Poor peak dorsiflexor torque associated with incidence of ankle injury in elite field female hockey players.

This study set out to determine the incidence of ankle injuries amongst provincial female field hockey players in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa, during the 2004 field hockey season and relate this to their injury and playing profile, proprioceptive ability and peak isokinetic torque of the ankle plantar and dorsiflexor muscles. Players participating in the senior, U21 and U19/high school provincial A teams (n=47) detailed their hockey playing and training history and injuries sustained during the 2004 season. A subsample of injured and matched, uninjured controls (n=18) underwent anthropometric, proprioceptive and isokinetic testing. Incidence of injury in the 2004 season was 0.98 per player or 6.32 injuries per 1000 player/h(-1), with 25.5% of players (n=12) reporting injuries to the ankle joint. All ankle injuries occurred on artificial turf and 75% occurred during a match. Forwards and links that had been playing for six to seven years presented with the highest incidence of ankle injuries. Injured players were able to maintain balance on a proprioceptive board for 10.31+/-8.2 s versus 23.9+/-15.3 s in matched, uninjured controls (p=0.078). Both mean (27.4+/-5.5 Nm versus 32.7+/-4.7 Nm) and median (27.0, 23.0-31.5 versus 31.8, 30.0-35.1 Nm) peak isokinetic torque of the dorsiflexors of injured legs was significantly lower than in uninjured, contralateral legs of the injured players (p=0.01 and 0.03, respectively). Poor peak dorsiflexion torque in the injured leg was identified as a factor associated with ankle injury in this sample of injured, elite field hockey players.

The small group in problem-based learning: more than a cognitive 'learning' experience for first-year medical students in a diverse population.

In problem-based learning (PBL) curricula, first-year students need to adapt to a new learning environment and an unfamiliar new pedagogy. The small-group tutorial potentially offers a learning environment where students can become self-directed learners, collaborating with other group members to achieve individual and group learning goals. At the end of the first six-week theme in a relatively new PBL curriculum, new medical students were canvassed about coping with PBL (self-directed learning; content; time management; resources) and the value of the small-group tutorial, the latter of which is currently being reported. Almost 84% of students (n = 178) responded. The benefits of participating in small groups were categorized into three domains-cognitive, affective and social-as identified from student responses. Results were analysed in terms of gender and prior educational experience (secondary school vs. prior tertiary educational experience). For almost 94% of students, the small-group tutorial provided a conducive learning environment that influenced their personal development (i.e. tolerance, patience) and socialization into the faculty. Significantly more males indicated that they had developed social skills, while more school-leavers (matriculants) than mature students felt more receptive to the views of others. More mature students claimed to have made friends. Irrespective of some conflicting opinions in the literature, the present results suggest that the PBL tutorial may be important in facilitating student socialization into a new and unfamiliar academic environment, particularly when the pedagogy differs markedly from their past educational experiences. Through interacting with fellow students from diverse origins who hold different views in the intimate setting of the small group, students felt that they had not only increased their knowledge but had also developed personally and socially. It is proposed that the small group may be useful for integrating a diverse population of students into a new academic environment.