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Intrinsic and extrinsic variables impacting upper quarter Y-balance test scores in sporting cohorts: A systematic review (2024)
Journal Article
Steele, C., & Valentin, S. (in press). Intrinsic and extrinsic variables impacting upper quarter Y-balance test scores in sporting cohorts: A systematic review. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbmt.2024.02.043

Introduction The upper quarter y-balance test (YBT-UQ) is a functional screening tool used to detect musculoskeletal injury risk, aid rehabilitation, and monitor dynamic function, strength and control, yet little is currently known about intrinsic a... Read More about Intrinsic and extrinsic variables impacting upper quarter Y-balance test scores in sporting cohorts: A systematic review.

Do Workplace Fish Tanks Influence Employee Wellbeing and Cognitive Performance? An Embedded Mixed-Methods Study (2024)
Journal Article
Clements, H., Valentin, S., Jenkins, N., Rankin, J., Gee, N. R., Snellgrove, D., & Sloman, K. A. (in press). Do Workplace Fish Tanks Influence Employee Wellbeing and Cognitive Performance? An Embedded Mixed-Methods Study. Anthrozoös, https://doi.org/10.1080/08927936.2024.2303227

Evidence from “pet-friendly” workplaces highlights potential benefits associated with taking companion animals to work, including reduced stress among employees. Ornamental fishes carry a much lower risk than other companion animals and may be a suit... Read More about Do Workplace Fish Tanks Influence Employee Wellbeing and Cognitive Performance? An Embedded Mixed-Methods Study.

The assessment of paraspinal muscle epimuscular fat in participants with and without low back pain: A case-control study (2024)
Journal Article
Rosenstein, B., Burdick, J., Roussac, A., Rye, M., Naghdi, N., Valentin, S., …Fortin, M. (2024). The assessment of paraspinal muscle epimuscular fat in participants with and without low back pain: A case-control study. Journal of Biomechanics, 163, Article 111928. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.111928

It remains unclear whether paraspinal muscle fatty infiltration in low back pain (LBP) is i) solely intramuscular, ii) is lying outside the epimysium between the muscle and fascial plane (epimuscular) or iii) or combination of both, as imaging studie... Read More about The assessment of paraspinal muscle epimuscular fat in participants with and without low back pain: A case-control study.

Lumbar multifidus characteristics in university level athletes may be predictors of low back pain and lower limb injury (2023)
Journal Article
Anstruther, M., Valentin, S., Dover, G., & Fortin, M. (2023). Lumbar multifidus characteristics in university level athletes may be predictors of low back pain and lower limb injury. International Journal of Research in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, 2(1),

Introduction: Low back pain (LBP) is highly prevalent in athletes, with decreased lumbar multifidus (LM) crosssectional area (CSA) reported in athletes with LBP and lower limb injury (LLI) as well as decreased LM thickness in athletes with LLI. Previ... Read More about Lumbar multifidus characteristics in university level athletes may be predictors of low back pain and lower limb injury.

Effect of supervision and athlete age and sex on exercise-based injury prevention programme effectiveness in sport: A meta-analysis of 44 studies (2023)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Linton, L., & Sculthorpe, N. F. (in press). Effect of supervision and athlete age and sex on exercise-based injury prevention programme effectiveness in sport: A meta-analysis of 44 studies. Research in Sports Medicine, https://doi.org/10.1080/15438627.2023.2220059

We aimed to evaluate the influence of supervision, athlete age and sex and programme duration and adherence on exercise-based injury prevention programme effectiveness in sport. Databases were searched for randomized controlled trials evaluating exer... Read More about Effect of supervision and athlete age and sex on exercise-based injury prevention programme effectiveness in sport: A meta-analysis of 44 studies.

The WATER study: Which AquaTic ExeRcises increase muscle activity and limit pain for people with low back pain? (2022)
Journal Article
Psycharakis, S. G., Coleman, S. G., Linton, L., & Valentin, S. (2022). The WATER study: Which AquaTic ExeRcises increase muscle activity and limit pain for people with low back pain?. Physiotherapy, 116, 108-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physio.2022.03.003

Objective Aquatic exercise therapy is used for the treatment and management of chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, to the authors’ knowledge, no studies to date have compared muscle activity between different aquatic exercises performed by people... Read More about The WATER study: Which AquaTic ExeRcises increase muscle activity and limit pain for people with low back pain?.

Prehabilitation for recreational runners: motivators, influencers, and barriers to injury prevention strategies for running-related injury (2022)
Journal Article
Linton, L., Barr, M., & Valentin, S. (2022). Prehabilitation for recreational runners: motivators, influencers, and barriers to injury prevention strategies for running-related injury. Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 31(5), 544-553. https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2021-0364

Context: Injury prevention programs are effective when implemented in team sports, but many recreational runners have less access to such focused interventions or peer support and often seek other sources to learn about injury reduction strategies.... Read More about Prehabilitation for recreational runners: motivators, influencers, and barriers to injury prevention strategies for running-related injury.

Adding experiential layers to the transnational-athlete concept: A narrative review of real-world heterogeneous mobility experiences (2021)
Journal Article
Bobrownicki, R., & Valentin, S. (2022). Adding experiential layers to the transnational-athlete concept: A narrative review of real-world heterogeneous mobility experiences. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 58, Article 102075. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.102075

Objective With rising mobility and greater recognition of the diversity of origins, cultures, and outlooks, there has been increasing interest in transnational perspectives in sport psychology scholarship and practice. Based on personal and professi... Read More about Adding experiential layers to the transnational-athlete concept: A narrative review of real-world heterogeneous mobility experiences.

Companion animal type and level of engagement matter: a mixed-methods study examining links between companion animal guardianship, loneliness and well-being during the covid-19 pandemic (2021)
Journal Article
Clements, H., Valentin, S., Jenkins, N., Rankin, J., Gee, N. R., Snellgrove, D., & Sloman, K. A. (2021). Companion animal type and level of engagement matter: a mixed-methods study examining links between companion animal guardianship, loneliness and well-being during the covid-19 pandemic. Animals, 11(8), Article 2349. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11082349

To reduce the spread of COVID-19, countries worldwide placed limitations on social interaction, which is anticipated to have severe psychological consequences. Although findings are inconsistent, prior research has suggested that companion animals ma... Read More about Companion animal type and level of engagement matter: a mixed-methods study examining links between companion animal guardianship, loneliness and well-being during the covid-19 pandemic.

Enablers and barriers in ultra-running: a comparison of male and female ultra-runners (2021)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Pham, L., & Macrae, E. (2022). Enablers and barriers in ultra-running: a comparison of male and female ultra-runners. Sport in Society, 25(11), 2193-2212. https://doi.org/10.1080/17430437.2021.1898590

Female participation rates in ultra-running is considerably lower than that of males, but the reasons for this are not fully understood. In this study, online questionnaire responses were collected from ultra-runners taking part in the Scottish Jedbu... Read More about Enablers and barriers in ultra-running: a comparison of male and female ultra-runners.

Running coaches and running group leaders’ engagement with, and beliefs and perceived barriers to prehabilitation and injury prevention strategies for runners (2020)
Journal Article
Linton, L., & Valentin, S. (2020). Running coaches and running group leaders’ engagement with, and beliefs and perceived barriers to prehabilitation and injury prevention strategies for runners. Physical Therapy in Sport, 46, 54-62. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ptsp.2020.08.004

Objectives To identify which pre-and post-run injury risk reduction activities and prehabilitation (prehab) strategies Coaches and Running Group Leaders (Coaches/RGLs) engage in with runners; to explore their beliefs on why runners get injured; to i... Read More about Running coaches and running group leaders’ engagement with, and beliefs and perceived barriers to prehabilitation and injury prevention strategies for runners.

Sex differences in heel pad stiffness during in vivo loading and unloading (2020)
Journal Article
Ugbolue, U. C., Yates, E. L., Wearing, S. C., Gu, Y., Lam, W., Valentin, S., …Sculthorpe, N. F. (2020). Sex differences in heel pad stiffness during in vivo loading and unloading. Journal of Anatomy, 237(3), 520-528. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.13207

Due to conflicting data from previous studies a new methodological approach to evaluate heel pad stiffness and soft tissue deformation has been developed. The purpose of this study was to compare heel pad (HP) stiffness in both limbs between males an... Read More about Sex differences in heel pad stiffness during in vivo loading and unloading.

Kinetic analysis of felines landing from different heights (2019)
Journal Article
Wang, M., Song, Y., Valentin, S., Baker, J. S., & Gu, Y. (2019). Kinetic analysis of felines landing from different heights. PeerJ, 7, Article e8007. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.8007

Background Kinetic motion analysis has been used in canines and equines as a fundamental objective evaluation measurement. Cats are very capable jumpers, and this ability has biomimetic applications. It is essential to understand movement patterns a... Read More about Kinetic analysis of felines landing from different heights.

The Isometric Horizontal Push Test: test–retest reliability and validation study (2019)
Journal Article
Dello Iacono, A., Valentin, S., Sanderson, M., & Halperin, I. (2020). The Isometric Horizontal Push Test: test–retest reliability and validation study. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 15(4), 581-584. https://doi.org/10.1123/ijspp.2019-0357

Purpose: To investigate the test–retest reliability and criterion validity of the isometric horizontal push test (IHPT), a newly designed test that selectively measures the horizontal component of maximal isometric force. Methods: Twenty-four active... Read More about The Isometric Horizontal Push Test: test–retest reliability and validation study.

The effects of interacting with fish in aquariums on human health and well-being: a systematic review (2019)
Journal Article
Clements, H., Valentin, S., Jenkins, N., Rankin, J., Baker, J. S., Gee, N., …Sloman, K. (2019). The effects of interacting with fish in aquariums on human health and well-being: a systematic review. PLOS ONE, 14(7), Article e0220524. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0220524

Background Most research into the health benefits of human-animal interaction has focused on species that interact physically with humans, such as dogs. This may be unsuitable for certain populations for reasons including accessibility and the risk... Read More about The effects of interacting with fish in aquariums on human health and well-being: a systematic review.

Muscle activity during aquatic and land exercises in people with and without low back pain. (2019)
Journal Article
Psycharakis, S. G., Coleman, S. G. S., Linton, L., Kaliarntas, K., & Valentin, S. (2019). Muscle activity during aquatic and land exercises in people with and without low back pain. Physical Therapy, 99(3), 297-310. https://doi.org/10.1093/ptj/pzy150

Background Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the most prevalent musculoskeletal disorder. Aquatic exercises are commonly used by physical therapists for CLBP treatment and management; however, there are no data on trunk muscle activation during aquati... Read More about Muscle activity during aquatic and land exercises in people with and without low back pain..

Running with injury: A study of UK novice and recreational runners and factors associated with running related injury (2018)
Journal Article
Linton, L., & Valentin, S. (2018). Running with injury: A study of UK novice and recreational runners and factors associated with running related injury. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(12), 1221-1225. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2018.05.021

Objectives To investigate the incidence and type of running related injuries in novice and recreational UK runners, and identify factors associated with injury. Design Retrospective cross-sectional study. Methods Novice and recreational runn... Read More about Running with injury: A study of UK novice and recreational runners and factors associated with running related injury.

A sphere fitting approach to determine the hip joint centre of the horse (2017)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Peham, C., Zsoldos, R. R., & Licka, T. F. (2017). A sphere fitting approach to determine the hip joint centre of the horse. Comparative Exercise Physiology, 13(2), 113-118. https://doi.org/10.3920/CEP160039

Accurate identification of the hip joint centre (HJC) is crucial for the correct estimation of knee and hip joint loads and kinematics, which is particularly relevant in orthopaedic surgery and musculoskeletal modelling. Several methods have been des... Read More about A sphere fitting approach to determine the hip joint centre of the horse.

Rate of lumbar paravertebral muscle fat infiltration versus spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations: an age-aggregated cross-sectional simulation study (2016)
Journal Article
Crawford, R., Volken, T., Valentin, S., Melloh, M., & Elliott, J. (2016). Rate of lumbar paravertebral muscle fat infiltration versus spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations: an age-aggregated cross-sectional simulation study. Scoliosis and Spinal Disorders, 11, Article 21. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13013-016-0080-0

Background The spinal column including its vertebrae and disks has been well examined and extensively reported in relation to age-aggregated degeneration. In contrast, paravertebral muscles are poorly represented in describing normative degeneration... Read More about Rate of lumbar paravertebral muscle fat infiltration versus spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations: an age-aggregated cross-sectional simulation study.

Influence of increased intraarticular pressure on the angular displacement of the isolated equine distal interphalangeal joint (2016)
Journal Article
Dippel, M., Ruczizka, U., Valentin, S., & Licka, T. F. (2016). Influence of increased intraarticular pressure on the angular displacement of the isolated equine distal interphalangeal joint. Journal of Equine Veterinary Science, 38, 54-63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jevs.2016.01.006

The equine distal interphalangeal joint (DIPJ) is commonly affected by palpable joint distension and degenerative joint disease, with microinstability considered a contributory factor. The aim of this kinematic study was to investigate DIPJ angles du... Read More about Influence of increased intraarticular pressure on the angular displacement of the isolated equine distal interphalangeal joint.

Spinal motion and muscle activity during active trunk movements – comparing sheep and humans adopting upright and quadrupedal postures (2016)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., & Licka, T. F. (2016). Spinal motion and muscle activity during active trunk movements – comparing sheep and humans adopting upright and quadrupedal postures. PLOS ONE, 11(1), Article e0146362. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0146362

Sheep are used as models for the human spine, yet comparative in vivo data necessary for validation is limited. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare spinal motion and trunk muscle activity during active trunk movements in sheep and huma... Read More about Spinal motion and muscle activity during active trunk movements – comparing sheep and humans adopting upright and quadrupedal postures.

Surface electromyography in animal biomechanics: A systematic review (2015)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., & Zsoldos, R. R. (2016). Surface electromyography in animal biomechanics: A systematic review. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 28, 167-183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2015.12.005

The study of muscle activity using surface electromyography (sEMG) is commonly used for investigations of the neuromuscular system in man. Although sEMG has faced methodological challenges, considerable technical advances have been made in the last f... Read More about Surface electromyography in animal biomechanics: A systematic review.

In vivo magnetic resonance imaging features of spinal muscles in the ovine model (2015)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Licka, T., Essigbeck, A., & Elliott, J. (2016). In vivo magnetic resonance imaging features of spinal muscles in the ovine model. Journal of Orthopaedic Translation, 6, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jot.2015.09.004

Background Muscle fatty infiltration (MFI) has been identified in patients with spinal pain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Even though sheep are a commonly used animal model for the human spine, comparative sheep MFI data from MRI is not av... Read More about In vivo magnetic resonance imaging features of spinal muscles in the ovine model.

MRI-determined lumbar muscle morphometry in man and sheep: potential biomechanical implications for ovine model to human spine translation (2015)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Licka, T. F., & Elliott, J. (2015). MRI-determined lumbar muscle morphometry in man and sheep: potential biomechanical implications for ovine model to human spine translation. Journal of Anatomy, 227(4), 506-513. https://doi.org/10.1111/joa.12354

The sheep is a commonly used animal model for human lumbar spine surgery, but only in vitro investigations comparing the human and ovine spine exist. Spinal musculature has previously not been compared between man and sheep. This additional knowledge... Read More about MRI-determined lumbar muscle morphometry in man and sheep: potential biomechanical implications for ovine model to human spine translation.

Comparative need for spinal stabilisation between quadrupedal and bipedal locomotion (2015)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., & Licka, T. (2015). Comparative need for spinal stabilisation between quadrupedal and bipedal locomotion. Comparative Exercise Physiology, 11(2), 95-105. https://doi.org/10.3920/CEP150008

Sheep are commonly used as an animal model for the human lumbar spine, but similarities in trunk muscle activity of humans and sheep during functional tasks, such as locomotion have not been investigated. Therefore, the aim of the study was to evalua... Read More about Comparative need for spinal stabilisation between quadrupedal and bipedal locomotion.

Inter-rater reliability of trunk muscle morphometric analysis (2015)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Yeates, T. D., Licka, T., & Elliott, J. (2015). Inter-rater reliability of trunk muscle morphometric analysis. Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, 28(1), 181-190. https://doi.org/10.3233/BMR-140552

BACKGROUND: Inter-rater reliability of generalised lumbar extensor muscle CSA has been identified, however, more detailed reliability metrics of individual trunk muscles are lacking. OBJECTIVE: To report muscle volume and muscle fatty infiltrate (MF... Read More about Inter-rater reliability of trunk muscle morphometric analysis.

Kinematic parameters of sheep walking on a treadmill (2014)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Essigbeck, A., Wolfram, I., & Licka, T. (2014). Kinematic parameters of sheep walking on a treadmill. Veterinary Journal, 202(3), 657-658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2014.09.028

Ovine locomotion studies are rare, despite their relevance for medical research. The aim of this preliminary study was to investigate habituation and temporospatial parameters during treadmill walking of seven Austrian Mountain sheep. Sheep were naïv... Read More about Kinematic parameters of sheep walking on a treadmill.

Age and side-related morphometric MRI evaluation of trunk muscles in people without back pain (2014)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Licka, T., & Elliott, J. (2014). Age and side-related morphometric MRI evaluation of trunk muscles in people without back pain. Manual Therapy, 20(1), 90-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.math.2014.07.007

This study evaluated lumbar spine muscle volume and Muscle Fatty Infiltrate (MFI) across two age groups of healthy adults. Twenty-four participants (young group – YG: age 18–25, n = 12; mature group – MG: age 45–60, n = 12) without low back pain unde... Read More about Age and side-related morphometric MRI evaluation of trunk muscles in people without back pain.

The presence of long spinal muscles increases stiffness and hysteresis of the caprine spine in-vitro (2012)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Groesel, M., & Licka, T. (2012). The presence of long spinal muscles increases stiffness and hysteresis of the caprine spine in-vitro. Journal of Biomechanics, 45(15), 2506-2512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2012.07.022

Long muscle-tendon-units are known to contribute to spinal stiffness and hysteresis in-vivo, yet their contribution as a passive structure in-vitro is less well defined. Twelve full length caprine spines including the head, pelvis and all spinal musc... Read More about The presence of long spinal muscles increases stiffness and hysteresis of the caprine spine in-vitro.

The effect of loading on the equine spine - a preliminary study (2010)
Journal Article
Valentin, S., Davis, R., Wilson, A., & Pfau, T. (2010). The effect of loading on the equine spine - a preliminary study. Wiener Tierärztliche Monatsschrift, 97, 74-80

Although equine spinal motion has been analysed in vivo and in vitro, spinal pathophysiology and the mechanisms of injury are not well understood. Most horses are exercised mounted, yet the effect of a load on the spine is still unclear. The purpose... Read More about The effect of loading on the equine spine - a preliminary study.

Cincinnati Orthopaedic Disability Index in canines (2009)
Journal Article
Valentin, S. (2009). Cincinnati Orthopaedic Disability Index in canines. Journal of Physiotherapy, 55(4), 288. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0004-9514%2809%2970014-5

General description: The Cincinnati Orthopaedic Disability Index (CODI) is a case-specific questionnaire completed by owners of dogs with orthopaedic disease, to measure individual functional status of the dog (Gingerich and Strobel 2003). Owners are... Read More about Cincinnati Orthopaedic Disability Index in canines.

Dry needling and exercise for chronic whiplash - a randomised controlled trial (2009)
Journal Article
Sterling, M., Valentin, S., Vicenzino, B., Souvlis, T., & Connelly, L. B. (2009). Dry needling and exercise for chronic whiplash - a randomised controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 10, Article 160. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-10-160

Chronic whiplash is a common and costly problem. Sensory hypersensitivity is a feature of chronic whiplash that is associated with poor responsiveness to physical treatments such as exercise. Modalities such as dry-needling have shown some capacity t... Read More about Dry needling and exercise for chronic whiplash - a randomised controlled trial.