KYMIRA
Loughborough University

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and hamstring injuries are not only prevalent in women’s sports of all levels, but they are also rising alongside the increase in women’s sport participation. ACL injuries are particularly devastating, requiring up to 12-24 months recovery. Together with the average cost of ACL reconstructions being around £8000, these injuries put a considerable burden on NHS resources, negatively affect the patients’ mental and physical health, and can lead to long-term complications.

Women are up to 3-6 times more at risk of non-contact ACL injuries compared to men. The reasons for this are poorly understood due to the inability to accurately measure lower limb movement, from the hips to the ankles, outside a laboratory. Most ACL injuries result from the athlete’s inherent, dynamic movement patterns, involving the interaction of hip, knee and ankle joint angles alongside other factors, during sports like football.

To gain a deeper understanding of this issue, we need to be able to monitor movement quality in real-world sporting scenarios. KYMIRA can enhance this much-needed research through smart leggings, which can measure joint angles during continuous, voluntary movement performed in realistic training and competition environments.

Through utilising a multifactorial approach and novel smart leggings, Lucinda’s research aims to develop a more wide-ranging understanding of key parameters associated with women-specific injury risk and performance, ultimately leading to the identification of effective interventions. This will positively impact the lives of women of all ages and contribute to closing the gender gap that currently exists in health research.

Biography

Lucinda has a unique, interdisciplinary background that blends sport and design. She graduated top in class from the University of the Arts: London College of Fashion in BA (Hons) Fashion Design Technology. Lucinda went on to study MA Textiles and Print at the Royal College of Art and MSc Sport and Exercise Science and Physiology at Manchester Metropolitan University, where she achieved Distinctions. Through her PhD, Lucinda aims to advance smart garment technologies while continuing her role as the Design and Research Lead at KYMIRA.