Dr. Darryl Thelen of the University of Wisconsin at Madison will present the address "The Biomechanics of Hamstring Injury: Implications for Prevention and Rehabilitation" through the Distinguished Lectures Series in Sports Medicine at Hope College on Monday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Maas Center.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
Hamstring injury is one of the most common problems faced by athletes in every sport at every level of competition. Because of the role that the critical muscle group plays in stabilizing the knee and hip, even minor strains can keep athletes on the sidelines. Best practices in the treatment of hamstring injury are controversial, and tend to be based more on individual practitioner experience than scientific evidence.
Thelen is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. His fields of interest include the simulation of musculoskeletal dynamics; mechanics and control of movement; neuromuscular adaptation with age, injury and disease; imaging of soft tissue mechanics; and the application of biomechanics in orthopedics and rehabilitation. He was a member of the Hope engineering faculty from 1994 to 2001, and subsequently held a research position with the Biomechanical Engineering Division at Stanford University before joining the University of Wisconsin faculty in 2002.
The Distinguished Lecture Series in Sports Medicine is designed for health care professionals with an interest in physically active patients, and is intended for students, educators and clinicians alike. It is co-sponsored by Shoreline Orthopaedics, Holland Hospital, Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan and the college. Thelen's address on Dec. 1 is additionally co-sponsored by the college's department of engineering and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
The remaining addresses for 2008-09 will be presented during the college's spring semester, on Monday, Jan. 12; and Monday, April 13. Additional information about the series may be found online at https://hope.edu/academic/kinesiology/athtrain/ dlssm/index.html
The Maas Center is located at 264 Columbia Ave., on Columbia Avenue at 11th Street in Holland.