Objective To synthesise evidence related to the dissemination and implementation (D&I) of injury prevention interventions for female, woman and/or girl (female/woman/girl) athletes. Design Scoping review. Data sources MEDLINE, APA PsycInfo, Cochrane Databases for Systematic Review, Cochrane Central Register for Controlled Trials Registry, EMBASE, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses Global. Eligibility Primary research including ≥25% female/woman/girl athletes of any age or people working with them (eg, coaches), participating in sports competition and/or performance, were eligible. Papers reporting D&I outcomes (eg, coach knowledge, adoption and maintenance) related to an injury prevention intervention and/or a factor (eg, coach beliefs) associated with D&I outcomes were included. Results 220 papers with 419 494 participants (96 790 athletes (49% female/woman/girl), 277 923 coaches (59% working with females/women/girls) and 44 781 others) across 81 sports were included. 89% of the papers were from Europe, Oceania and North America. Papers included amateur (n=175), sub-elite (n=10), elite (n=63) and Para sport (n=2) athletes. Interventions were training strategies (n=113), personal protective equipment (PPE, n=41), policy/rules/laws (n=5) or other (n=61, eg, multimodal). There were >650 D&I outcomes; adoption was the most common, followed by athlete and coach perceptions and attitudes about injury prevention. Key facilitators of D&I were previous injury experience, higher competition levels and positive perceptions and attitudes. Conclusion Most studies on D&I of injury prevention interventions for female/woman/girl athletes were descriptive and related to athletes and coaches. Engaging people across the socio-ecological system (eg, parents, health professionals and administrators) and prioritising under-represented regions, populations and D&I-focused trials may enhance D&I outcomes and ultimately reduce injury risk in female/woman/girl athletes.

Compare quadriceps voluntary activation, corticospinal and intracortical excitability between people with and without hip osteoarthritis (OA). Exploratory objectives include quantifying the association of corticospinal/intracortical excitability with voluntary activation, corticospinal/intracortical excitability with hip related pain, and motor threshold with motor cortex inhibition and facilitation. Case-control study including participants with clinically and radiologically confirmed hip OA and non-OA controls. Quadriceps voluntary activation was assessed using twitch interpolation via femoral nerve stimulation. Single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation over the motor cortex assessed resting motor threshold (RMT), active motor threshold (AMT), short-interval intracortical inhibition (SICI), intracortical facilitation (ICF) and silent period. Generalized linear models assessed outcomes (p ​< ​0.05). We included 17 hip OA (76% female) and 24 controls (92% female) with a mean (standard deviation) age of 58.7 (7.9) years. Compared to controls, people with hip OA had reduced quadriceps voluntary activation (β ​= ​-5.29, 95% confidence intervals [CI], -0.79–-9.79) and increased ICF (β ​= ​0.22, 95%CI, 0.01–0.43). People with hip OA did not differ from controls in RMT (β ​= ​−4.76, 95%CI, −14.08–4.56), AMT (β ​= ​−2.13, 95%CI, −7.12-2.86), SICI (β ​= ​−0.02, 95%CI, −0.15-0.006) or silent period (β = 8.72, 95%CI, −24.75–42.20). More facilitation was associated with increased hip pain (β = 24.55, 95%CI, 6.93–42.18), and more inhibition was associated with less voluntary activation (β = 10.50, 95%CI, 2.00–18.99). People with hip OA demonstrate reduced quadriceps voluntary activation and complex changes in motor cortex excitability compared to controls. These findings suggest that hip OA can alter quadriceps neuromuscular function (facilitation associated with pain, inhibition associated with activation), thus having implications for rehabilitation.

Practitioners routinely use the single leg heel raise (SLHR) to quantify calf function in healthy and injured populations. Despite this, approaches vary and the impact of cueing on SLHR performance and results interpretation in athletesis unknown. The primary aim of this study was to quantify the level of agreement of the cued versus non-cued SLHR tests. The secondary aim was to explore test outcomes and the potential impact of intrinsic factors. Cued and non-cued SLHR tests were conducted in fifty-one Australian football players (23 women, 28 men). Metronome pacing (60 bpm) and five key cues were included in the cued condition. The level of agreement (Bland–Altman) between tests was measured for capacity (repetitions to failure) and asymmetry. Data from 100 legs were included. The non-cued and cued SLHR tests demonstrated poor agreement in both capacity and asymmetry. More repetitions to failure were performed in the non-cued SLHR [Mean (SD) = 33.9 (10.3) vs. 21.9 (5.3), p < 0.001)], and men had greater capacity (36.8 (10.4) vs. 30.3 (9.2), p < 0.001). During the cued SLHR, older players (age ≥ 30 years: −5.1 repetitions, p = 0.01) and Indigenous players (−3.4 repetitions, p = 0.002) and had reduced calf muscle function. Cueing the SLHR test significantly changes the result—outcomes are not comparable or interchangeable with the commonly used non-cued SLHR. These findings can guide practitioners quantifying calf capacity.

Voluntary activation is a measure of neural drive, typically measured during maximal contractions, and provides insight into motor function. This systematic review examined voluntary activation assessment of the ankle plantar flexors in healthy and pathological populations, and the association of participant age and positioning (knee and ankle joint angles) with voluntary activation level. A systematic review and meta-analyses were conducted. Six electronic databases were systematically searched for studies that assessed voluntary activation of the ankle plantar flexors using the interpolated twitch technique or the central activation ratio. Meta-analyses were performed using an inverse variance, random-effects maximal likelihood model of continuous outcomes within SPSS Statistics, and subsequent meta-regression performed for age, knee angle and ankle angle. Methodological quality was assessed using the Analytical Cross-Sectional Studies Checklist from the Joanna Briggs Institute. A total of 74 studies were included, 5 included participants with pathological conditions (2 Achilles tendinopathy and 3 stroke) and 69 included only healthy participants. The meta-analysis demonstrated plantar flexion voluntary activation levels for healthy populations of 91 %, 90 % for Achilles tendinopathy and 35 % for stroke. Older age was associated with lower voluntary activation (β = −0.072; p = 0.035) and greater knee flexion angle was associated with higher voluntary activation (β = −0.033; p = 0.045). No association of voluntary activation and ankle position was demonstrated (β = −0.070, p = 0.488). Majority of the included studies were judged to have low methodological quality (97 %). Voluntary activation was comparable between healthy participants and Achilles tendinopathy, and significantly lower in people following stroke. Age and knee joint position but not ankle joint position was associated with the level of plantar flexor voluntary activation.

Transitioning from military to civilian life is a complex process influenced by veterans’ social networks, health, employment, housing stability, and access to support services. For Australian Defence Force veterans, rising rates of homelessness highlight the challenges of reintegration. While the majority successfully navigate this transition, others face interconnected barriers that increase vulnerability to housing insecurity. This scoping review explores pathways leading to homelessness among veterans and examines housing solutions, with a primary focus on the Australian context and insights from international literature. A search was conducted in October 2024 across CINAHL, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Joanna Briggs Institute, Google Scholar, and grey literature, focusing on pathways to homelessness, housing solutions, and broader housing challenges. Of 175 papers identified, 77 published between January 2014 and October 2024 were included following screening. Findings reveal complex pathways involving economic and housing instability, mental and physical health issues, justice system involvement, and social isolation. Housing responses include emergency accommodation, transitional housing, and affordable housing with Housing First approaches. These findings emphasise the fragile relationship between housing, health, and community integration, and the need for tailored, trauma-informed, veteran-centred interventions. While much of the existing evidence originates from the United States, strengthening the Australian evidence base requires future research that prioritises local veterans, particularly underrepresented groups, through longitudinal studies. Key areas include integrated care models, rural housing solutions, and improved veteran identification in national datasets. A holistic and coordinated response is essential to support the long-term reintegration and housing stability of Australian veterans.

Background: Voluntary activation testing quantifies the ability of the motor nervous system to produce maximal force. Laboratory assessment of ankle plantar flexor voluntary activation is common, but field testing in practical settings is limited by equipment portability. We aimed to compare plantar flexor voluntary activation and maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) using a portable device with a standardised laboratory method and evaluate the test–retest reliability of the portable protocol. Methods: We performed a pseudo-randomised, crossover design. Participants completed two protocols: (1) portable force plate testing and (2) a laboratory-based isokinetic dynamometer. Voluntary activation was assessed using twitch interpolation via tibial nerve stimulation. Differences between protocols were analysed using generalised estimating equations. Reliability was assessed with the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and coefficient of variation (CV). Results: Twenty healthy participants (8 females, 12 males; median age 28.5 years) were included. No difference between protocols was detected for voluntary activation (β = 0.6, p = 0.68). The portable protocol demonstrated good reliability (ICC = 0.85) and low measurement error (SEM = 2.56%, CV = 2.79%). Conclusions: We demonstrated that the portable protocol is a valid and reliable method for assessing plantar flexor voluntary activation. It is suitable for assessing within-subject changes over time and can reduce participant attendance burden for neurophysiological muscle testing.