Video Motion Tracking Unlocks Clues to Reducing Female Soccer Injuries

Get Inside the Science:

• Motion Analysis Helps Soccer Players Get Their Kicks
• Hospital for Special Surgery Motion Lab
• Dr. Robert H. Brophy, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis

Inside Science Buzzwords:

1. Ligament - Tissue that connects bones to one another to form a joint.
2. ACL - One of four major ligaments in the human knee. An abbreviation for “anterior cruciate ligament,” the ACL stabilizes the knee by allowing it to flex without moving side to side.
3. Video Motion Tracking - A process where sensors are placed on the body and an individual’s movement can be recorded. This data can create a digital model that researchers can analyze to identify injuries.
4. Abductor Muscles - Muscles that allow movement away from the center of the body. Moving the leg or arm outward to the side is an example of abduction, as the body uses an abductor muscle to perform this movement. The hip abductor muscles consist of different muscles located in the area of the buttocks on each side of the body. Other examples of abductor muscles are located in the shoulder, arm, fingers and toes.
5. Biomechanics - The study of the body’s movement, structure and effects of the forces exerted by muscles and outside influences on the body.