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Papers by Ukadike Ugbolue

Applied sciences, May 19, 2021

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, Apr 4, 2022

Background: While the roles of injury prevention and performance enhancement have increasingly be... more Background: While the roles of injury prevention and performance enhancement have increasingly been investigated for badminton footwear, there is a lack of research on gender-specific badminton footwear. The purpose of this study was to examine the gender differences in footwear demands and foot injuries in badminton. Methods: The study was a cross-sectional survey, in which 326 recreational badminton players were recruited. The questionnaire was divided into four sections enquiring about the characteristics of (1) participant profiles, (2) importance of shoe properties (3) shoe complaints (4) and pain or discomfort in different foot regions. The Mann-Whitney U test and Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test were performed to determine the differences between genders and the differences between leg dominance, respectively. The significance level was set at 0.05. Results: Both males and females rated shoe fit as the most important features, followed by the overall comfort and injury protection. Females considered the shoe forefoot cushioning, comfort, breathability and colour as more important compared with the other properties, which showed distinct pattern differences from males. The shoe problem results indicated that plantar pain of the non-dominant foot was considered the most commonly reported footwear problem by both males and females. The problem of excessive arch-support on the dominant and nondominant sides of male participants was significantly higher than females (p < 0.05). Occasional pain or frequent pain were mainly distributed in the forefoot, followed by the rearfoot and midfoot regions. Conclusion: There were small differences in footwear demand between the dominant and non-dominant sides, but several differences existed between females and males. The results from gender differences suggested that female shoes prefer a specific shoe last for better fit, rather than a modified version of male shoes. In the future, the design of badminton shoes should consider footwear demands and foot discomfort profiles in respective male and female badminton players.

Gait & Posture, Feb 1, 2020

 Identifying factors linked to improved walking speed could help therapy  Gait data collected f... more  Identifying factors linked to improved walking speed could help therapy  Gait data collected from stroke patients before and after rehabilitation  Gait speed improved by 0.21 m/s at 6 weeks follow-up  Improved speed was correlated with change to the tibia to vertical angle  These findings offer therapy targets for stroke rehabilitation

Journal of Sports Sciences, Jun 8, 2017

The purpose of this study was to compare the electromyography (EMG) patterns of the thoracic and ... more The purpose of this study was to compare the electromyography (EMG) patterns of the thoracic and lumbar regions of the erector spinae (ES) muscle during the golf swing whilst using four different golf clubs. Fifteen right-handed male golfers performed a total of twenty swings in random order using the driver, 4-iron, 7-iron and pitching-wedge. Surface EMG was recorded from the lead and trail sides of the thoracic and lumbar regions of the ES muscle (T8, L1 and L5 lateral to the spinousprocess). Three-dimensional high-speed video analysis was used to identify the backswing, forward swing, acceleration, early and late follow-through phases of the golf swing. No significant differences in muscle-activation levels from the lead and trail sides of the thoracic and lumbar regions of the ES muscle were displayed between the driver, 4-iron, 7-iron and pitching-wedge (P > 0.05). The highest mean thoracic and lumbar ES muscle-activation levels were displayed in the forward swing (67-99% MVC) and acceleration (83-106% MVC) phases of the swing for all clubs tested. The findings from this study show that there were no significant statistical differences between the driver, 4-iron, 7iron and pitching-wedge when examining muscle activity from the thoracic and lumbar regions of the ES muscle.

Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics, 2022

The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in ankle joint parameters of biomechanic... more The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in ankle joint parameters of biomechanics changes between the normal shoes (NS) and the bionic shoes (BS) during the running stance phases. Methods: A total of 40 Chinese male runners from Ningbo University were recruited for this study (age: 22.3 ± 3.01 years; height: 174.67 ± 7.11 cm; body weight (BW): 66.83 ± 9.91 kg). The participants were asked to perform a running task. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis was used to investigate any differences between NS and BS during the running stance phases. The principal component analysis (PCA) and support vector machine (SVM) were used to further explore the differences of the muscle force between the BS and NS. Results: Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in the first metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ1), ground reaction force (GRF), ankle joint and around muscle forces. Furthermore, the accuracy of SVM model in identifying the gait muscle force between BS and NS reached 100%, which proved that the BS had a very large impact on the gait muscle force compared with NS. Conclusions: We found that BS may be better suited to the human condition than other unstable shoes, or even NS. In addition, our results suggest that BS play an important role in reducing ankle injuries during running by increasing muscle participation in unstable conditions while better restoring the most primitive instability of foot condition that humans have.

International journal of sports and exercise medicine, Mar 31, 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dynamic and static stretching warm-up rout... more The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of dynamic and static stretching warm-up routines on golf driving performance. Three different components were tested; namely carry distance, accuracy and ball contact. Twelve male competitive golfers took part in the experiment. Two supervised warm-up treatments were tested on nonconsecutive days. Each subject was randomized to either a dynamic stretching (DS) or static stretching (SS) routine. The DS and SS protocols consisted of nine stretches targeting the entire body. Descriptive statistics and paired t-tests were applied (P < 0.05) between the dynamic and static stretching protocols. The results revealed significant differences between protocols in terms of driving distance and accuracy. Performing a dynamic warm-up before commencing golf driving produced a significant difference with regards to total carry distance (P = 0.012). In terms of shot accuracy, there were significant differences between participants after DS and SS (P = 0.049). The present data indicate that DS significantly increases driving distance and accuracy in comparison to SS in low handicap male golfers. No between subject differences were observed with respect to ball contact following DS and SS (P = 0.064). All participants produced a low shot accuracy distance index (≤ 0.04) after both stretching protocols. The present data further indicate a high level of symmetry with respect to distance and shot accuracy performance indicators in competitive male golfers.

Actuators, Oct 18, 2021

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Mar 20, 2021

Clinical Biomechanics, Aug 1, 2015

Background A new sophisticated method that uses video analysis techniques together with a Maillon... more Background A new sophisticated method that uses video analysis techniques together with a Maillon Rapide Delta to determine the tensile properties of the transverse carpal ligament-carpal tunnel complex has been developed. Methods Six embalmed cadaveric specimens amputated at the mid-forearm and aged (Mean (SD)): 82 (6.29) years were tested. The six hands were from three males (four hands) and one female (two hands). Using trigonometry and geometry the elongation and strain of the Transverse Carpal Ligament and carpal arch were calculated. The cross-sectional area of the Transverse Carpal Ligament was determined. Tensile properties of the Transverse Carpal Ligament-Carpal Tunnel Complex and Load-Displacement data were also obtained. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVA together with a Post-hoc analysis (Tukey) and t-tests were incorporated. Findings A novel method to determine the tensile properties of the Transverse Carpal Ligament-Carpal Tunnel Complex has been developed. There were no significant differences between the original Transverse Carpal Ligament width and Transverse Carpal Ligament at peak elongation (p = 0.108). There were significant differences between the original Carpal Arch width and Carpal Arch width at peak elongation (p = 0.002). The Transverse Carpal Ligament failed either at the mid-substance or at their bony attachments. At maximum deformation the peak load and maximum Transverse Carpal Ligament displacements ranged from 285.74N to 1,369.66N and 7.09mm to 18.55mm respectively. The Transverse Carpal Ligament cross-sectional area mean (SD) was 27.21 (3.41)mm 2. Interpretation Using this method the results provide useful biomechanical information and data about the tensile properties of the Transverse Carpal Ligament-Carpal Tunnel Complex.

Due to conflicting data from previous studies a new methodological approach to evaluate heel pad ... more Due to conflicting data from previous studies a new methodological approach to evaluate heel pad stiffness and soft tissue deformation has been developed. The purpose of this study was to compare heel pad (HP) stiffness in both limbs between males and females during a dynamic unloading and loading activity. Ten males and ten females volunteered to perform three dynamic trials to unload and load the HP. The dynamic protocol consisted of three continuous phases: foot flat (baseline phase), bilateral heel raise (unloading phase) and foot flat (loading phase) with each phase lasting two seconds. Six retroreflective markers (3 mm) were attached to the skin of the left and right heels using a customised marker set. Three-dimensional motion analysis cameras synchronised with force plates collected the kinematic and kinetic data throughout the trials. Three-way repeated measures ANOVA together with a Bonferroni post hoc test were applied to the stiffness and marker displacement data sets. O...

The mechanical properties of the calcaneal fat pad have been determined during plantarflexion usi... more The mechanical properties of the calcaneal fat pad have been determined during plantarflexion using synchronised motion analysis and force plate systems. This study showed no significant differences in stiffness measurements between genders with respect to the left and right heels. The application of this combined technology has potential to be used within the clinics to support foot disease diagnosis such as plantar fasciitis and heel pain.

Research studies have shown that during locomotion the heel fat pad acts as a shock absorber as t... more Research studies have shown that during locomotion the heel fat pad acts as a shock absorber as the soft tissues undergo repeated loading that is distributed over the heel (calcaneus) [1-4]. The heel pad function is influenced by its material and structural behaviour including morphological and morphometrical attributes associated with its geometry, microstructure, and surrounding soft tissue interface. The thickness of the human heel fat pad on average is 18 mm from the calcaneus to the plantar skin [5]. Belhan and colleagues also measured the thickness of the heel fat pad and reported that the average thickness of the heel fat pad without pain at the point of the medial calcaneal tubercle and the average thickness of the first metatarsal fat pad of the feet without pain at the point of the first metatarsal head were 19.94 mm and 6.75 mm, respectively [6]. It is important to note that the human heel fat pad is inhomogeneous, anisotropic, and has been described as exhibiting non-lin...

This paper discusses the development of a device to objectively measure knee joint stiffness. It ... more This paper discusses the development of a device to objectively measure knee joint stiffness. It was presented at the International Society of Biomechanics, XXII World congress, in 2009.

Actuators, 2021

The original idea for bionic shoes (BSs) involves combining the function of unstable foot conditi... more The original idea for bionic shoes (BSs) involves combining the function of unstable foot conditions and the structure of the human plantar. The purpose of this study was to investigate the differences between the normal shoes (NS) and the BS during the stance phases of walking and running. A total of 15 Chinese males from Ningbo University were recruited for this study (age: 24.3 ± 2.01 years; height: 176.25 ± 7.11 cm, body weight (BW): 75.75 ± 8.35 kg). The participants were asked to perform a walking and running task. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis was used to investigate any differences between NSs and BSs during the walking and running stance phases. The results demonstrated that there were significant differences found (21.23–28.24%, p = 0.040; 84.47–100%, p = 0.017) in hip extension and flexion between the NS and the BS during the walking stance phase. There were no significant differences found in ankle and moment during the running stance phase. Significant d...

Applied Sciences, 2021

The stop-jumping task is one of the most important technical actions in basketball. A previous st... more The stop-jumping task is one of the most important technical actions in basketball. A previous study showed 70% probability of non-contact ACL injuries during stop-jumping tasks. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the differences in lower extremity biomechanical changes between the rear foot as the initial contact area to terminate the jump (SJR) and the fore foot as the initial contact area to also terminate the jump (SJF) during the horizontal landing during a stop-jumping phase. In total, 25 male amateur Ningbo University basketball athletes from China were recruited for this study. The participants were asked to jump vertically by using two different stop-jumping strategies. Kinematic and kinetics data were amassed during a stop-jumping task. Statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis was used to find the differences between SJR and SJF. Our results indicated that the change of different ankle range of motion caused significantly different values for knee angle...

Frontiers in Neurology, 2021

Background: Walking, sit-to-stand (STS) and sit-to-walk (STW) are all considered important functi... more Background: Walking, sit-to-stand (STS) and sit-to-walk (STW) are all considered important functional tasks in achieving independence after stroke. Despite knowledge that sensitive measurement of movement patterns is crucial to understanding neuromuscular restitution, there is surprisingly little information available about the detailed biomechanical characteristics of, and relationships between, walking, sit-to-stand and sit-to-walk, particularly in the important time window early after stroke. Hence, here, the study aimed to: Identify the biomechanical characteristics of and determine any differences in both movement fluidity (hesitation, coordination and smoothness) and duration of movement phases, between sit-to-stand (STS) and sit-to-walk (STW) in people early after stroke.Determine whether measures of movement fluidity (hesitation, coordination, and smoothness) and movement phases during sit-to-stand (STS) and/or sit-to-walk (STW) are correlated strongly to commonly used measu...

Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part H: Journal of Engineering in Medicine, 2020

The heel pad (HP) which is located below the calcaneus comprises a composition of morphometrical ... more The heel pad (HP) which is located below the calcaneus comprises a composition of morphometrical and morphological arrangements of soft tissues that are influenced by factors such as gender, age and obesity. It is well known that HP pain and Achilles tendonitis consist of discomfort, pain and swelling symptoms that usually develop from excessive physical activities such as walking, jumping and running. The purpose of this study was to develop biomechanical techniques to evaluate the function and characteristics of the HP. Ten healthy participants (five males and five females) participated in this laboratory-based study, each performing a two-footed heel raise to mimic the toe-off phase during human locomotion. Twenty-six (3 mm) retroreflective markers were attached to the left and right heels (thirteen markers on each heel). Kinematic data was captured using three-dimensional motion analysis cameras synchronised with force plates. Descriptive and multivariate statistical tests were ...

Prime Archives in Medicine, 2021

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2021

With the development of unstable footwear, more research has focused on the advantages of this ty... more With the development of unstable footwear, more research has focused on the advantages of this type of shoe. This type of shoe could improve the muscle function of the lower limb and prevent injury risks in dynamic situations. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate differences in lower-limb kinetics and kinematics based on single-leg landing (SLL) using normal shoes (NS) and bionic shoes (BS). The study used 15 male subject volunteers (age 23.4 ± 1.14 years, height 177.6 ± 4.83cm, body weight (BW) 73.6 ± 7.02 kg). To ensure the subject standardization of the participants, there were several inclusion criteria used for selection. There were two kinds of experimental shoes used in the landing experiment to detect the change of lower limbs when a landing task was performed. Kinetics and kinematic data were collected during an SLL task, and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) analysis was used to evaluate the differences between NS and BS. We found that the flexion and...

Physical Activity and Health, 2021

Introduction: Running is an extremely popular pastime and competitive sport. There is a general c... more Introduction: Running is an extremely popular pastime and competitive sport. There is a general consensus that runners present a high incidence of injury. This study aims to discover the prevalence of injury to the lower extremity among runners and any associated risk factors which correlate with the development of lower extremity injuries. Methods: An inclusion and exclusion criteria were used to screen search results. From an original 184 search results, 24 research papers were selected for the final study. The PRISMA checklist was adhered to in the research process. EndnoteX9 was used to filter through all search results and to achieve the final study selections, in line with the appropriate criteria. Results: Overall, a mean incidence of 37% was displayed for running related injuries to the lower extremity. Females displayed a greater mean incidence of injury than males, 39.7% vs 34.3%. Injury prevalence presented greatest at the knee region (24.3%), but this differed when results were split into male and females. Females presented the greatest prevalence of injury at the calf/lower leg, whilst males presented greatest incidence of injury at the hip/pelvis/upper leg region. Risk factors for developing injury which were identified throughout the research included; having <5 years running experience, being previously injured in the last 12 months and running >3 times per week. Conclusion: This systematic review is in agreement with the literature which has repeatedly illustrated that female runners present a greater incidence of injury than male runners.