An
interdisciplinary
research
project
is
studying
the
physical
and
cognitive
effects
of
anterior
cruciate
ligament
(ACL)
injuries
with
the
goal
of
identifying
factors
that
might
put
athletes
at
risk
of
secondary
ACL
injuries.
The
faculty-student
collaboration,
which
began
last
summer,
is
being
led
by
three
BW
professors
-
Dr.
Jennifer
Kadlowec
(engineering),
Dr.
Patrick
Ledwidge
(psychology
and
neuroscience)
and
Dr.
Alexander
Morgan
(pre-allied
health/pre-physical
therapy).
The
focus
of
the
study
is
to
analyze
how
athletes
who
have
had
ACL
injuries
and
reconstructive
surgery
process
and
react
to
different
environmental
cues
presented
to
them
in
a
research
setting.
Also
being
examined
are
potential
movement
changes
that
may
be
attributed
to
ACL
injury
and
surgery,
as
well
as
risk
factors
that
might
put
athletes
at
a
greater
risk
of
a
secondary
ACL
injury
(which
is
an
ACL
injury
that
occurs
after
someone
had
an
ACL
tear
before).
Improving
Outcomes
After
ACL
Surgery
According
to
Morgan,
the
research
team
is
still
in
the
early
stages
of
data
collection
with
participants,
who
include
athletes
who
previously
injured
their
ACL,
underwent
ACL
surgery
reconstruction
and
then
returned
to
playing
their
sport.
Participants
are
led
through
a
series
of
two
assessments
-
one
using
an
electroencephalogram
(EEG)
which
looks
at
cognition
and
the
other
focused
on
biomechanics.
For
the
EEG
portion
of
the
study,
participants
are
taken
to
Ledwidge's
Cognitive
Neuropsychology
Lab.
Their
brain
waves
are
measured
both
while
sitting
and
doing
simple
tasks
on
the
computer
and
later
while
standing
on
one
leg
and
doing
the
same
tasks.
Advanced
technology
in
Ledwidge's
lab
allows
the
research
team
to
assess
cognitive
differences
between
the
sitting
and
standing
positions
to
provide
data
about
how
the
mind
and
body
work
together
to
support
movement
after
ACL
injury.
For
the
second
part
of
the
study,
student
researchers
take
participants
to
the
BW
Robotics
and
Biomechanics
Lab,
where
movement
of
the
skeleton
is
observed
using
a
high-tech
tracking
device
with
an
infrared
camera.
Morgan
and
his
research
students
will
use
that
data
to
analyze
the
way
in
which
athletes
jump
and
land
after
ACL
surgery.
They
hope
their
findings
will
provide
educational
information
that
can
be
used
to
help
athletes
avoid
additional
ACL
injury.
The
research
team's
abstract
has
been
accepted
into
the
International
Society
for
Biomechanics
in
Sport
conference.
The
team
will
travel
to
Milwaukee
this
July
to
present
the
feasibility
study.
'Whole
New
Dimension
to
Learning'
BW
students
from
each
of
the
disciplines
are
assisting
the
professors.
Among
them
is
Justin
Blankenburg,
a
May
2023
graduate
who
majored
in
pre-athletic
training
and
plans
to
attend
graduate
school
this
fall
to
earn
a
master's
degree
in
athletic
training.
The
Parma,
Ohio,
resident
believes
the
research
experience
gave
him
a
deeper
understanding
of
biomechanics
as
well
as
improved
his
communication,
collaboration,
critical
thinking
and
analytical
skills.
Blankenburg
went
on
to
say
that
as
an
athletic
trainer,
he
will
practice
evidence-based
medicine,
which
means
any
injury
prevention
strategy
or
rehabilitation
technique
he
uses
would
be
thoroughly
researched
to
ensure
individuals
receive
the
best
care
possible.
The
ACL
research
project
gave
him
numerous
opportunities
to
practice
that
skill
in
preparation
for
his
career.
"Faculty-student
collaboration
at
BW
provides
students
with
unique
and
personalized
learning
experiences.
Students
can
gain
a
valuable
mentor
and
a
lifelong
set
of
skills.
This
opportunity
taught
me
many
new
and
exciting
things.
I
am
sure
many
students
and
faculty
would
agree
that
a
textbook
can
only
take
a
student
so
far.
Applying
the
information
to
a
real-world
scenario
brings
a
whole
new
dimension
to
learning,"
he
emphasized.
Also
in
agreement
with
the
benefits
of
real-world
learning
is
Alek
Johnson
'25,
a
Pittsburgh
native
studying
engineering
with
the
goal
of
pursuing
a
career
in
biomedical
engineering.
"Working
with
kinematics
and
biomechanics
provides
me
with
knowledge
I
can
apply
in
graduate
school
or
in
a
career.
This
opportunity
also
is
enhancing
my
analytical
and
problem-solving
skills,
which
are
essential
in
the
engineering
field,"
she
noted.
"I
have
learned
concepts
and
skills
I
can
apply
in
and
outside
of
the
classroom.
More
importantly,
I
have
been
challenged
to
'think
differently'
while
participating
in
this
project,"
remarked
Johnson.
"Working
with
other
students
allows
different
perspectives
to
be
shared.
I
can
use
new
knowledge
and
different
perspectives
to
elevate
and
enhance
my
own
level
of
thinking.
"Engineering
is
built
around
science,
math,
logic
and
how
people
think
and
analyze
to
problem-solve.
This
project
has
required
many
of
these
factors
in
an
incredibly
captivating
way,"
she
concluded.
