Peter Singer: The Golden Rule

World poverty is arguably at the forefront of issues plaguing our society as a whole today. I found an article displaying some of Peter Singers thought experiments that will further help display his beliefs. In his essay The Singer Solution to World Poverty, world-renowned author and philosopher Singer claims he has the solution. Singer asserts that materialism is the roadblock preventing the third world's climb from despair into prosperity.The author begins his essay by detailing two thought experiments; the first recounts a Brazilian film, â€Å"Central Station,† in which the main harasser, Dora, unknowingly causes a young boy to be sold into the organ trade. After some debates as to Odor's real motives, as well as further contemplation, Dora decides to rescue the boy (Singer).Singer applauds Odor's actions and notes that had Dora decided the boys fate was not her responsibility and kept the money she gained as a result of her part, the movie's audience would have demonic he r; conversely she maintains a positive light in the eyes of those watching the movie only by rescuing the boy. Singer further notes however, that most of those able to go see a movie, are in a better place than Dora herself, explaining how what she gave up to save the boy was of greater value than the audience could relate to (Singer).Singer then raises an ethical question: What is the difference between Dora selling the child into the organ trade, and the average American who chooses not to donate money to organizations that could benefit a child in similar situation of need? Singer acknowledges the situational differences of physically putting a child in that situation compared to mere inaction, yet, pointing out that he is a utilitarian philosopher; he claims the end results are the name (Singer). Singer's next thought experiment details a character named Bob who is close to retirement and owns a very valuable classic car.To sum things up Bob finds himself in a situation where a child is dangerously trapped on a train track. Bob is the only one around and the only way he can save the child is by diverting the train down a separate track, resulting in the destruction of the car. In the story, Bob chooses not to divert the coming train, the child is killed, and bob proceeds on in his life with the car, which brings him years of enjoyment and financial security (Singer). Singer argues that Bob's actions are clearly morally incorrect, and claims most would agree.However, Singer states that most readers who would quickly condemn Bob's actions are not much different. Singer cites calculations saying the $200 in donations, after all the deductions made by organizations and politics, would essentially save the life of an imperiled toddler in a third world country, or at least give them a significant chance at reaching adulthood (Singer). Singer next argues those who have money to spare and do not donate it, are effectively as morally wrong as Bob, who watched a hil l brutally die (Singer).Singer goes on to detail how much of the western world has massive wealth surpluses. He again cites research claiming the average American household spends close to forty percent, or twenty thousand dollars annually on superfluous spending. Singer marvels at how many children that small amount of money could save, and continues to detail that while a household income an increase, it's necessary spending proportionately does not, freeing up even more unneeded income. Through this logic Singer claims a household making $100,000 annually, could donate nearly $70,000.Singer wraps his argument up with a simple equation; all money being spent on luxuries and anything other than a necessity, should be given away. Furthermore, all money being spent on luxuries is indirectly resulting in the deaths of innocent youth, and those doing the spending, are morally responsible for avoidable deaths of impoverished children. Singer aims to demonstrate, that while Bob likely th ought he was quite unlucky to be put in such a situation, in fact he was not, and all of us with additional income are in the same boat.Clearly, Singer hopes to open the eyes of richer nations and invoke a sense of accessibility towards making their extraneous means count toward the world's well being, and arguably he does so. With the demonstrations of the detailed stories I explained earlier, Singer indeed executed his beliefs fairly well. Anyone with a conscious and decent moral compass can admit the life of another human being is worth saving, many would agree it would not hurt to give up western luxuries to do so.Singer makes it easy to see how the wealth of the western world could ago long way in restoring health and prosperity into some areas of the world which are very much in need. On the surface Singers conclusion: we ought to give a country in famine aid seems like it would work great. In the long run, Singer's plan will not be successful. Let's break down the logical com ponent of Singers argument. First off, Singer relies almost entirely on his consequentiality ethics this has some telling drawbacks.While the worldwide effect of such thinking is usually positive, since such ethics rely on cost/ benefit analysis, the hard conclusions are rarely so simple. A reoccurring problem with such thinking is the secondary, and tertiary effects are not usually factored in. Once we apply that critical template to Singer's thinking, some momentous issues emerge, namely, economics. If we as Americans were to take all our extraneous income, and simply donate it to countries in need, what would the end result be?The economic ramifications would gigantic, and while this may seem extreme, we could wind up in a simple role reversal, quickly finding ourselves in need. Again, this is extreme, but it effectively demonstrates the results. Our economy relies on extraneous spending, it is the only way it can sustain itself. Simply put there is no re- deeding effect from don ations, no recirculation of wealth, no more money to receive, and thus unnecessarily spend again. As a result, the supplemental income Singer refers to would quickly disappear.From a more cynical perspective, let's critique Singer's utilitarian views on a scarier level. A more chilling result from Singer's solution is population increase. As ‘immoral' as it may be, all of the children who do not live past there earlier years help keep the problem at bay. In reality if we were to embrace singer's solution, a quick result would be thousands of young impoverished children surviving into adulthood. A lightly slower result would be all of those impoverished children growing up, and raising impoverished families, effectively multiplying the problem.While as I said, this is cynical, it is also utilitarian. What is good for those impoverished children, is not necessarily good for society, and throwing all our extra income at them, isn't going to magically cure their situation. In actu ality though, my best argument for Singer's solution is a simple one. Think about it, how many impoverished children are in the age bracket (toddlers) that Singer refers to? One million? 100 million? At $200 per child, that large overestimation moms out to twenty billion dollars. Initially such statistics support Singers argument.The United States alone has a gross economy in the trillions, so shaving a little off the top should go a long way to help right? In reality world poverty is not a new problem, and I can think of several wealthy westerners, who collectively could easily write a check for that. And arguably have gone a long way in their attempts to do so. This argument speaks for itself; money is not the answer. While it definitely is one of the means necessary to help solve this problem, it is not the chief factor in fixing this issue. These people need societal and political reform. 200 per child is not going to halt genocide in Africa, or change the fact that certain soci eties in South America simply are not conducive to public health. All this goes to illustrate how much Singer chooses to leave out of his solution. Singer makes a solid argument, with huge social and financial implications, yet it is not without holes. The author, being both a scholar and a philosopher, has a smooth writing style, and it shows. He invokes Just the right amount of inquiry, logic, and writes with such an authority that it becomes easy to to question both his statistics and the evidence he either omitted, or did not realize.Due to this, Singer's argument itself is markedly effective, making it is easy to feel compelled from the points he makes, and the illustrations he uses. He invokes strong feelings of guilt, and assigns a social liability for the welfare of those less fortunate, but his support is ultimately less than pragmatic. While Singer's intentions are pure, and to such a degree are worth of some merit, simple logically analysis of much of his deductively supp orted report shows his solution is impractical. This is not to say

A Field Trip to Dell, Inc. Website

This is one business in the United States where IT is the center of commerce, and people are in constant interaction with technology.Background & PurposeThe writer has made a field trip to Dell, Inc.’s business website early at around 6 am on the 7th day of August 2007.   I chose this site because Dell, Inc. has basically been one of my favorite brands when it comes to computer hardware products like personal computers, servers, software, data storage devices, and personal digital assistants.   Dell manufactures even my PC, so instead of going to Round Rock, Texas where its headquarters are presently located, I used IT and the media to connect to the company and make a ‘virtual’ field trip.My purpose here is to evaluate five things: first, the purpose of the website; second, the assumed user profile; third, the psychological and social human habits that are reflected in their website design; fourth, the advanced technology or technologies that they use; fifth, the way media visitors interact with technology; sixth and last, whether the technology affects cultural and social interactions.   What I should be careful to observe are the physical and human environments that are good precursors of interpersonal relationship.FindingsFrom my virtual field trip on Dell, Inc., my findings can be described as follows:1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The purpose of the website is multi-faceted, although the overall function of the site is to inform people about their company, their business, their products, the events that they have, and the benefits of choosing them as a computer manufacturing company.2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The assumed user profile revolves around high-tech visitors of big suburban cities around the world (the Western, most especially).   It appears from its website design that the major group of people that are being invited to enter are those that are from the middle age, middle class society mainly because of the simplicity of design, some picturesque views, and a group of middle-aged, middle class people that are shown interacting.   Business investors are also included in this virtual user profile.3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The psychological and social human habits that are reflected in their website design constitute the concepts of simplicity, brotherhood, purity or creed (The Soul of Dell), being environmentally friendly, and the magnitude of technology.4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The advanced technologies that the company use can be subdivided into the following categories: first, the high-tech marketing information systems; second, the ultra-modern system of computer product manufacturing; third, the use of digital equipment for customer and human resource management; fourth, the use of ‘virtual integration’ and ‘fast-cycle segmentation’;[1] fifth and final, the ongoing use, innovation and improvement of Dell computer and its digital technology.5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Media visitors of t he Dell, Inc. website interact with technology from the start of the virtual tour up to the end.   Each buttons that they use in their personal computers bring them to a different tab or window in their screens, and all these can be labeled as interactions with technology.6.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Based on my virtual tour at Dell, Inc. website, it is very obvious that technology affects cultural and social interactions.   Companies have the power to reflect cultural, social, and psychological views in the designing of their websites, in the laying out of fundamental ideas and codes, and in the types of information that are being shown.ConclusionsBeforehand, it was my preconception that Dell, Inc.’s physical and human environments would only revolve around the higher-class society of the Western world.However, based on the front picture on their website, the city that is shown does not necessarily pertain to the Western world but any city around the globe that is high-tech and vi rtual.   From brown hairs to black, the only thing that is similar among the people that were shown in the web pictures was that they were all high-class and contemporary.   Human habits depict one that is globally interconnecting, with a concern for earth and brotherhood.This visit changed my views by revealing that IT does not simply interact with people as a whole but that it connects with every viewer by reflecting significant psychological and social human habits that are most appealing for a given time and environment.   As of now, the environment covers the global spectrum because we are in the digital age, and the only American emblem that we see is the small flag of the USA.   Technology has the power to affect cultural and social interactions by affecting interpersonal relationship at best.SpeculationIt is my speculation that cultural and political wars do not help virtual companies like Dell, Inc..   This is because the overall concept that is readily seen in th eir website is one on concord and brotherhood.   The company has to ignite a very positive aura in the media, yet with all these they should also be true to their country as well.   To be a virtual company is to be clever both in social and interpersonal relationships inside and outside the country.ReferencesDell, Inc.   (2007).   Company: about Dell.   Retrieved August 7, 2007, from http://www.dell.com/content/topics/global.aspx/corp/en/home?c=us&l=en&s=corp&~ck=mn.Magretta, J.   (1998).   The power of virtual integration: an interview with Dell Computer’s Michael Dell.   Harvard Business Review, March-April, 73-84.[1] This makes use of the most sensible timesaving devices, such as customer focus, supplier partnerships, mass customization, and just-in-time manufacturing.

Child and young person development Essay

1.1 Describe the expected pattern of children and young people’s development from birth to 19yrs Physical Development Communication & Intellectual development Social, Emotional & Behavioural development 0-3 New babies have little control over their bodies, their movement depends on a series of reflexes as they get older they start to develop more gross monitor skills such as crawling, sitting, running, rolling. In their second year, children should have a better ability to control their movement. In a child’s 3rd year they would start to develop fine motor skills such as painting, scribbling and colouring. The child enjoys looking at and turning pages of books. At this age a child, should be able to use a cup and be able to feed themselves. A child at this stage will be listening, taking in language and speech from their surroundings. If a child is not given the appropriate attention they will find it hard to speak/communicate with other children. Speech will begin to grow with the child enjoying songs and games and words will start to increase rapidly, with words being pronounced wrong but not without a lack of trying. For example ‘I broked it’ instead of ‘I b roke it’. Children will have firms bonds with their parents/carers/guardians/key workers. They will experience emotional issues such as playing up for their parents, due to wanting to be independent and do things for themselves. 3-7 At this age, children will be improving the skills they have learned so far, they will have more confidence and more control over their fine motor skills such as cutting, writing and drawing. As children grow they continue to pick up phrases and expressions from the people around them and their surroundings. Their confidence will continue to blossom as they will now be able to talk and communicate in more ways with others around them. Children  will still look for praise from the older people and adults around them. At this age children start to engage more with their friends; ie playing with a ball, dressing up, playing with lego. They will learn disappointment such as not being picked for teams, and know how they should behave within the groups. They will learn to cooperate openly with others and how to respond to responsibility. 7-12 Children would start to have hobbies and interests such as sports, dance, drama. Children will continue to develop and improve many of their skills. Girls will start to show signs of early puberty from age 10-11yrs. Puberty in boys will usually start later. Speech for a child at this stage will be a lot clearer and understood. They will be fine tuning their written and reading skills which will help them to think about ideas and learning tools which will increase their confidence. Their knowledge and understanding will be used a lot more efficiently. Children will have developed different groups of friends and feel settled within those groups. Many different skills will have been developed and hobbies will be of great interest. Fine motor skills will be fully developed with more of an interest in their hobbies. For example playing an instrument, sewing and crafts. 12-19 The boys will be starting to go through puberty and many of the girls would be completing their puberty, having regular periods. As a result of the different stages at this age in puberty, boys and girls will vary in height, with girls they are taller and are growing stronger than boys. A wider understanding of their surroundings and clearer ideas of their favourite activities and subjects at school will be expected at this stage. They will be thinking about future careers as they prepare to leave school. Young people between this age experience a lot of change and can become very self conscious of their bodily changes. Independence will have grown but will still look for guidance from others. Strength, height and confidence will also have grown. 1.2 Describe with examples how different aspects of development can affect one another It is always important to remember that different aspects of development can affect another, for example if a child has a new sibling in their family they have to understand that their parent’s have to share their attention with both of the children not just one. The child may feel angry and alone which can lead to social, emotional and behavioural problems. If they feel they don’t get enough attention from their parents. This can then have an impact on their communication development, due to them playing up or misbehaving. If a child has an illness or disability which prevents them from walking this can affect their physical development as they don’t have full gross motor skill development, as well as affecting their social and intellectual development. They may spend a lot more time learning which will be a positive gain on their intellectual development, however they may wonder why they are not with their peers taking part in their daily activities, therefore their emotional, social and behavioural development will be affected as they may feel left out or different from the others. Outcome 2 2.1 Describe with examples the kinds of influences that affect children and young people’s development including: a) background b) health c)environment Children and young people come from a wide range of different backgrounds, all having an affect on development. For example a child/young person may be neglected and from a poorer family who don’t have the amenities to care properly for that child. The behaviour of a parent towards their child can affect how they deal with things emotionally and therefore can have an impact on a child’s development. If there are older siblings they my talk above the younger sibling or talk for them, having an affect on a child’s communication skills possibly making their speech slower. On a positive note an older sibling may help the younger sibling to develop their skills at a faster pace. For example if they read, write and just sit talking to their  older brother or sister it can help the, to develop much needed skills. If a child/young person suffers a bereavement of a family member or close friend, or has an illness or injury, these factors can also have an affect on a chi ld’s emotional and social development. My daughter Hope, was born with a complex heart and lung defect which led to her having major surgery at 4 months old, this has delayed her development in terms of speech, mobility and learning and she has missed school due to various hospital and clinic appointments. Hope has extra reading lessons as her eyesight has been affected by the health issues and therefore struggles to keep up to the same level as her peers. P.E lessons are sometimes a struggle as her physical ability is behind most of her classmates and she struggles to keep up. Hope’s hearing has also been affected as well as her growth, making it harder for her to complete normal day to day tasks with her friends. The environment a child learns in is an important aspect of their school life. If there are distraction such as a noisy road outside or some kind of issue in the classroom for example a disruptive child, this can affect a child’s development by taking their attention away from learning. A few day nurseries have found recently that bright, vibrant colours and pictures on walls, are more of a distraction to the children in their early years at nursery, and so no longer have anything on walls at all. They are now plain as to not draw attention from the children, distracting them from their day to day learning and play. 2.2 Describe with examples the importance of recognising and responding to concerns about children and young people’s development If a child has any issues it is extremely important that these issues are dealt with as soon as possible, as if they go unnoticed this may lead to further problems. For example my daughter Hope, never showed any signs of having a problem with her eyesight, until a routine check at school discovered she was very short sighted in one eye. It wasn’t until this was found that recent behaviours slotted into place, like Hope wouldn’t look to be interested in class, she would sit and look like she was in a daze, this was due to the fact she couldn’t see properly not that she wasn’t  interested. In Hope’s preschool year, her teacher was concerned Hope wasn’t progressing as well as the other children in her group, due to her being very quiet and reserved and looking disinterested in what was going on. Hope was referred to a learning development team who found nothing wrong, but it was important that her teacher made me aware of these issues incase there was an underlying issue. No matter how many times an issue is raised it is important to do so until the issue has been resolved, so not to cause any further stress to the child or young person. Hope for weeks, wasn’t herself at home or in school, she would be very unsettled, wet the bed, very quiet and wouldn’t join in in her class. After constant revisiting of these problems it was finally found that the anxieties Hope was having was due to her health issues. If these issues were not picked up Hope would be a lot worse now, thankfully they were and are being resolved. Outcome 3 3.1 Identify the transitions experienced by most children and young people Nursery – preschool Preschool – primary school Primary school – high school Change of classes Change of timetable Change of teacher/key worker Puberty 3.2 Identify transitions that only some children and young people may experience Move in house—possibly a local move or out of the area Move in school – due to the above or other personal issues Bereavement of a close friend or family member Illness or injury Parental separation or divorce Change of carer/guardian/new parent New sibling 3.3 Describe with examples how transitions may affect children and young people’s behaviour and development Transitions can affect children in a number of way, during this time it is important that the child or young person has positive relationships around them to help them feel secure. Some transitions can be difficult to deal with and can affect a child or young person’s behaviour in many different ways. For example a child who has just moved house and school can become very clingy, withdrawn, anxious and uninterested in their new surroundings. This can affect their development as they may not join in as much as they should in class, plus could ply up to their new teachers and have behavioural issues. If this kind of behaviour isn’t picked up early on and the child or young person isn’t given the support they need, the transitional period can become a very traumatic experience. On a positive note, a change in school may be what the child needs to take off and thrive in a new setting. It may be seen as an exciting time and a chance for the child to excel in their new surroundings. Any change in a child or young persons life can lead to a number of behvioural and developmental issues. Parental separation or a change in partner can lead to a withdrawn behviour, acting up to gain the attention of their parent. They may become aggressive at the remaining parent and blame themselves for the problems. This behaviour may carry on in school and lead to the child being excluded from the class or school depending on the severity of the situation. If a child or young person experiences illness or an injury, dependent on the severity p, they may need to take a lot of time off school for appointments, treatments, etc. Where some children/young people may see it as a great thing being away from school, for others it can be a very worrying, anxious time. Emotionally they may be down about being here, there and everywhere on different appointments, so it is important that they have a good support network around them to give them some kind of stability during this time. There are a lot of negative affects children and young people can experience  from certain situations, however sometimes positives can be taken from them. For example, as traumatic as it may be for a child to move in with a new parent and new siblings they can be a positive influence in terms of speech and social skills for the young

Classification Essay - 'Life's A Door' Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Classification - 'Life's A Door' - Essay Example What’s important, and something that we frequently forget, is that professors have personalities as well as their own lives outside of the classroom. Yes, believe it or not, professors have their own lives and some even their own families! Professors do not exist on this planet solely to lecture, scold and fail students . While the personalities of professors are varied, this research essay seeks to demystify the illusive Fordham University professor personality. This classification essay thus endeavors to place things systematically into categories and endeavor to discover the larger patterns of professors’ personalities by grouping ideas and concepts together. What does our classification of professor’s doors reveal about professors? The following will explore this important question with an eye to understanding the illusive personalities of Fordham University professors. Exploring the hallways of our University, I stumbled across a wide array of information on the doors of professors which led me to hesitantly conclude that yes, professors at our esteemed institute of higher education do have personalities! In the United States professors often seem preoccupied with lectures, exams and securing necessary funding for research projects. Little do we – the students – know that our professors have vibrant and often eccentric personalities. Looking at the eclectic doors of the professors of Fordham University, I had the opportunity to understand a little bit about what inspires professors and makes them tick. Exploring the doors of professors I determined that professionalism and humor were key to uncovering the personalities of professors. Following this, inspirational sayings were another important characteristic of the doors of profs as they sought to inspire the student body. Finally, unabashed departmental promotion was a characteristi c which was

Extra credit history 198 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Extra credit history 198 - Essay Example The documentary initiates with genocide definition provided by the United Nations and against the definition the tales of the individuals are told. In 1915, the Turkish government dictated the eradication of all Armenians. Since the bloodshed was ordered by the government, it didn’t forbid the children and women of the Armenian community. The women were slaughtered and the children were forced to march towards Euphrates River so that they can be drowned. During this massacre, the river of Euphrates turned red with the Armenians’ blood and so the documentary had been named. Those who survived they narrate that Armenian in thousands of numbers were forced to move into the desert named Deir Zer, undressed and left there to perish in the blazing sun. Few of the Armenian Christians were provided the opportunity to convert from Christianity to Islam or they will be forced to death within the desert. And by availing this opportunity around 200,000 people converted to run away from death. 2. Paradise Now The documentary â€Å"Paradise Now† pursues two Palestinian friends Khaled and Said who had been associates since childhood. They reside in Nablus and they have been enrolled for suicide attacks in the capital city of Israel, â€Å"Tel Aviv†. ... In order to appear like Israelis, they shave off their beards and heads the day they were asked to do the attack. The documentary entails their story as they assume this attack as their visit to a wedding ceremony. They plan to attack a military checkpoint first and then as the police rushes to the point of attack the next blast was to be made. As they proceed towards Israel, they are checked by guards where Khaled belt is detected and therefore, he abandons his plan and provides his services to search Said. Said on the other hand, wandering in desperation attempts to explode him in a bus but then cancels his plan and then moves on where he finds a woman who reinforces his idea of suicide attack. Meanwhile Khaled succeeds in finding Said and tries to persuade him to shun his thought of attack but Said continues to pursue his target and at the end of the documentary he is shown in an Israeli military bus where he is looking here and there. The documentary has actually tried to picture the way a suicide bomber considers him to be on the right track (Abu-Assad and Beyer). 3. The Dreams of Sparrows The documentary, â€Å"The Dreams of Sparrows† pictures the post-war Iraq and has been prepared by a filmmaking group of Iraq. It was shot during the years 2003 and 2004 using a hand-held camera, comprising of various interviews of several Iraqi citizens on the streets and seeks their thoughts regarding the changes taking place around them. The documentary was initially posted on the internet while in 2005 it was made available on a DVD. It provides several distinct point of views of Iraqi citizens provided in interviews as some regarded American attack as a way of relief from the regime of Saddam Hussein and therefore give high regards to former United States President George

My Personal Development Portfolio Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

My Personal Development Portfolio - Essay Example That being said, I still experienced some degree of cultural shock when first I arrived in the United Kingdom. For one thing, the legal system here operates with a higher degree of fairness, and the freedom of speech, too, is something, I admit, I had never experienced before. That being said, however, not all of my early experiences were pleasant. Russian being my primary language, I have no shame whatsoever admitting that learning the English language was rather difficult at first, though I’d like to think I have now been able to attain a certain degree of proficiency in it. Even so, I still intend to further improve in this endeavour. Last but not least, I aim to curb my issues regarding time management and procrastination. My Immediate Objectives My personal development plan places focus on rectifying my weaknesses. It has been my experience that among the weaknesses I mentioned, the most problematic is my still-developing prowess in the English language, not to mention my difficulties in time management and in public speaking. As early as now, then, I’d like to be able to get to address these problems early, so I can use my time later on to focus on more pressing concerns. In this case in particular, fixing my weaknesses will allow me to utilize my strengths to greater effect. For one, typing is a skill I want very much to improve on, but more importantly, I feel it necessary to further improve my command of the English language. Of course, I’m proud of the progress I’ve made on my own; so far, I’ve gotten by practicing with people I know. Formal classes may help me learn at an even faster rate, but if at all possible, I’d rather not have to spend more than I can reasonably afford to.

UPS Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

UPS Case Study - Essay Example There are very few companies operating in the Packaged Express industry and one of them is UPS. In 2008, the packaged express industry was dominated by FedEx which accounted for 58.2% of the market share from delivering overnight letters. UPS earned a revenue of 15.6% and United States Postal service accounted for 12.2%. The Packaged Express industry comprises three segments: Overnight letters, Courier service and Small parcels. UPS had a firm and strong background. UPS was one of the dominant firms in the â€Å"Small parcel† segment. UPS and FedEx ranked internationally as one of the worlds best packaged delivery sytem. Apart from its long standing history and firm background, the company UPS has always maintained an efficient distribution network (White and Belman, 2005). In the late 1980s the company faced certain challenges that any shipping corporation would have faced. These included shipping errors like delivering the package at the wrong address or loading the delivery package in the wrong bus. These kinds of errors occurred frequently. At that time UPS relied on manual data but gradually it started investing in technology because it realized that internet and technology acted like a catalyst which improved the distribution network of the company (Motiwalla and Thompson, 2008). The company conducted a SWOT analysis immediately to identify its threats and weakness. Cost cutting was their major initiative. They laid off 2000 employees working in the Washington headquarter in the year 1971. This policy was continued by the other branches of UPS. The company realized that reduced staff and increased machinery would double their productivity levels. However, there was a negative impact on the employees and the company profits. The faulty machineries and the reduced number of staff could not cope up with the sudden pressures. Moreover, the existing staff could not recreate the charm of the old staff. Many employees were forced to take a voluntary

Technological determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Technological determinism - Essay Example In relation to this, the notion of technological determinism is referred to the belief that new technology will certainly lead to a cultural as well as social change which further seeks to ensure certain developments in the media and technology dimensions within the society on a whole (O'Loughlin, 2010). Based on this understanding, the paper will provide an insight on how a particular technology is responsible for any sort of cultural and social change. Technological Determinism Theoretically, technological determinism is described as an idiom that depicts how the evolution of technologies influence change in the standard of living of human beings. It is often described as among the most important aspects that positively impact the overall society. Technological determinism is further believed that technological determinism is a media technology that shapes the perceptions of people living in the society and brings significant changes in the way they act and feel. As per this partic ular idiom, technology innovation, with the passing time becomes a bit faded but is well capable to bring considerable changes in the society. Moreover, in the similar context, it is also believed that introduction of any sort of technology in the society influences people to adopt the same which brings changes in their behaviour and eventually alters the overall nature of the society. Stating precisely, technological determinism addresses the impact of different technologies on the overall functioning of the society (McLuhan, 2010). Arguments in Support of Technology and its Impacts on Culture and Society Undoubtedly, technology has driven some significant changes in the society and the culture of the modern day scenario. It has to be mentioned that the impacts of technology in the society can be both negative and positive. Contextually, when assessing the societal and cultural impressions led by technology innovations, the role of mass communication and telecommunication can be ob served apparently imposing positive changes within the society and culture. Taking into account the effects of mass communication and telecommunication technologies, it can be justifiably argued that technology is quite a powerful prospect which is well capable of influencing the lifestyle preferences and beliefs of people and the society at large with a wider prospect for exchanging thoughts and stimulating cultural diversity (O'Loughlin, 2010). Effects of Mass Communication on Society and Culture Mass communication is the overall blend of technologies such as radio, television, newspaper, films and advertising among others. After the evolution of these technologies, a significant change had been observed in the behaviour and standard of living of people which eventually impacted the culture and the society at large irrespective of geographical limits and cultural variances. The introduction of these technologies in the society further allowed people to experience or perform tasks that would had otherwise been stated as unimaginable. For instance, since its innovation and with

Psychology College Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Psychology College - Essay Example The basic purpose of this paper was to simulate a situation where one had to deal with finding a solution to a problem without having certain cognitive brain functions at our disposal. Before moving on to the actual crux of the paper, I would like to mention a few salient points which will enable the reader to better understand my sentiments in regards to brain damage and neuropsychological problems. The reason why I have such strong sentiments in this case is due to the fact that one of my cousins's suffered the same fate. At the age of 9, he was involved in a traumatic accident during which he sustained injuries to the head and brain. Although the doctors were able to save his life, he lost sight in his left eye, arm and legs. His brain functions were also permanently impaired. Before the accident, he was a bright boy with much promise of the future but the accident nearly destroyed him completely. It took him years of recovery to get to where he is now. Presently, he has adapted so well to his condition that he has completed high school, went on to complete a degree at his local community college and eventually ended up working as an animator. His dream is design an animated cartoon such as Shrek. The above paragraph will define the main crux of my paper for you. My belief is that no matter how badly impaired one might be the use of proper therapy and sheer will power can hel p you to adapt to your impairment. In order to properly simulate the required situation, I had briefed my friend, Jessica, two days prior to our engagement so that she would be better prepared for the task at hand. Consequently, we locked ourselves in my room and accordingly, I had her write something down on a piece of paper which she then duly placed in her pocket and away from my prying eyes. Now the fact of the matter is that I've known Jessica since we were in pre-school so I was confident that I would be able to guess what she'd written. However, since we could not communicate in anyway posed quite a lot of problems which will be duly mentioned as this paper continues. At first, Jessica made no attempt to help in anyway. Therefore, for the first 20 minutes I just sat there wondering what I had gotten myself into. My decision of providing Jessica with every detail of my project was turning out to be a bad one because she would try her hardest to beat me at it. However, I've always been stubborn and therefore I was not about to give up that easily. I knew without doubt that I would have to adopt a methodical approach towards finding a solution to the problem that lay before me and that was what I did. Before we had begun the exercise, Jessica and I had agreed upon a basic method of using a modified version of charades. Consequently, I started by pointing towards different things in the room and picking them up. On some objects she would nod while on others she would just shake her head. Now it was my task to firstly figure out what sort of system she had conjured up in her mind and then to decode it in order to use it. I started off by writing down all the letters in the name of the object e.g. cushion, chair, pen etc. Now what I needed to figure out was which letters to use and which not to and in which order as well. One other possibility was also whether she had chosen a number

Zaras Business Model Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

Zaras Business Model - Case Study Example This paper illustrates that establishing Zara’s Fast fashion apparel chains in Galicia (Spain) was a noble idea as the case study pointed that by late 1990s, only US exceeded Western Europe in terms of total retail sales where chains accounted for about 85% and 70% of the total sales respectively. Latin America, East Asia, and Eastern Europe accounted for about half while the rest contributed less than 10% mostly coming from the poor markets. Any sensible business would focus on market expansion and consolidation within its current region as Zara did if the market had the right purchasing power and favorable cost for the various means of production. Galicia was one of the poorest regions in Spain with about 17% unemployment rate compared to a national level of 14%. This meant that labor was available cheaply. In addition, its rich tradition in textile and their non-discriminatory behavior provided a good opportunity for Inditex to develop and learn the tricks of developing tre ndier fashions that would suit high-end markets like Italy. However, the poor vertical integration in the textile value chain and poor communication networks meant the company had to invest heavily eating into its profits which erodes the gains. This made it sensible for the company to focus on other regions in Europe to maintain its competitiveness. Zara had an organized market entry strategy where it identified markets in Europe that resembled the Spanish market. Choice of product market selection is influenced by product, market and marketing factors. This was done by a team of commercial experts who analyzed the micro and macro variables and the future prospects to influence apparel retail chain with profitable gains. In addition, Zara’s designers tracked closely the trends in consumer preferences and made products to match the changes. Normally, when companies identify new markets with similar consumer behavior, tastes, preferences, and purchasing power, it becomes easie r to penetrate such markets. This assertion is supported by the case study which indicates studies that showed the different countries in Europe and their market behavior in relation to apparels.   Ã‚  

Technology and Workers Rights Essay Example for Free

Technology and Workers Rights Essay Whether it is over a cup of coffee with friends at the local Starbucks, in a crowded lunch room at work, or on a coworker’s Facebook wall, employees are talking about their jobs, especially to one another. New trends in modern technology, such as the recent explosion and popularity of social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, continue to constantly change the way employees can engage, share, and voice their work related concerns. According to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), an independent government agency charged with mediating disputes between management and labor unions, this new trend has become an important reminder that sometimes harsh criticism by employees is protected by federal law at work, at home, and now on the Internet. Although social media provides another forum for employees to exercise their protected collective activities, such as share complaints or address concerns to improve working conditions and pay, employers must make sure newly developed social media policies give due consideration to employees’ rights that are protected under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). The New York Times recently published that under the NLRA, â€Å"employees have the right to join together, with or without a union, to exercise their protected collective activities to share complaints, address concerns with employers, and negotiation to improve their working conditions and pay.† The NLRA also protects employees’ rights to discuss work-related issues with other employees that was first made into federal law back in 1935. Basically, criticism of an employer’s practices about wages, hours and working conditions is protected no matter how it is expressed, as long as it is ‘protected, concerted activity.’ The NLRA says that â€Å"protected† is any statement about wages, hours or working conditions, and â€Å"concerted† means the employee’s statements were engaged in with or on the authority of other employees. Workers need to be aware that statements made through this type of forum have to be directed to other employees or to the company on behalf of the employees – not just personal gripes. However, employers need to understand that it doesn’t matter where or even how the employee makes these statements as long as it is â€Å"protected† and â€Å"concerted†. As popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter continue to influence the way co-workers communicate on the job and outside the workplace, companies feel they do have the right to legally monitor their employees’ activities online, in order to ensure a most professional and lawsuit-proof workplace. â€Å"Bosses can penalize employees for what they deem as â€Å"inappropriate† post, videos and pictures on social-networking sites, even if a worker uses those sites during non-working hours†, states Lewis Maltby, author of the workplace rights book, Can They Do That? Though the most frequently cited justification for workplace monitoring is to prevent employee theft, sabotage, and violent incidents on the job, companies have also voiced concerns that they run huge risks with employees leaking â€Å"trade secrets† or other confidential and proprietary information about their people, products, and services to outside competitors online. In his book, The Naked Employee, author Frederick Lane, a workplace expert on the impact of technology and society, points out â€Å"employers are increasingly more interested in hiring employees who will not expose the company to additional costs and liability, while not hiring employees who will increase their cost through negligence, misconduct, and wrongdoing† (28). But the biggest threat companies are now beginning to fear is the line between an honest online discussion that may lead to defamation of a company, which can be blurry in certain situations, making it even more difficult to distinguish the truth. Although computers have revolutionized employees’ workplaces in ways that earlier generations could not have imagined, U. S. companies, such as retail giant Wal-Mart, may realize they are in catch-up mode with modern technology, due to new challenges brought on by the recent explosion of social media sites. The NLRB found that employers facing this growing trend need to establish social media policies that do not infringe on workers’ rights. For example, the NLRB learned that one company mandated it’s employees to stay away from controversial topics such as religion and politics, and adopt a professional tone in the use of their social media, while other companies had gone so far as to blatantly forbid their employees from posting anything potentially misleading about the company online, and even told their employees to be careful about â€Å"friending† other co-workers on Facebook. The Washington Times reported that in June of this year along, â€Å"the NLRB also found that six of the seven corporate social media policies it examined included provisions that failed to pass regulatory muster, proving to be too vague or intrusive on their workers’ rights to free expression online.† NLRB General Counsel, Lafe Solomon, cited other companies, including DIS H Network and Target, have also maintained similar corporate social media policies that at least partially violated provisions of the NLRA. This delicate balance became strikingly apparent in a recent case filed with the NLRB by a non-union employee fired from a non-unionized emergency medical response team. The employee filed a charge with the NLRB against the company for wrongful discharge after losing her job for posting negative comments about her boss on Facebook. According to the employer, the posting violated a company policy that prohibits employees from making negative remarks on the Internet about the company or its employees. However, the employee claimed that the policy and her discharge from the company violated the NLRA by denying employees their right to engage in the protected, concerted activity of sharing complaints about working conditions with fellow workers. The case settled before an actual hearing with the company agreeing to revise its policy to eliminate any social media restrictions on its employees that could be in violation of the NLRA. In the initial complaint against the company, the NLRB cl aimed the employer’s policy was overly broad and prohibited employees from writing personal personal depictions of the company online without permission or posting any disapproving comments. Cases such as these should serve as a reminder to every employer that the NLRA applies to unionized and non-unionized workers alike. But in this increasingly technologically savvy world, the larger questions looming for both employers and employees alike should be what are the boundaries of an employee’s privacy, and who is more entitled to draw that line. â€Å"Companies should protect themselves and their employees by setting clear expectations on proper social media use in the office,† says Dean Debnam, CEO of Workplace Options, a public policy polling company that surveys American workers. â€Å"However, employers must be cautious of how far they take these regulations. While social media polices are not a problem, survey results show that employees do not support any intrusive measures, such as demanding access to passwords.† As new avenues of self expression created by social media and newly developed technologies evolve, employees should definitely be mindful as to what constitutes a legitimate basis for termination. Companies’ rights to dismiss employees at will, unless that is some statute, like the Labor Act, prohibits a particular act of retaliation, should not be taken lightly. In this tough economy where companies feel that image is still everything, even applicants who have applied for jobs may find out later they have been denied employment, due to messages communicated to their friends on social networking sites they thought were private and password protected. The bigger notion that’s scary for some employees is that once you are hired, you may find that your employer has taken drastic steps to make sure that access to your privacy extends well beyond company working hours. Lane agrees that workplace monitoring is a major problem, because â€Å"technology makes it possible for employers to gather enormous amounts of data about employees, and often goes far beyond what is necessary to satisfy safety or productivity concerns (3-4). Few rights are as deeply treasured by American citizens as their freedom of speech. As the Internet and social media sites becomes more mainstream within the workplace, employers must find better ways to draft and implement employment policies that protect the company from things such as legal disputes and charges of discrimination, while at the same time making sure employee’s rights under the NLRA and other federal employment laws are protected and preserved. Works Cited Buddenberg, Roger. â€Å"Can Workers Vent on Facebook? – Lawyers’ Tips on Social Media for Workers.† Omaha World Herald (NE) 10 Oct. 2011. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Oct. 2012. Devaney, Tim. â€Å"Tweeting Workers ‘Friended’ by NLRB; Memo Warns of Restricting Rights.† Washington Times 26 June 2012. Academic Search Premier. Web. 18 Sep. 2012. Kim, Susanna. â€Å"NLRB Backs Workers Fired After Facebook Post Ripping Boss.† ABC News, 10 Nov. 2010. Web. 4 Dec. 2012. Lane, Frederick S. The Naked Employee: How Technology is Compromising Workplace Privacy. New York: Amacom, 2003. Print. Petrecca, Laura. â€Å"More Employers Use Tech to Track Workers.† USA Today. USA Today, 17 March 2010. Web. 6 Sept. 2012.

Tobacco Targeting Children Essay Example for Free

Tobacco Targeting Children Essay Tobacco is one of the main products that affect our children today. Companies that distribute these products do not think about who is getting affected by their product, but think about the profit they will make from selling their product. Big companies like Philip Morris who sell Marlboro, Basic, Virginia Slim and many other types of tobacco target young adults. Gene Emery quoted the amount spent on tobacco advertising is targeting youngsters. Some points Gene Emery presents are quiet different than what I believe. From working at my previous store that I owned in Sacramento, during these eight years, I didnt recognize some of the points Gene Emery brings out. Gene Emery suggests that they found the amount spent to advertise three brands popular with young people- Camel, Marlboro and Newport- in youth-oriented magazines increased immediately. The first point I would like to point out is that Gene Emery targets young people and also said that brands for adult-oriented products like Basic, Winston or Virginia Slims spend less money on advertising because they target only adults. He says that certain products are for young people while some are for adults. The way he presented his idea was false because from my past experience, I have realized that Newport cigarettes targets African Americans, Marlboro targets originally Asians, Camel cigarettes targets construction workers, Virginia Slim targets women and Basic targets the less fortunate who cant buy Marlboro. Dont get me wrong that I am defend the tobacco companies, I am actually against this. Philip Morris spend more money on ads for Marlboro than Basic because Marlboro is more popular and brings in more profit than Basic does. When we deal with children, we have to be cautious about everything we do. Some adults who smoke, do not realize that their children are getting affected by them. Gene Emery believes that the advertising is to blame. I am agreeing with him, but we should not also forget the family actions in front of their children. In order to prevent our children to smoke, we should start at home. The parents have a great responsibility to act right in front of their kids like put out the cigarette they see their child coming through the door or to try to even stop smoking. I was raised with a family that does not smoke. We are eight girls and one boy and still none of us smoke till now because my family knew how to act and set the perfect role model for us. I am trying to do the same thing for my two boys. I tell them that smoking is awful and it makes you sick and die and whenever they see somebody smoking they say that this person is stupid because he is hurting himself. The laws in this country protects our children; in order for oneself to buy any tobacco, they have to be 18 years of age or older. There is also an agreement to stop promoting cigarettes to children. This agreement was passed in 1998. Attached to this paper is the lawsuit to control tobacco companies. Also, attached to this paper is an article that differs the US laws with other country like Australia and Britain. In my country, the government supports tobacco companies. Ads are placed everywhere about tobaccos, places like TVs, radios, in the street, magazine covers and they also made candys for kids that looks like cigarettes. I believe that the American children are lucky to have such great laws to protect them and that anybody can sue them if something went wrong. Difficult as it may be for tobacco control advocates to demand accountability, tobacco control programs will not survive if the nongovernmental organizations that care about the program will not protect it. The preservation of the intent and spirit of these programs will not occur simply because an initiative is approved by the voters. This approval is a powerful force, but it must be used effectively by those who accept the responsibility for defending the public interest. Exercising oversight over the elected and appointed officials who had authority over the tobacco control program was even more challenging for the public health groups than getting the program enacted. In the years immediately following an election or legislative action to create a tobacco control program, the effort to keep the will of the voters before the Legislature is not difficult, since both the press and the public are likely to be paying attention. But voter approval is likely to become less obvious and thus less powerful over time, and tobacco control advocates need to seek ways to keep the public informed and involved on the tobacco issue. If advocates instead retreat to playing only the insider political game, they will probably fail. They must be willing to withstand and embrace the controversy that the tobacco industry and its allies will generate. Appendix B Important California Tobacco Control Events April 1977 Berkeley passes an indoor air ordinance. November 1978 Proposition 5 (statewide initiative covering clean indoor air and Research Accounts until 1996, passes. SB 493 sought to issues) is defeated. November 1980 Proposition 10 (statewide initiative covering clean indoor air issues) is defeated. December 1980 Californians for Nonsmokers Rights forms to pass local clean indoor air ordinances. November 1983 Proposition P (San Francisco referendum) is defeated; smoke-free workplace law remains on the books. November 1988 Proposition 99 (statewide initiative) passes.

Injury Risk in Elite Basketball Players

Injury Risk in Elite Basketball Players The elite basketball player is considered in this piece not only in terms of his potential for injury but also in terms of the potential of the physiotherapist and other sports professionals, to give advice, support and guidance so that he may practice his chosen sport as safely as is reasonably possible. We have looked at the nature, incidence and sites of injuries sustained. We have looked at the two most commonly injured sites (the knee and ankle) in specific detail. We have also discussed the relevant modalities of treatment that a physiotherapist can provide for their clients. There appears to be considerable controversy in the current literature, particularly in the field of pre-exercise stretching. As this is commonly accepted practice by participants, coaches, trainers and sports medicine professionals alike, we have reviewed the arguments both for and against in some detail. We have paid particular attention to its value in the prophylaxis of injury and the evidence to support it. The role of the physiotherapist in education and training of the elite athlete is also discussed. There are a number of sources quoted who regard it as a prime responsibility of the physiotherapist to give the athlete the information to allow them to train and participate as safely and effectively as possible. We have also considered the role of the physiotherapist in the prophylaxis of injury by looking at the various modalities of treatment and intervention that can be employed to make the field of play a safer place. In addition to the main-stream elite basketball player we have also looked at the role of the physiotherapist in the role of helping the disabled basketball player, some of whom have achieved elite status in their own right. They have their own specific problems and these are reviewed and discussed. Lastly we look at the specific gender differences in the sport. With many women finding that the sport is attractive, they participate at a top level of achievement. We look at the reasons why they have a different injury profile to men, both in terms of numbers of injuries but also in terms of the frequency of specific types of injury. The mechanisms of this difference is discussed together with the means whereby it can be addressed. Introduction Basketball is a world-wide sport practised by children in their backyard, adolescents in their playground, amateurs in their league games and elite athletes in their world-stage arenas. It is – by any standards – a fast game with inevitable physical contact, both intentional and accidental. Both these factors lead to the potential for injury. The explosive effort for the fast moves leads to particular pattern of muscle, ligament and tendon injury (see on) and the physical contact can lead to bruises, dislocations, fractures another injuries. It is a sport that is enjoyed by both sexes. Although it was originally conceived primarily as a male sport (for the YMCA)in an era when female participation in sport was a rarity, women now participate in it to elite levels and suffer injury to a similar extent to their male counterparts. The game itself has evolved dramatically since its humble beginnings when Dr James Naismith nailed two peach baskets at the ends of his gymnasium in 1891 (hence the name basketball) It was developed as a tool for fitness training by the YMCA. By 1927 The Harlem Globetrotters had been formed and by 1936 it was included as an Olympic sport. According to FIBA (Basketball governing body) over 400 million people play basketball on a world-wide basis Training for the fitness needed to play the sport can also lead touts own problems. One huge study by Ruhr M Kuala et al. (1994) (1) found that of all the injuries associated with basketball, 50% occurred during the matches and 50% occurred during training for the matches. This should be contrasted with the finding in study by Meeuwisse et al.(2) where injuries during the game were 3.7 times as likely to occur as in training. One could reasonably conclude that a large proportion of the injuries sustained in the â€Å"cut and thrust† of a full scale match are part of the risk package accepted in playing the game. The huge proportion of injuries sustained whilst training, however, should be largely preventable, as training should be ideally undertaken in carefully controlled circumstances. The physiotherapist, personal trainer and sports medicine specialist are ideally placed to advise and oversee poor practice in the training arena and to give advice and guidance to maximise training efficiency and to reduce the toll of injury. Any experienced sports care professional will tell you that the single most important factor in determining the likelihood of sustaining an injury is the occurrence of a previous injury (2). It therefore follows that prevention of any injury will help, not only in improving the immediate efficiency of the player, but will also confer protection against the possibility of recurring injury in any given site. Before we consider the mechanisms and prophylaxis of injuries in basketball, it would be prudent to consider the observed injuries from the sport, both in absolute number and site. The study by Meeuwisse(2003) (2) followed a cohort of 142 basketball players over a two year period and discovered that 44.7% of the players were injured in that time frame. As they recorded over 200 injuries in that time, it is clear that many players were injured more than once. The study by Ruhr M Kuala et al. (1994) (1) will be extensively quoted in this piece as it provides an enormous amount of meticulously collected data which has a high degree of confidence in its validity. It was based in Finland where the population has a particularly regimented system of bureaucratic personal information storage, especially with regard to injury and healthcare details. The entire population has to be registered with a nationally based health insurance, which records every accident and injury. This is of enormous value to studies such as this, as accurate statistics about entities such as specific sporting injuries can be derived comparatively easily. The study is also important in this specific regard as it encompasses an enormous cohort of basketball players analysing 39,541person years of basketball experience and 3,472 specific injuries. It’s worth considering the patterns of injury found in some detail as it has an impact on the deliberations in this piece. In terms of age distribution, it was found that injuries in thunder 15 yr. age group were comparatively rare and that the injury rate peaked in the 20 – 24 yr. age groups. Percentage of injuries by sites in basketball players (These results are slightly modified with some trivia removed) Injury Site % of total Lower limb Total 56.0 Thigh 2.5 Knee 15.8 Leg 2.0 Ankle 31.4 Foot 4.0 Other 0.4 Upper Limb total 19.3 Upper arm + Shoulder 2.6 Forearm and elbow 1.3 Palm + wrist Fingers 11.1 Other 0.4 Other Sites Total 24.7 Teeth 5.2 Eyes 3.0 Head + neck 7.4 Thorax + Abdomen 1.5 Back 5.4 Pelvis 0.9 Multiple sites 1.4 There are clearly a number of striking trends in these figures. The lower limbs sustaining the most injuries with 56% of the total. The ankle and knee taking the lion’s share of these. These results are clearly fairly predictable with the nature of the sport being one of sudden changes of acceleration and direction, many changes of direction(pivoting) involving turning forces impinging maximally on the knee and ankle. Both joints are intrinsically unstable for these modalities of movements. They are designed to be most effective in walking and running in a straight line. Although they can accommodate twisting movements, they are much less mechanically sound in these directions. The possibility of unanticipated, and therefore unraced, impacts is endemic in the sport and will increase the possibility of injury to these joins in particular. The upper limb has a substantial tally of injuries with the bulk being to the palm, wrist and fingers. Although it is not specified in this particular study, any experienced clinician would expect to see substantial proportion of hyperextensions and dislocations to the fingers and sprains and strains to the wrist (this is partially amplified in the next section). For a sport that involves considerable manipulative and throwing skills, it is, perhaps, surprising that the shoulder and upper arm account for only 2.6% of all the injuries. In contrast to the comments made about the knee and ankle, one can postulate that the shoulder, by virtue of its design to accommodate a much greater range and compass of movement, is less likely to be injured in the way that the knee and ankle are. Also, in the course of the normal game, it is subject to rather less overall mechanical force as both the knee and ankle have to assimilate peak loads of several times the body weight whereas the shoulder, unless involved in a fall, does not. Of the â€Å"Other Sites†, the neck and back are the commonest sites for injury. To a large extent, this again is a reflection of the explosive nature of the game with frequent changes of direction and velocity with high levels of acceleration. Having recognised the major sites of injury it is now prudent to discuss the main types of injury. Percentage injury by type in basketball players (These results are slightly modified with some trivia removed) Injury type + site % of total Sprains +strains 61.3 Knee 12.4 Ankle 29.5 Bruises + Wounds 22.2 Fractures 12.6 Fracture (other than dental) 7.6 Foot + ankle 18.5 Lower limb (other) 3.8 Fingers Palm + wrist 57.0 Upper limb (other) 4.2 Other (nondental) 16.6 Dental 4.9 Dislocations 1.7 Knee 0.5 Shoulder + elbow 0.3 Fingers 0.3 Others 2.2 Sprains and strains are the commonest type of injury in this sport with the ankle being the most frequently injured site in this respect. Considerable amounts of work and research have been done(2,3,4,5,6,7,8) to try to find mechanisms whereby ankle injuries can beat least reduced in both frequency and severity. This will be discussed in detail later. Knee strains and sprains are the next most frequent at12.4%. Similar amounts of work have been done to find ways of minimising knee injuries (9,10,11). The knee injury is notorious for producing long-term debilitating problems as not only is the acute injury painful and potentially debilitating in itself, but there is also the potential for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) damage and meniscal damage and wear as well. This may not be immediately apparent but may contribute to morbidity at a later date. This study (1) found that knee injuries were the most common cause of permanent disability In the longer term. During the time frame of this study, four basketball players sustained permanent injuries. In specific relation to knee and ankle injury, the Meiuwess study(2) found that the situation can be further amplified by the finding that the greatest number of injuries which resulted in seven or more sessions being lost in a season arose from the knee. Equally striking was the fact that the most common injury that involved less than seven sessions being lost, were injuries to the ankle. This underlines the comment made earlier that knee injuries tend to be potentially more serious than ankle injuries Bruises and wounds account for over 1/5th of the total types of injury and fractures account for just over 1/10th. In line with the comments made earlier about the frequency of hand, finger and wrist injury, it will come as no surprise therefore to see that the hand and wrist accounts for over half of the total of fractures. The foot and ankle account for 18.5% of total fractures. This is a reversal of the figures relating to site of injury. It would therefore appear that the hand gets injured less frequently that the foot, but when it does, it’s more likely to sustain the more serious (fracture) type of injury. Although the foot is more likely to be injured, it is more likely to suffer a strain or sprain rather than a fracture. In the study by Home et al.,(2004) (12) There was an unexpected, and slightly worrying, conclusion. They found that, in a study of fractures in sport, that (for men at least) basketball was the sport that put the participants at greatest risk of sustaining a fracture. The Knee and Basketball As we have already discussed, a knee injury is potentially more serious than just the implication of the immediate acute injury. For that reason, and for the fact that it is one of the two most commonly injured areas, we will look at the knee as a specific entity. We know that the single most important predictor for further injury is the past history of a preceding original injury. The knee is also significant insofar as the normal maxim of rest a joint until the inflammation has settled is rarely practical, as the knee is essential for locomotion and, as any experienced clinician knows, the vast majority of patients with resolving knee injuries will wait until the pain subsides to a tolerable level, and then start to walk on it. This effectively means that the joint is being stressed while resolving inflammation is present. Initially this may manifest itself as no more than a mildly aching knee, but it is likely that menisci, cruciate ligaments and articular surfaces are all being stressed in a â€Å"less than optimal† state. It is likely, on a first principles basis, that this type of mechanism may be, in part at least, responsible for the increased levels of arthritis and arthritis that is observed in lifelong athletes. (13,14) The paper by Meeuwisse (2) has been quoted several times in this piece. It is worth remembering that his team found that the knee waste joint which, if injured, gave rise to the longest periods of incapacity. It is therefore prudent to consider the mechanisms of injury, the treatment of those injuries and, possibly more importantly in the context of this piece, what can be done to minimise the incidence and impact of those injuries. We would commend an excellent paper by Bahr (2001) (3) on the subject. He discusses (amongst other things) the current thinking on knee injuries. He makes comment on the increasing incidence of cruciate ligament injuries. These injuries are seen with greatest frequency in athletes who participate in sports that involve â€Å"pivoting† – a movement which involves a fixed foot on the floor being used as a fulcrum topspin the body around – a movement which can put huge rotational stresses on the knee joint. As has been observed earlier in this piece, the knee is designed primarily to be efficient in dealing with movement in a sagittal plane. It is very poorly adapted to deal with rotational stresses. Bahr observes that the maximal incidence of cruciate ligament injury is in the 15-25 yr. old age group and in women three to five times more frequently than in men (see on) (14). He also refers to the post-injury, long-term complications of abnormal joint mechanics and the early onset of degenerative joint disease (15). Significantly he points to the fact that, although there has been an increasing trend recently (mainly because of improved operating techniques) to attempt to repair menisci and cruciate ligaments, this has not been accompanied by an apparent reduction in the rate of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Similarly, arthroscopic repair of isolated meniscal damage has not been shown to reduce the incidence of arthritis. These factors all mitigate the argument that, although treatment is important, the identification of risk factors that predispose to injury is even more important. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is commonly injured in circumstances that many athletes would consider as normal or routine for their particular sport. Frequently the damage occurs without direct physical contact to the knee (9). This is strong evidence to support the â€Å"design fault† explanation of the aetiology. There is recent anecdotal data to suggest that improving the control of the knee may have an impact in reducing the incidence of these injuries. This views supported in a paper by Carafe (10) who looked at improving the proprioceptive and balance mechanisms in footballers over a three season period. They reported an 87% decrease in the incidence of injuries to the ACL. It may be significant that they studied semi-professional and amateur footballers who, presumably, did not train as efficiently of as skilfully as their professional footballer counterparts and therefore there was probably considerable room for improvement. Similarly constructed studies have shown similar pattern of improvement in young female football (11) and handball (16) players using a similar programme of training over a season. As has been pointed out earlier, such changes are more likely to be noticeable in females because of the higher incidence of ACL injury in the first place. Bahr points out that these studies were too small to allow a proper statistical evaluation of the reduction of injury to the ACL specifically, but there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the risk of serious knee injury can be significantly reduced by the introduction of structured training exercises that focus on improving the neuron-muscular control of the knee. Bahr makes the very salient point that balance (proprioceptive)training is not yet universally recognised by coaches and trainers as useful tool. As a result, he argues that it is the responsibility of doctors and physiotherapists to disseminate the knowledge that such training does reduce the incidence of serious short-term (and therefore long-term) knee injury. Anterior knee pain is a common, sometimes chronic presenting symptom in any sports related health professional’s clinic. There are many theories as to its aetiology and it is notoriously resistant to treatment. An unattributed paper (quoted by Minerva in the BMJ) (17)refers to Jumper’s knee where the pain is maximal near the attachment of the patella ligament. Ultrasound of the region can show an area of increased echogenicity in the inferior pole of the patella. Minerva quotes the study as observing that of 100 athletes seen in one clinic,18 had to give up their sport for over a year and about 1/3rd needed surgery in order to try to get resolution of the problem. In conclusion to this section we would refer the reader to the excellent paper by Adams WB (2004) (18) who reviews the current thinking on treatment options on both overuse syndromes and trauma tithe knee. The Ankle and Basketball As we have seen earlier, the ankle is the single most commonly injured site in the body during basketball comprising 31.4% of all the injuries observed (1) and ankle strains and sprains were the single commonest mechanism of injury observed with 1/3rd of all such injuries and 1/5th of all fractures. We will therefore also consider the ankles a special case. Bahr (3) quotes that in round figures 20% of sports related injuries involve the ankle. The vast majority of ankle injuries are simple sprains of the lateral and medial ankle ligaments. Proper functional care will allow the patient to return to work within a few days, or at worst a few weeks, with minimal squeal. Some sprains are found to cause prolonged disability in the form of chronic instability or persistent pain. Prophylaxis of injury is discussed elsewhere in this piece but it should be noted that taping and bracing are commonly employed techniques for protection, but their efficacy has only been demonstrated in sportsmen with a history of previous injury (5,6).There is little doubt that taping and bracing will reduce the incidence of sprains and result in less severe strains. â€Å"High-top† basketball boots have been introduced recently on the assumption that similar boots (18a) (viz. ski boots) reduce the incidence of ankle injury, but it has not yet produced any specific evidence that sprains and strains are reduced. Braces seen to be more effective than tape in preventing sprains of the ankle (7,8) Bracing has the advantage that it is more acceptable in terms of comfort for long-term use (6). Taping is commonly used but appears to be less effective than braces because it relies on adhesion to the skin to exert its protective influence. It can cause skin irritation and has to be reapplied on virtually every occasion where potential stress can occur. One of the major problems of doing research into ankle injuries is that qualitative and subjective measurements such as pain and immobility can be easily assessed, but the ankle joint is a very functionally complex structure and quantitative measurements of anything other than flexion/extension or rotation an very difficult. Its therefore heartening to read of a Dutch group who are developing a specially designed goniometer to use in researching the pathology of the ankle joint (19). This is only mentioned for the sake of completeness and we do not propose to go into any detail about the instrument. There is an excellent article by McKay on ankle injuries in basketball (20) but this is discussed at some length in the section on prophylaxis of injuries. Treatment of injuries The treatment of sports related injuries is a vast topic and specialism in itself. The sports medicine medical specialist and the physiotherapist sports specialist are technically knowledgeable people who have had to assimilate a vast quantity of information relative to their specialisation. It is therefore not proposed to present the topic in any great detail but to cover the elements of treatment of acute injuries and their subsequent treatment that are specifically important to the field of basketball. We will also present a brief literature review of some of the most recent papers in the field. In general terms, the old adage of ICE (immobilisation, compression and elevation) (20b) is a useful first-aid mnemonic which will help to minimise injury prior to assessment by a more specialist professional. In this article it is proposed to look primarily at the aspects of treatment which impinge on the areas covered in this piece and broad overviews. We shall restrict ourselves here to a brief literature review of some of the most important recent papers The area of dental trauma is highlighted in the analysis by Kujalaet al. (1994) (1) with 5.0% of all basketball injuries being dental. Airport by Randall (2005) (21) discusses the impact of dental injuries and suggests that sports field medical personnel should have at least basic training in the first-aid of dental injuries so that they can, at least, provide appropriate care until a dental specialist can be properly involved. A particularly controversial issue is raised by Dietzel and Hedlund(2005) (22) They review the current controversy about the use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory injections both in the acute phase of injury (to allow continued participation in a sporting event) or in the chronic recovery phase. This is a particularly well balanced article which evaluates both sides of the arguments for and against the use of injectable medications. Sanchez et al.(2005) (23) review the desperately important area of management of the potentially spine-injured athlete. This is an area which has had substantial changes in management techniques in the recent past. This paper is a particularly useful review of techniques of diagnosis and stabilisation of the injured athlete. Very significantly it highlights the role of pre-injury planning – so often overlooked – on the sports field. There are two recent papers which examine the thorny problem of concussion on the sports field (24,25). This has long posed a problem for the supervising healthcare specialist, both in terms of immediate diagnosis and subsequent action and treatment. The working â€Å"rule of thumb† has been that any player with definite signs of concussion(impaired consciousness or increased level of confusion) should be taken off the field and not returned to play for 48 hrs. In practice, this advice may be ignored by coaches who are anxious to keep their best players on the field and who may be ignorant of the potential side effects. McKean (24) and Johnston et al. (25) review the arguments in coherent manner and present the current thinking in a modern context. Injury types in relation to position played There are few studies that actually compare the rates and types of injury with actual position played on the court. Given the fact that Kuala, (1) reports that 50% of injuries are sustained in training rather than on the court, this may prove to be rather academic. The study by Meeuwisse (2003) (2), was one of the few that looked at this issue and regarded it as purely peripheral to the main mechanism of injury. However , they summed up the findings of the study in the phrase â€Å"Centres had the highest rate of injury, followed by guards, and then forwards. The relative risk of re-injury was significantly increased by previous injuries to the elbow, shoulder, knee, hand, lower spine or pelvis, and by concussions.† As part of their conclusions the research team commented that the predictive risk factors for injury were, in order of importance: previous injury, number of games played, the number of player contacts during a game, player position, and court location (this is a reference to the proximity to a hospital). In real terms, the players position is of much less importance in predicting injury than many other factors Clinical considerations The clinical implications of basketball injury must be viewed in the context of the benefits derived from playing any competitive sport– or indeed pursuing any degree of fitness. Virtually any sporting endeavour has a downside and indeed risks associated with it, but equally there are very considerable benefits to be gained as well. By concentrating (by necessity) on the risks of injury in basketball in this article we do not wish to ignore the balancing perspective of the health gains to also be derived. Clearly, one of the major benefits to be gained is the concurrent increase in cardiovascular fitness (13) This is in addition to the less easily quantifiable benefits of general fitness, social interaction, increase in self-confidence and satisfaction in participation which are common to most sporting endeavours. The study by Kuala et al. (1993) (13) looked at the incidence of degenerative joint conditions in elite athletes. It found that participation in sports generally could lead to premature osteoarthritis. Specifically it found that, in the elite international athletes studied there was a greater than predicted admission rate to hospital for treatments for osteoarthritis of the hip, knee and ankle. Very significantly, in the context of this article on physiotherapy, it concluded that proper treatment of injuries to these joints could significantly reduce the incidence of premature osteoarthritis in this group. It should be noted that this was a large control moderated study of over 2000 international athletes so the findings are clearly significant Disability and basketball It is important not to ignore the fact that basketball is played, not only by able-bodied sportsmen but also by those who have a concurrent disability as well. This group also presents a professional problem for the physiotherapist as. Not only are there the â€Å"normal â€Å"considerations for the able-bodied player that we have discussed in this piece, but also there may well be disability-specific considerations in the disabled player which will tax the physiotherapist every bit as much as those in their able-bodied counterparts. In consideration of this we would commend the reader to an excellent article by Chula (1994) (26) which discusses inconsiderable depth, the whole issue of sports specific medical considerations for people with a disability. The use of sports for the disabled as a therapeutic measure was championed by Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who was a specialist in spinal injuries. He pointed out not only the obvious physical benefits to be gained in improving functions of the body which the paraplegic ortetraplegic had not fully exploited in their pre-injury state togetherwith the obvious cardiovascular benefits that could be obtained, but healso pointed to the psychological benefits to be gained by socialisingand competing against others. The Disabled Person’s Employment Act (1944) was the first majorlegislative landmark in the effective rehabilitation of the disabledperson back into society and other legislation relating todiscrimination generally has helped the disabled person to achievelevels of attainment in sport that would have been unthinkable half acentury ago. The comments that have been made in this piece in relation toable-bodied people obviously apply, in general terms, to the disabledperson as well. Clearly it depends on the nature of the disability asto what specific measures need to be employed specifically, but thebasic principles are the same. Muscle groups need to be developed inorder to protect the joints that they work over. This is particularlyrelevant to the knee. Appropriate proprioceptive skills need to beenhanced if the risk of injury is to be kept to an acceptable minimum.More specific considerations that may involve the occupationaltherapist as well as the physiotherapist may include the prevention ofpressure problems from a wheelchair or calliper or the use ofrestraints in a patient who has sudden muscular spasms, so that theyare not thrown out of the wheelchair. The experienced physiotherapist will be well aware of the benefitsof sport in the disabled in improving strength, co-ordination andendurance. Basketball, in particular, is commonly employed in thewheelchair-bound patient, who has to learn transferable skills in orderto propel the wheel chair accurately as well as catch, intercept andpass the ball. Prophylaxis and pre-injury actions Earlier in this piece we briefly discussed a paper by Sanchez (23).and commended it for its tackling of the problem of anticipating an injury. This involved a significant amount of pre-planning andorganisation on the court and field of play. Such issues are of vitalimportance to the athletes although they may not either realise orappreciate it at the time. This type of forward thinking can lead to dramatic reductions in morbidity (or even in mortality) and should be the concern of each and every healthcare professional who is working in the field of acute sports injury. Prophylaxis can be considered not only as actual pre-planning thecourse of action needed if an injury is sustained (viz. are theresplints, bandages, sterile water and gloves etc. available?) but equally it can be considered as the correct training and preparation ofboth the players and the game officials, so that the game itself can beplayed in conditions of optimum safety. Although the first of these two considerations is clearly important, in the context of this piece, weshall consider the second element in detail. Prophylaxis of injury is a major concern. We have discussed thepredictive value of a pre-existing injury. It follows that, if thatinjury can be prevented, then the subject is statistically less likelyto suffer a further injury. Common sense is behind the definitive recommendation in the paperby Kuala et al., (1) where he states that, in an attempt to reduce the incidence of injuries in basketball, specific preventative measuresshould be employed to reduce the number of violent contacts betweenplayers. He cites improving the drafting of game rules so that violentinfringements of the rules can be mo Injury Risk in Elite Basketball Players Injury Risk in Elite Basketball Players The elite basketball player is considered in this piece not only in terms of his potential for injury but also in terms of the potential of the physiotherapist and other sports professionals, to give advice, support and guidance so that he may practice his chosen sport as safely as is reasonably possible. We have looked at the nature, incidence and sites of injuries sustained. We have looked at the two most commonly injured sites (the knee and ankle) in specific detail. We have also discussed the relevant modalities of treatment that a physiotherapist can provide for their clients. There appears to be considerable controversy in the current literature, particularly in the field of pre-exercise stretching. As this is commonly accepted practice by participants, coaches, trainers and sports medicine professionals alike, we have reviewed the arguments both for and against in some detail. We have paid particular attention to its value in the prophylaxis of injury and the evidence to support it. The role of the physiotherapist in education and training of the elite athlete is also discussed. There are a number of sources quoted who regard it as a prime responsibility of the physiotherapist to give the athlete the information to allow them to train and participate as safely and effectively as possible. We have also considered the role of the physiotherapist in the prophylaxis of injury by looking at the various modalities of treatment and intervention that can be employed to make the field of play a safer place. In addition to the main-stream elite basketball player we have also looked at the role of the physiotherapist in the role of helping the disabled basketball player, some of whom have achieved elite status in their own right. They have their own specific problems and these are reviewed and discussed. Lastly we look at the specific gender differences in the sport. With many women finding that the sport is attractive, they participate at a top level of achievement. We look at the reasons why they have a different injury profile to men, both in terms of numbers of injuries but also in terms of the frequency of specific types of injury. The mechanisms of this difference is discussed together with the means whereby it can be addressed. Introduction Basketball is a world-wide sport practised by children in their backyard, adolescents in their playground, amateurs in their league games and elite athletes in their world-stage arenas. It is – by any standards – a fast game with inevitable physical contact, both intentional and accidental. Both these factors lead to the potential for injury. The explosive effort for the fast moves leads to particular pattern of muscle, ligament and tendon injury (see on) and the physical contact can lead to bruises, dislocations, fractures another injuries. It is a sport that is enjoyed by both sexes. Although it was originally conceived primarily as a male sport (for the YMCA)in an era when female participation in sport was a rarity, women now participate in it to elite levels and suffer injury to a similar extent to their male counterparts. The game itself has evolved dramatically since its humble beginnings when Dr James Naismith nailed two peach baskets at the ends of his gymnasium in 1891 (hence the name basketball) It was developed as a tool for fitness training by the YMCA. By 1927 The Harlem Globetrotters had been formed and by 1936 it was included as an Olympic sport. According to FIBA (Basketball governing body) over 400 million people play basketball on a world-wide basis Training for the fitness needed to play the sport can also lead touts own problems. One huge study by Ruhr M Kuala et al. (1994) (1) found that of all the injuries associated with basketball, 50% occurred during the matches and 50% occurred during training for the matches. This should be contrasted with the finding in study by Meeuwisse et al.(2) where injuries during the game were 3.7 times as likely to occur as in training. One could reasonably conclude that a large proportion of the injuries sustained in the â€Å"cut and thrust† of a full scale match are part of the risk package accepted in playing the game. The huge proportion of injuries sustained whilst training, however, should be largely preventable, as training should be ideally undertaken in carefully controlled circumstances. The physiotherapist, personal trainer and sports medicine specialist are ideally placed to advise and oversee poor practice in the training arena and to give advice and guidance to maximise training efficiency and to reduce the toll of injury. Any experienced sports care professional will tell you that the single most important factor in determining the likelihood of sustaining an injury is the occurrence of a previous injury (2). It therefore follows that prevention of any injury will help, not only in improving the immediate efficiency of the player, but will also confer protection against the possibility of recurring injury in any given site. Before we consider the mechanisms and prophylaxis of injuries in basketball, it would be prudent to consider the observed injuries from the sport, both in absolute number and site. The study by Meeuwisse(2003) (2) followed a cohort of 142 basketball players over a two year period and discovered that 44.7% of the players were injured in that time frame. As they recorded over 200 injuries in that time, it is clear that many players were injured more than once. The study by Ruhr M Kuala et al. (1994) (1) will be extensively quoted in this piece as it provides an enormous amount of meticulously collected data which has a high degree of confidence in its validity. It was based in Finland where the population has a particularly regimented system of bureaucratic personal information storage, especially with regard to injury and healthcare details. The entire population has to be registered with a nationally based health insurance, which records every accident and injury. This is of enormous value to studies such as this, as accurate statistics about entities such as specific sporting injuries can be derived comparatively easily. The study is also important in this specific regard as it encompasses an enormous cohort of basketball players analysing 39,541person years of basketball experience and 3,472 specific injuries. It’s worth considering the patterns of injury found in some detail as it has an impact on the deliberations in this piece. In terms of age distribution, it was found that injuries in thunder 15 yr. age group were comparatively rare and that the injury rate peaked in the 20 – 24 yr. age groups. Percentage of injuries by sites in basketball players (These results are slightly modified with some trivia removed) Injury Site % of total Lower limb Total 56.0 Thigh 2.5 Knee 15.8 Leg 2.0 Ankle 31.4 Foot 4.0 Other 0.4 Upper Limb total 19.3 Upper arm + Shoulder 2.6 Forearm and elbow 1.3 Palm + wrist Fingers 11.1 Other 0.4 Other Sites Total 24.7 Teeth 5.2 Eyes 3.0 Head + neck 7.4 Thorax + Abdomen 1.5 Back 5.4 Pelvis 0.9 Multiple sites 1.4 There are clearly a number of striking trends in these figures. The lower limbs sustaining the most injuries with 56% of the total. The ankle and knee taking the lion’s share of these. These results are clearly fairly predictable with the nature of the sport being one of sudden changes of acceleration and direction, many changes of direction(pivoting) involving turning forces impinging maximally on the knee and ankle. Both joints are intrinsically unstable for these modalities of movements. They are designed to be most effective in walking and running in a straight line. Although they can accommodate twisting movements, they are much less mechanically sound in these directions. The possibility of unanticipated, and therefore unraced, impacts is endemic in the sport and will increase the possibility of injury to these joins in particular. The upper limb has a substantial tally of injuries with the bulk being to the palm, wrist and fingers. Although it is not specified in this particular study, any experienced clinician would expect to see substantial proportion of hyperextensions and dislocations to the fingers and sprains and strains to the wrist (this is partially amplified in the next section). For a sport that involves considerable manipulative and throwing skills, it is, perhaps, surprising that the shoulder and upper arm account for only 2.6% of all the injuries. In contrast to the comments made about the knee and ankle, one can postulate that the shoulder, by virtue of its design to accommodate a much greater range and compass of movement, is less likely to be injured in the way that the knee and ankle are. Also, in the course of the normal game, it is subject to rather less overall mechanical force as both the knee and ankle have to assimilate peak loads of several times the body weight whereas the shoulder, unless involved in a fall, does not. Of the â€Å"Other Sites†, the neck and back are the commonest sites for injury. To a large extent, this again is a reflection of the explosive nature of the game with frequent changes of direction and velocity with high levels of acceleration. Having recognised the major sites of injury it is now prudent to discuss the main types of injury. Percentage injury by type in basketball players (These results are slightly modified with some trivia removed) Injury type + site % of total Sprains +strains 61.3 Knee 12.4 Ankle 29.5 Bruises + Wounds 22.2 Fractures 12.6 Fracture (other than dental) 7.6 Foot + ankle 18.5 Lower limb (other) 3.8 Fingers Palm + wrist 57.0 Upper limb (other) 4.2 Other (nondental) 16.6 Dental 4.9 Dislocations 1.7 Knee 0.5 Shoulder + elbow 0.3 Fingers 0.3 Others 2.2 Sprains and strains are the commonest type of injury in this sport with the ankle being the most frequently injured site in this respect. Considerable amounts of work and research have been done(2,3,4,5,6,7,8) to try to find mechanisms whereby ankle injuries can beat least reduced in both frequency and severity. This will be discussed in detail later. Knee strains and sprains are the next most frequent at12.4%. Similar amounts of work have been done to find ways of minimising knee injuries (9,10,11). The knee injury is notorious for producing long-term debilitating problems as not only is the acute injury painful and potentially debilitating in itself, but there is also the potential for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) damage and meniscal damage and wear as well. This may not be immediately apparent but may contribute to morbidity at a later date. This study (1) found that knee injuries were the most common cause of permanent disability In the longer term. During the time frame of this study, four basketball players sustained permanent injuries. In specific relation to knee and ankle injury, the Meiuwess study(2) found that the situation can be further amplified by the finding that the greatest number of injuries which resulted in seven or more sessions being lost in a season arose from the knee. Equally striking was the fact that the most common injury that involved less than seven sessions being lost, were injuries to the ankle. This underlines the comment made earlier that knee injuries tend to be potentially more serious than ankle injuries Bruises and wounds account for over 1/5th of the total types of injury and fractures account for just over 1/10th. In line with the comments made earlier about the frequency of hand, finger and wrist injury, it will come as no surprise therefore to see that the hand and wrist accounts for over half of the total of fractures. The foot and ankle account for 18.5% of total fractures. This is a reversal of the figures relating to site of injury. It would therefore appear that the hand gets injured less frequently that the foot, but when it does, it’s more likely to sustain the more serious (fracture) type of injury. Although the foot is more likely to be injured, it is more likely to suffer a strain or sprain rather than a fracture. In the study by Home et al.,(2004) (12) There was an unexpected, and slightly worrying, conclusion. They found that, in a study of fractures in sport, that (for men at least) basketball was the sport that put the participants at greatest risk of sustaining a fracture. The Knee and Basketball As we have already discussed, a knee injury is potentially more serious than just the implication of the immediate acute injury. For that reason, and for the fact that it is one of the two most commonly injured areas, we will look at the knee as a specific entity. We know that the single most important predictor for further injury is the past history of a preceding original injury. The knee is also significant insofar as the normal maxim of rest a joint until the inflammation has settled is rarely practical, as the knee is essential for locomotion and, as any experienced clinician knows, the vast majority of patients with resolving knee injuries will wait until the pain subsides to a tolerable level, and then start to walk on it. This effectively means that the joint is being stressed while resolving inflammation is present. Initially this may manifest itself as no more than a mildly aching knee, but it is likely that menisci, cruciate ligaments and articular surfaces are all being stressed in a â€Å"less than optimal† state. It is likely, on a first principles basis, that this type of mechanism may be, in part at least, responsible for the increased levels of arthritis and arthritis that is observed in lifelong athletes. (13,14) The paper by Meeuwisse (2) has been quoted several times in this piece. It is worth remembering that his team found that the knee waste joint which, if injured, gave rise to the longest periods of incapacity. It is therefore prudent to consider the mechanisms of injury, the treatment of those injuries and, possibly more importantly in the context of this piece, what can be done to minimise the incidence and impact of those injuries. We would commend an excellent paper by Bahr (2001) (3) on the subject. He discusses (amongst other things) the current thinking on knee injuries. He makes comment on the increasing incidence of cruciate ligament injuries. These injuries are seen with greatest frequency in athletes who participate in sports that involve â€Å"pivoting† – a movement which involves a fixed foot on the floor being used as a fulcrum topspin the body around – a movement which can put huge rotational stresses on the knee joint. As has been observed earlier in this piece, the knee is designed primarily to be efficient in dealing with movement in a sagittal plane. It is very poorly adapted to deal with rotational stresses. Bahr observes that the maximal incidence of cruciate ligament injury is in the 15-25 yr. old age group and in women three to five times more frequently than in men (see on) (14). He also refers to the post-injury, long-term complications of abnormal joint mechanics and the early onset of degenerative joint disease (15). Significantly he points to the fact that, although there has been an increasing trend recently (mainly because of improved operating techniques) to attempt to repair menisci and cruciate ligaments, this has not been accompanied by an apparent reduction in the rate of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Similarly, arthroscopic repair of isolated meniscal damage has not been shown to reduce the incidence of arthritis. These factors all mitigate the argument that, although treatment is important, the identification of risk factors that predispose to injury is even more important. The Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is commonly injured in circumstances that many athletes would consider as normal or routine for their particular sport. Frequently the damage occurs without direct physical contact to the knee (9). This is strong evidence to support the â€Å"design fault† explanation of the aetiology. There is recent anecdotal data to suggest that improving the control of the knee may have an impact in reducing the incidence of these injuries. This views supported in a paper by Carafe (10) who looked at improving the proprioceptive and balance mechanisms in footballers over a three season period. They reported an 87% decrease in the incidence of injuries to the ACL. It may be significant that they studied semi-professional and amateur footballers who, presumably, did not train as efficiently of as skilfully as their professional footballer counterparts and therefore there was probably considerable room for improvement. Similarly constructed studies have shown similar pattern of improvement in young female football (11) and handball (16) players using a similar programme of training over a season. As has been pointed out earlier, such changes are more likely to be noticeable in females because of the higher incidence of ACL injury in the first place. Bahr points out that these studies were too small to allow a proper statistical evaluation of the reduction of injury to the ACL specifically, but there is sufficient evidence to conclude that the risk of serious knee injury can be significantly reduced by the introduction of structured training exercises that focus on improving the neuron-muscular control of the knee. Bahr makes the very salient point that balance (proprioceptive)training is not yet universally recognised by coaches and trainers as useful tool. As a result, he argues that it is the responsibility of doctors and physiotherapists to disseminate the knowledge that such training does reduce the incidence of serious short-term (and therefore long-term) knee injury. Anterior knee pain is a common, sometimes chronic presenting symptom in any sports related health professional’s clinic. There are many theories as to its aetiology and it is notoriously resistant to treatment. An unattributed paper (quoted by Minerva in the BMJ) (17)refers to Jumper’s knee where the pain is maximal near the attachment of the patella ligament. Ultrasound of the region can show an area of increased echogenicity in the inferior pole of the patella. Minerva quotes the study as observing that of 100 athletes seen in one clinic,18 had to give up their sport for over a year and about 1/3rd needed surgery in order to try to get resolution of the problem. In conclusion to this section we would refer the reader to the excellent paper by Adams WB (2004) (18) who reviews the current thinking on treatment options on both overuse syndromes and trauma tithe knee. The Ankle and Basketball As we have seen earlier, the ankle is the single most commonly injured site in the body during basketball comprising 31.4% of all the injuries observed (1) and ankle strains and sprains were the single commonest mechanism of injury observed with 1/3rd of all such injuries and 1/5th of all fractures. We will therefore also consider the ankles a special case. Bahr (3) quotes that in round figures 20% of sports related injuries involve the ankle. The vast majority of ankle injuries are simple sprains of the lateral and medial ankle ligaments. Proper functional care will allow the patient to return to work within a few days, or at worst a few weeks, with minimal squeal. Some sprains are found to cause prolonged disability in the form of chronic instability or persistent pain. Prophylaxis of injury is discussed elsewhere in this piece but it should be noted that taping and bracing are commonly employed techniques for protection, but their efficacy has only been demonstrated in sportsmen with a history of previous injury (5,6).There is little doubt that taping and bracing will reduce the incidence of sprains and result in less severe strains. â€Å"High-top† basketball boots have been introduced recently on the assumption that similar boots (18a) (viz. ski boots) reduce the incidence of ankle injury, but it has not yet produced any specific evidence that sprains and strains are reduced. Braces seen to be more effective than tape in preventing sprains of the ankle (7,8) Bracing has the advantage that it is more acceptable in terms of comfort for long-term use (6). Taping is commonly used but appears to be less effective than braces because it relies on adhesion to the skin to exert its protective influence. It can cause skin irritation and has to be reapplied on virtually every occasion where potential stress can occur. One of the major problems of doing research into ankle injuries is that qualitative and subjective measurements such as pain and immobility can be easily assessed, but the ankle joint is a very functionally complex structure and quantitative measurements of anything other than flexion/extension or rotation an very difficult. Its therefore heartening to read of a Dutch group who are developing a specially designed goniometer to use in researching the pathology of the ankle joint (19). This is only mentioned for the sake of completeness and we do not propose to go into any detail about the instrument. There is an excellent article by McKay on ankle injuries in basketball (20) but this is discussed at some length in the section on prophylaxis of injuries. Treatment of injuries The treatment of sports related injuries is a vast topic and specialism in itself. The sports medicine medical specialist and the physiotherapist sports specialist are technically knowledgeable people who have had to assimilate a vast quantity of information relative to their specialisation. It is therefore not proposed to present the topic in any great detail but to cover the elements of treatment of acute injuries and their subsequent treatment that are specifically important to the field of basketball. We will also present a brief literature review of some of the most recent papers in the field. In general terms, the old adage of ICE (immobilisation, compression and elevation) (20b) is a useful first-aid mnemonic which will help to minimise injury prior to assessment by a more specialist professional. In this article it is proposed to look primarily at the aspects of treatment which impinge on the areas covered in this piece and broad overviews. We shall restrict ourselves here to a brief literature review of some of the most important recent papers The area of dental trauma is highlighted in the analysis by Kujalaet al. (1994) (1) with 5.0% of all basketball injuries being dental. Airport by Randall (2005) (21) discusses the impact of dental injuries and suggests that sports field medical personnel should have at least basic training in the first-aid of dental injuries so that they can, at least, provide appropriate care until a dental specialist can be properly involved. A particularly controversial issue is raised by Dietzel and Hedlund(2005) (22) They review the current controversy about the use of analgesic and anti-inflammatory injections both in the acute phase of injury (to allow continued participation in a sporting event) or in the chronic recovery phase. This is a particularly well balanced article which evaluates both sides of the arguments for and against the use of injectable medications. Sanchez et al.(2005) (23) review the desperately important area of management of the potentially spine-injured athlete. This is an area which has had substantial changes in management techniques in the recent past. This paper is a particularly useful review of techniques of diagnosis and stabilisation of the injured athlete. Very significantly it highlights the role of pre-injury planning – so often overlooked – on the sports field. There are two recent papers which examine the thorny problem of concussion on the sports field (24,25). This has long posed a problem for the supervising healthcare specialist, both in terms of immediate diagnosis and subsequent action and treatment. The working â€Å"rule of thumb† has been that any player with definite signs of concussion(impaired consciousness or increased level of confusion) should be taken off the field and not returned to play for 48 hrs. In practice, this advice may be ignored by coaches who are anxious to keep their best players on the field and who may be ignorant of the potential side effects. McKean (24) and Johnston et al. (25) review the arguments in coherent manner and present the current thinking in a modern context. Injury types in relation to position played There are few studies that actually compare the rates and types of injury with actual position played on the court. Given the fact that Kuala, (1) reports that 50% of injuries are sustained in training rather than on the court, this may prove to be rather academic. The study by Meeuwisse (2003) (2), was one of the few that looked at this issue and regarded it as purely peripheral to the main mechanism of injury. However , they summed up the findings of the study in the phrase â€Å"Centres had the highest rate of injury, followed by guards, and then forwards. The relative risk of re-injury was significantly increased by previous injuries to the elbow, shoulder, knee, hand, lower spine or pelvis, and by concussions.† As part of their conclusions the research team commented that the predictive risk factors for injury were, in order of importance: previous injury, number of games played, the number of player contacts during a game, player position, and court location (this is a reference to the proximity to a hospital). In real terms, the players position is of much less importance in predicting injury than many other factors Clinical considerations The clinical implications of basketball injury must be viewed in the context of the benefits derived from playing any competitive sport– or indeed pursuing any degree of fitness. Virtually any sporting endeavour has a downside and indeed risks associated with it, but equally there are very considerable benefits to be gained as well. By concentrating (by necessity) on the risks of injury in basketball in this article we do not wish to ignore the balancing perspective of the health gains to also be derived. Clearly, one of the major benefits to be gained is the concurrent increase in cardiovascular fitness (13) This is in addition to the less easily quantifiable benefits of general fitness, social interaction, increase in self-confidence and satisfaction in participation which are common to most sporting endeavours. The study by Kuala et al. (1993) (13) looked at the incidence of degenerative joint conditions in elite athletes. It found that participation in sports generally could lead to premature osteoarthritis. Specifically it found that, in the elite international athletes studied there was a greater than predicted admission rate to hospital for treatments for osteoarthritis of the hip, knee and ankle. Very significantly, in the context of this article on physiotherapy, it concluded that proper treatment of injuries to these joints could significantly reduce the incidence of premature osteoarthritis in this group. It should be noted that this was a large control moderated study of over 2000 international athletes so the findings are clearly significant Disability and basketball It is important not to ignore the fact that basketball is played, not only by able-bodied sportsmen but also by those who have a concurrent disability as well. This group also presents a professional problem for the physiotherapist as. Not only are there the â€Å"normal â€Å"considerations for the able-bodied player that we have discussed in this piece, but also there may well be disability-specific considerations in the disabled player which will tax the physiotherapist every bit as much as those in their able-bodied counterparts. In consideration of this we would commend the reader to an excellent article by Chula (1994) (26) which discusses inconsiderable depth, the whole issue of sports specific medical considerations for people with a disability. The use of sports for the disabled as a therapeutic measure was championed by Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who was a specialist in spinal injuries. He pointed out not only the obvious physical benefits to be gained in improving functions of the body which the paraplegic ortetraplegic had not fully exploited in their pre-injury state togetherwith the obvious cardiovascular benefits that could be obtained, but healso pointed to the psychological benefits to be gained by socialisingand competing against others. The Disabled Person’s Employment Act (1944) was the first majorlegislative landmark in the effective rehabilitation of the disabledperson back into society and other legislation relating todiscrimination generally has helped the disabled person to achievelevels of attainment in sport that would have been unthinkable half acentury ago. The comments that have been made in this piece in relation toable-bodied people obviously apply, in general terms, to the disabledperson as well. Clearly it depends on the nature of the disability asto what specific measures need to be employed specifically, but thebasic principles are the same. Muscle groups need to be developed inorder to protect the joints that they work over. This is particularlyrelevant to the knee. Appropriate proprioceptive skills need to beenhanced if the risk of injury is to be kept to an acceptable minimum.More specific considerations that may involve the occupationaltherapist as well as the physiotherapist may include the prevention ofpressure problems from a wheelchair or calliper or the use ofrestraints in a patient who has sudden muscular spasms, so that theyare not thrown out of the wheelchair. The experienced physiotherapist will be well aware of the benefitsof sport in the disabled in improving strength, co-ordination andendurance. Basketball, in particular, is commonly employed in thewheelchair-bound patient, who has to learn transferable skills in orderto propel the wheel chair accurately as well as catch, intercept andpass the ball. Prophylaxis and pre-injury actions Earlier in this piece we briefly discussed a paper by Sanchez (23).and commended it for its tackling of the problem of anticipating an injury. This involved a significant amount of pre-planning andorganisation on the court and field of play. Such issues are of vitalimportance to the athletes although they may not either realise orappreciate it at the time. This type of forward thinking can lead to dramatic reductions in morbidity (or even in mortality) and should be the concern of each and every healthcare professional who is working in the field of acute sports injury. Prophylaxis can be considered not only as actual pre-planning thecourse of action needed if an injury is sustained (viz. are theresplints, bandages, sterile water and gloves etc. available?) but equally it can be considered as the correct training and preparation ofboth the players and the game officials, so that the game itself can beplayed in conditions of optimum safety. Although the first of these two considerations is clearly important, in the context of this piece, weshall consider the second element in detail. Prophylaxis of injury is a major concern. We have discussed thepredictive value of a pre-existing injury. It follows that, if thatinjury can be prevented, then the subject is statistically less likelyto suffer a further injury. Common sense is behind the definitive recommendation in the paperby Kuala et al., (1) where he states that, in an attempt to reduce the incidence of injuries in basketball, specific preventative measuresshould be employed to reduce the number of violent contacts betweenplayers. He cites improving the drafting of game rules so that violentinfringements of the rules can be mo