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ARE PHYSIOTHERAPY STUDENTS ADEQUATELY PREPARED TO SUCCESSFULLY GAIN EMPLOYMENT? Jones M, McIntyreb J, Naylora S. Physiotherapy 2010;96(2)Jun:169-175

This study set out to explore the preparedness of final-year physiotherapy students for their progression into employment, and identify what universities can do to facilitate a smooth transition.

Sixty final-year full- and part-time students participated in the survey, questions related to the current job situation, the application process and the student’s ideal first post. Responses from the questionnaire were analysed and discussed further through a digitally recorded interview with 12 of the students. Students felt unprepared for employment. Forty-seven per cent wanted a rotational post in the NHS as their first job. However 26% said they would only spend 6 months post-graduation looking for a job before giving up and 39% would only spend one year at it. Seventy-one per cent would change career and 99% would work abroad if they were unable to secure a post in the UK. Most importantly, students could not identify transferable skills required by potential employers; only 25% cited

effective communications, and 10% cited flexible working as a transferable skill. Self-management skills (e.g. prioritisation, time management and documentation) were not perceived as essential for employment.

sportEX comment Many sportEX readers with vocational massage or sports therapy qualifications will consider continuing their studies with a degree level course such as physiotherapy. There may be many reasons for this, one of which may be an expectation of a greater knowledge base and perhaps most importantly getting a decent job at the end. If you are thinking along these lines then read this paper first. It was done at Brunel University and one of the conclusions was that their physio degree should be changed to meet the students expectations and the needs of the workplace. Good for them! Has it happened at universities that you are applying to enter?

WHY IT IS DIFFICULT TO DETECT AN ILLEGALLY BOWLED CRICKET DELIVERY WITH EITHER THE NAKED EYE OR USUAL TWO-DIMENSIONAL VIDEO ANALYSIS? K D Aginsky KD, T D Noakes TD. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2010;44:420-425

In cricket, one of the factors in deciding if a delivery is legal or not, is the angle of the elbow joint. The umpire is supposed to watch for this as well as a number of other determinates at the same time. One male bowler was studied by means of a three-dimensional biomechanical analysis using the Vicon MX13 motion analysis system when bowling at match pace. Photographs were taken from various angles during the bowling delivery action to illustrate factors influencing the visual appearance of an illegal delivery. Analysis found that the elbow joint rotates about 90° as a result of humeral rotation during the movement of shoulder circumduction produced by the bowler’s delivery action. This causes the plane in which the elbow joint moves to change throughout the delivery action. This movement will also vary between bowlers. The movement of elbow planar flexion/extension can be viewed only when the viewer’s eyes are at exactly 90º to the plane of elbow joint movement. So a cricket umpire wishing to detect elbow extension during the bowler’s delivery would need continuously to change his viewing position as the bowler’s arm moved from the horizontal to the vertical position at ball release.

sportEX comment We always like to support game officials and the conclusion here is that it is impossible for an umpire conclusively to cite a bowler for an illegal action based only on naked eye observation because to do so the umpire would need to be in at least three different positions throughout a single delivery. The wider implication for sports science is that there is an opportunity to examine solutions to some of the contentious issues in sport. Can the next piece of research address the problem of ‘offside’ in a football match please.

CLINICAL PREDICTORS OF TIME TO RETURN TO COMPETITION AND OF RECURRENCE FOLLOWING HAMSTRING STRAIN IN ELITE AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALLERS.

Warren P, Gabbe BJ, et al. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2010;44:415-419

Fifty nine players who suffered a hamstring strain in the 2002 season were assessed by a physiotherapist and completed a questionnaire. The results revealed that players taking more than one day to walk pain-free were significantly more likely to take longer than three weeks to return to competition. Nine players (15.2%) experienced an injury recurrence, all involving the biceps femoris. Recurrence was more likely in players who reported a hamstring injury in the past 12 months

sportEX comment A coach’s second question after,

“what’s the problem” is inevitably, “how long will he/she be out”. The reply is at best guesswork because there are many variables not least of which is an athlete’s mind set. A subsequent question from the athlete is, “is it going to go again”. Time to walk pain-free and previous hamstring injury are predictors of time to return to competition and are an aid to prognosis.

4 sportEX dynamics 2010;25(Jul):4-6