Dundee Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Society

The Dundee University Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Society recently visited the University Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery (UDOTS) to explore what the Department and the Motion and Sports Analysis laboratories can offer.

Professor Arpit Jariwala gave a tour of UDOTS to the delegation to showcase what can be achieved with the cutting-edge technology and experienced staff available at UDOTS.

SMO Team, left to right: Dominic Lee (Conference Lead), Simon Jaupi (Events Coordinator), Ngoni Masiyazi (Treasurer), Mariam Malik (President), Priyadharshini Marimuthi (Website Lead), Katja van der Heijden (Upper School Representative), Professor Arpit Jariwala (UDOTS Director).

Left to right: Motion Analysis Lab with a 16 Vicon camera system and embedded force plates; 30-metre-long Sports Lab complete with a  20 Vicon camera system with mini climbing wall and 3G surface; Foot lab with various sports and gym equipment, energy consumption and blood-flow monitoring system and a portable Gaitrite force plate walkway.

Ms Mariam Mallik, President of DSMO society said:

“It was a privilege to see the cutting-edge facilities at UDOTS that combined with the impactful research carried out within the department enhance the quality of life and independence of people with injuries and disabilities through the use of technology. The facilities available offer opportunities for innovative kinesiology projects. 

As Dundee’s Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Society, we have been running teaching events for students and look forward to hosting our conference next semester. We look forward to working with the department to promote local research that inspires the doctors and surgeons of the future. We are grateful to Professor Jariwala for his ongoing support, always making time for inquisitive minds.” 

Professor Arpit Jariwala noted:

It was a pleasure to welcome the Dundee Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Society office bearers to UDOTS. It was great to see their keenness to explore the world-class facilities for research in Gait and Motion analysis in the department. We also discussed the participation of both University and NHS colleagues in their teaching and training events. 

We have already discussed the possibility of a Gait and Motion Analysis workshop for their upcoming Annual Undergraduate conference on 18 February 2023.

I am confident that with this initiative we are building an excellent partnership to engage young medical students in the activities of UDOTS early on in their medical careers and more importantly for their future orthopaedic careers.

A few examples of research conducted in the Motion and Gait Analysis Lab during the last year include (1) investigating if using a violin shoulder rest can improve biomechanical effects and what position of shoulder rest is best (2) investigating the forces and movements of the lower limbs when striking a stationary football (3) the effect of toe-out gait modification in people with knee osteoarthritis (4) if exercising using the lunging technique improves the strength of the lower limb muscles (5) stability of the knee joint during skiing.

Recently conducted research conducted in the Sports Lab includes (1) do wrist wraps help when carrying out a standing barbell overhead press? (2) Does accuracy improve when shooting a rifle at 25m using EasyHit compared to a standard sight? (3) the influence of pelvic factors on perceived discomfort in female cyclists (4) Ergonomics of laparoscopic instruments affecting the thenar eminence and 1st MCP joint (5) Comparison of the protection offered against injury when wearing different types of football shin guards.

Representative examples of recent research conducted in the field include (1) investigating emergency vehicle extrication techniques (2) biomechanical analysis of the lower limbs during fencing movements with and without kinesiology tape (3) investigating the biomechanics of freestyle swimming using field-based wearable technology (4) investigating if it is more difficult to maintain balance while performing activities in a virtual reality (VR) environment compared to our real environment (5) Can horse riding reduce the effects of spasticity in the limbs of children with cerebral palsy?

If you'd like to arrange a visit to see what activities and research can be conducted at UDOTS, or are interested in collaborating, please feel free to contact us at ortho@dundee.ac.uk