The use of infrared thermography to measure knee injury biomarkers in professional football players

Overcoming an injury as an athlete is not easy and usually requires the help of professionals to guide the rehabilitation process. Athletic therapists, doctors and other health professionals in sports medicine are interested in better ways to help players get back to the game safely. Instead of following set rehabilitation protocols, we are now focusing on each player’s unique healing pattern.

Infrared thermography is suggested as a new tool to track a person’s individual healing patterns. This technology uses special cameras to measure surface skin temperature and does not require going to a hospital to get the imaging done. Skin surface temperature reveals information about the physiological processes related to inflammation and muscle activity. We believe that a skilled clinician can understand how well the muscles are healing after a muscle strain when paired with clinical rehabilitation and assessment.

This study uses infrared thermography to examine the healing process of lower extremity muscle strains in professional football athletes. By comparing the temperature of the injured muscle to that of the healthy one, we hope to better understand the individual’s healing process. This could improve decisions about when it’s safe to return to competition.

Faculty Supervisor:

Geoffrey Dover

Student:

Partner:

Club de Football les Alouettes de Montréal

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Biotechnology; Health and Related Sciences & Technology

University:

Concordia University

Program: