ESMRN research

Our research themes, projects and recent publication examples.

Research themes

Athlete Education
Athlete health
Biologic treatment of musculoskeletal conditions
Concussion prevention and education
Exercise referral
Golf, health and performance
Injury rehabilitation
Injury and illness surveillance
Injury risk and prevention
Joint replacement and physical activity
Longer-term consequences of injury (e.g. osteoarthritis)
Mental health and its impact on sport
Public health and sport
Retired athlete health
Role of Surgery in the management of sports injuries
Sport for health (e.g. Golf, health and performance)

Projects

This project is funded by World Rugby and the Scottish Rugby Union and seeks to evaluate the introduction of the new lowered Tackle Height Law Change and its impact on reducing head related injuries in community adult male, female and youth rugby in Scotland. The project is part of a larger multi-nation study being conducted by World Rugby, as part of their efforts to reduce head contacts and the risk for concussion in this Global game.

The rate and patterns of player injury in rugby union vary between different levels of play (e.g., elite versus amateur), different ages (e.g., youth versus adult) and sex (e.g. male and female players). Despite this sports injury prevention initiatives tend to follow a one size fits all approach and are largely designed for and implemented and tested in male cohorts. The Activate programme adopted by World Rugby is presented as an injury prevention programme for all rugby players. However, while efficacy has been shown in the male context, there is currently no knowledge or evidence around its efficacy as an injury prevention programme in female rugby union players.

This two year World Rugby funded study led by the University of Edinburgh aims to determine the incidence and nature of match and training injury in national level adult women’s rugby union players across England, Scotland and Wales. Evaluating the efficacy of the World Rugby Activate injury prevention programme to reduce the burden of match and training injury, and provide recommendations regarding specific female adaptations to the Activate programme.

Principle investigators:

Dr Debbie Palmer (University of Edinburgh)
Dr Isabel Moore (Cardiff Metropolitan University)
Professor Keith Stokes (University of Bath; English Rugby Football Union - RFU)

Co investigators:

Neil Graham (Scottish Rugby Union - SRU)
Dr James Robson (Scottish Rugby Union - SRU)
John Miles (Welsh Rugby Union - WRU)
Dr Prav Mathema (Welsh Rugby Union - WRU)
Rachel Faull-Brown (English Rugby Football Union – RFU)

Policy impact work - research and combat the effects of physical inactivity, as well as challenging long-held assumptions to support more people to become more active.

Researcher: Dr Paul Kelly

Learn more about the Get Fit Without a Gym project

Edinburgh Sports Medicine Research Network has worked in collaboration with other leading Universities, policy makers to assess the health benefits and health issues associated with golf, and to focus on illness and injury preventions. This stream of work led by Dr Andrew Murray includes collaboration with The R&A, The World Golf Foundation, The European Tour Group, The Ladies European Tour and The International Golf Federation as well as national federations.

Sport injury, illness prevention and the protection of athlete health are key mandates for the IOC. In Games Olympian injury and illness surveillance studies capture athlete injury and illness data during a 3 week window, once every 4 years. While most retired athlete health studies are cross-sectional and limited by recall bias. The study is an international research collaboration aiming to recruit and survey a cohort of current Olympians competing in the summer and winter Olympic Games, in order to follow them longitudinally. Tracking their physical and mental health, and wellbeing throughout their Olympic careers and through into retirement.

Researchers:

Dr Debbie Palmer
Professor Dave Collins
Professor Lars Engebretsen
Dr Niall Elliott
Dr Gwen Fernandes
Dr Paul Kelly
Dr Torbjørn Soligard

Visit the IOC Cohort Page

Edinburgh-born collaborative project ConcussEd raises awareness about concussion and is improving how concussion education is delivered.

Researchers:

Dr Stephanie Adams
Dr Tony Turner
Hugh Richards
Professor John Sproule
Dr Dan Mitman
Dr Jonathan Hanson
Dr Kathryn Schneider
Stew Fowlie
Ross Simpson
Peter Robinson

This is a project designed to investigate the health and functional outcomes of golfers before and after hip and knee replacement. The project seeks to analyse the rates of returning to golf after joint replacement as well as the changes of joint biomechanics and golfing performance following surgery.

Researchers:

Dr Iain Murray
Dr Andrew Murray
Dr Patrick Robinson
Nick Clement

Edinburgh Orthopaedics - Sports Medicine

'SMHAT-1 Longitudinal Surveillance of Student-Athlete Mental Health Symptoms' is an international project that explores the epidemiology of elite student-athlete mental health symptoms throughout an academic year and athletic season in various sporting environments cross-culturally. The study is testing the utility of the SMHAT-1 as a digital tool for detection of symptoms and monitoring wellbeing in student-athlete populations.

Researcher: Dr Kait Simpson