Sports Medicine
Our Research

Our Sports Medicine Research

The Division of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Children's is home to research investigators focused on promoting physical activity and sports participation in youth. We capitalize on strong collaborations between the Divisions of Sports Medicine, Orthopaedics, Physical Therapy, the Heart Institute, Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, and others in the Cincinnati Children’s Research Foundation, to produce hypothesis-driven discoveries focused on using sports participation and physical activity for health promotion and disease prevention.

Our researchers from the Division of Sports Medicine were involved in studying a non-invasive device for internal jugular vein compression known as Q-collar. This device is intended to increase intracranial venous pressure to reduce the occurrence of specific changes in the brain following head impacts. The device is intended to be worn around the neck of athletes ages 13 years and older during sports activities to aid in the protection of the brain from effects associated with repetitive sub-concussive head impacts. Several years of preliminary research—including work performed at Cincinnati Children’s—has led to recent FDA approval of the device developed by Q30 Sports Science, LLC. 

Current active research projects include: Validating a return to sport decision tool following an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury, Alternative models of care after ACL reconstruction, and Identifying movement patterns associated with chronic pain condition. 

Learn more about our current research initiatives.