries in the lower limb are known, although poorly understood, as are asymmetries reported in plantar pressure and stance. This preliminary study aims to explore potential relationships between perfusion and pressure variables in humans. A convenience sample of eight healthy individuals (25.25 ± 5.37 years old) of both sexes, was selected. Chosen variables were perfusion, plantar pressure, and stance. Perfusion was measured in both feet by laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and polarized light spectroscopy (PSp), and plantar pressure and stance obtained by a pressure plate. These were measured in baseline (Phase I) in a repeated squatting (Phase II), and in recovery (Phase III). A 95% confidence interval was adopted. Intraindividual significant perfusion asymmetries between both feet were detected by LDF in Phase I. These disappeared in Phase II and returned in Phase III. PSp did not detect any asymmetries. Plantar pressure was also asymmetric and differently distributed along both feet with no statistical significance except in the hindfoot. Significant correlations were found between BMI and mean Plantar Pressure in Phase I and Phase III, and an inverse correlation between LDF perfusion and Plantar Pressure in Phase I. These results seem to suggest an interesting direction for exploration and study of these asymmetries in the absence of disease.

Background/Objectives: Body stability plays a decisive role in archery, particularly during the aiming phase. A systematic review was conducted, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines, to critically examine the existing evidence on the association between body stability parameters and shooting performance. Methods: A comprehensive search of the MEDLINE Complete, CINAHL Complete, SportDiscus, and Cochrane Reviews databases was performed. Studies published until 12 July 2024 were considered. Results: Sixteen articles were selected, and we analyzed the following biomechanical parameters related to body stability: center of pressure displacement, velocity, and ellipse area; bow sway; and sway of markers placed on the head, sternum, and pelvis. The findings consistently showed that reduced center of pressure displacement and velocity, along with smaller center of pressure ellipse area, were associated with superior shooting outcomes. Although studies are scarce, data suggest that lower bow sway is associated with better shooting performance. The scarcity of research on the sway of markers placed in anatomical points does not allow for conclusions about their effectiveness as performance predictors. Despite its relevance, no studies have assessed the center of gravity data. Therefore, further research is needed to address this important point. Conclusions: Although studies have examined several parameters, the literature remains inconclusive regarding which of these parameters best predicts shooting quality.

Functional Movement Screen (FMS) is an important tool in the assessment of exercise practice. Assuming FMS lacks precise validity for assessing postural deficits, further research is needed to assess whether it is a sufficiently precise tool for analysing joint mobility. Research aims were to evaluate: convergent validity of Deep Squat (DS) - one of FMS tests - regarding joint mobility, using data from a three-dimensional motion analysis as a comparable method; DS's ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels. Sixty subjects were selected (23.6 ± 3.8 years). DS was performed according to FMS guidelines. Subjects' performance in frontal and sagittal planes was recorded by two video cameras and subsequently scored by two FMS-certified evaluators. Three-dimensional motion analyses of DS were acquired by a Vicon Motion Capture System (200 Hz). Ten trials were acquired for each subject. Ankle, knee, hip, and shoulder angular positions in sagittal plane were determined from the FullBody PlugInGait model. Spearman's coefficient examined the correlation between angular positions and DS score. Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess the DS ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels by comparing different scores. Negligible to moderate correlations were found between DS score and angular positions (-0.5 < r < 0.5). Only shoulder angular positions showed differences between score "1" and "2" (p < 0.05). Shoulder and hip angular positions showed no differences between score "2" and "3" (p < 0.05). DS yielded low convergent validity regarding joint mobility and did not show the ability to discriminate between subjects with different joint mobility levels.

Aims: Dynamic joint stiffness (DJS) is used as a joint stability indicator. The objective of the present study is to verify the influence of footedness in ankle joint stability during the gait stance phase. Study Design: Comparative study. Place and Duration of Study: MovLab/ CICANT/ Universidade Lusófona de Humanidades e Tecnologias, between November 2013 and June 2014 Methodology: 31 subjects (20 female and 11 male) presenting different footedness (right and left) were assessed. Ten gait stance phase trials (five each side) were recorded using a 3D motion capture system and a force platform. Synchronized ankle sagittal moment of force and angular position were used to calculate DJS for three defined sub-phases of gait stance phase: controlled plantar flexion, controlled dorsiflexion and powered plantar flexion. Mann-Whitney U test was calculated to assess footedness influence on biomechanical variables. Results: No significant differences were found between dominant and non-dominant limb in different combinations of footedness and gender. Conclusion: Footedness do not seem to influence DJS and consequent joint stability. Observing the trials per participant, differences can be noted but commonly used statistical approach cannot highlight those differences. Further studies should address ankle frontal plane behaviour or assess differences at the knee and hip joints, as they could present more differences that could be statistically significant.