Genetic Basis Discovered For Muscle Endurance In Animal Study
Researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have identified a gene for endurance, or more precisely, a negative regulator of it. Not having the gene relates to greater endurance in the knockout mice that were studied. The investigators also showed that the gene is linked to Olympic-level athletes in endurance sports such as swimming compared to athletes in sprint sports such as the 100-meter dash. The study appears online this week in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Joint Replacement Surgery Increases Risk Of Blood Clot Formation In Certain Patients
When tennis star Serena Williams underwent emergency treatment for a pulmonary embolism earlier this year, the world's attention was drawn to this often fatal medical condition which, although surprisingly not uncommon, is unfamiliar to most men and women. A common risk factor associated with clot development is surgery; particularly hip and knee replacement surgery. Pulmonary emboli, or blood clots in the lungs, occur when a clot that forms within veins elsewhere in the body often in the lower legs or other limbs breaks free and travels to the lungs, where it can cause serious complications.
Breakthrough Data On Cervical Spine Injuries
A high school football player's broken neck - from which he's recovered - has yielded breakthrough biomechanical data on cervical spine injuries that could ultimately affect safety and equipment standards for athletes. University of New Hampshire associate professor of kinesiology Erik Swartz collaborated on the study, which appears in a letter in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine. Swartz and lead author Steven Broglio of the University of Michigan captured this groundbreaking spinal fracture data while studying concussions.