Active Research Projects

Head and Neck Injuries (top)

The University of North Carolina's SMRL is among the leaders in sports-related concussion in the country. We have taken an active role in researching the sequellae following sports-related concussion. Below is a list of our active projects.

Prospective investigation of sport-related concussion: Relationship between biomechanical, neuroanatomical, and clinical factors
Lead investigator: Kevin Guskiewicz PhD, ATC

Association between mild traumatic brain injury and chronic depression and neurodegenerative dementing disorders
Lead investigator: Kevin Guskiewicz PhD, ATC

Long-term neurologic, musculoskeletal, and cardiac consequences of playing professional football
Lead investigator: Kevin Guskiewicz PhD, ATC

Concussion Prevention Initiative: The effects of concussion on postural stability and neurocognitive function on collegiate athletes.
Lead investigators: Kevin Guskiewicz PhD, ATC; Jason P. Mihalik, MS, CAT(C), ATC; Johna R. Mihalik, MA, ATC; Stephen W. Marshall, PhD

The Effects of the Menstrual Cycle on Clinical Measures of Concussion
Lead investigator: Jason P. Mihalik, MS, CAT(C), ATC

Prevalence and Characteristics of Headache in the Athletic Population
Lead investigator: Johna R. Mihalik, MA, ATC

Advances in concussion research: Using virtual environments to rehabilitate injured athletes.
Lead investigator: Guskiewicz KM, Whitton MC, Mihalik JP, Vanderknyff C

Shoulder Injuries (top)

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that allows for multiaxial movement. The mobility of the shoulder joint, however, comes at the price of stability. As such, the shoulder is predisposed to inherent instabilities. The SMRL has an active research agenda to address these inherent instabilities and to investigate clinical interventions that can help improve the performance of athletes.

The Effects of a six-month intervention program on shoulder function in breast cancer survivors
Lead investigator: Shana Harrington, MPT

Knee Injuries (top)

Knee injuries are among the most common injuries that are sustained by athletes. The SMRL is continually investigating new avenues of research in the field of knee injuries. Research in injuries involving the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and menisci, typically involve motion analysis and quantifying joint forces with the use of force platform technology.

Epidemiology of jump landing movements and ACL injury
Research Group: Marshall SM, Padua DA, Guskiewicz KM, Garrett WE

Sex comparison of hamstring musculotendinous stiffness and neural and mechanical contributions to knee joint stability
Research Group: Blackburn JT

Preventing ACL injury in youth soccer: Effect of a customized intervention program.
Research Group: Padua DA, Marshall SW, Strickland LJ, DiStefano MJ

Biomechanical risk factors for anterior knee pain
Research Group: Boling MC, Padua DA, Guskiewicz KM, Pyne S, Beutler A

Comparison of hamstring stiffness and elastic modulus across sex
Lead investigator: Blackburn JT

The effects of strength, range of motion, and muscle activity, on knee valgus position during functional movement tasks
Lead investigator: David R. Bell

Ankle Injuries (top)

Chronic ankle instability is defined as feelings of giving way at the ankle and history of repetetive sprain. It may be due to mechanical or functional instability at the joint. Current research in the SMRL is addressing kinematic, kinetic, and electromyographic differences that may occur as a result of chronic ankle instability, as well as factors that may perpetuate the instability.

Musculotendinous stiffness and electromechanical delay in the human triceps surae
Lead investigator: Blackburn JT

General Sports Medicine (top)

In addition to researching specific joints of the body, the SMRL takes an active research approach to better understanding all aspects of sports medicine. The projects that follow are examples of some of the other projects we are currently working on.

There are currently no studies being pursued in this area