Olympians lend their weight to Iona’s curling study

Published On Mon 28 Mar 2016 by Roddy Isles

Some of Scotland’s greatest curlers have lent their weight to a research project being carried out by a University of Dundee student.

Iona Robertson, an Intercalated BMSc student studying Applied Orthopaedic Technology at the University’s TORT Centre, has been working with members of the Men’s British Curling Team from the 2014 Winter Olympics to examine the stresses placed on the knees of people playing the sport.

Olympians David Murdoch, Scott Andrews and Michael Goodfellow have all helped Iona with her project, taking part in sessions at the ice rink at The Peak sports village in Stirling.

Iona asked the team members to deliver 12 stones, six from a flat foot slide position and six from a toe slide whilst wearing Pedar in-shoe pressure measurement insoles in their shoes. Iona is looking to understand and establish the difference in knee force when using both delivery techniques.

Iona recorded videos of the curlers as they delivered each stone, allowing measurement of the knee angles of the player’s during delivery.

“This has been a wonderful opportunity to be able to work with such high level athletes,” said Iona. “Being able to combine my love of the sport with my studies has made carrying out my BMSc research very enjoyable.”

Professor Rami Abboud, Director of the TORT Centre, said, “This once again shows how the students studying various courses within the TORT Centre interact with the local community and industry highlighting that our research is not bound to labs or tethered to the inside of a building.

“We can take our systems to most locations, which allows greater freedom for specialist participants such as the Olympic Team.”

To read her study go to http://bmjopensem.bmj.com/content/3/1/e000221

The TORT Centre is a modern, purpose-built unit, which incorporates the University Department of Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgery, the Institute of Motion Analysis & Research (IMAR) and the Tayside Rehabilitation & Engineering Services where there is a unique blend of surgeons, bioengineers and allied healthcare professionals, providing trauma surgery and specialised clinics on the premises.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
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University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384910
Mobile: 07800 581902
Email: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk