TCB Daily Boil: Different Tissues and Injuries

I had missed this on Wednesday, so hat tip to Tim for sending this article from Evan Drellich to me yesterday. It's got a few quotes from a chemistry professor on the chemical make-up of tendons, ligaments, muscle, and cartilage having an impact on injuries.

Right up my alley right?

However, I can't quite figure out what point this chemist is trying to make.

Ligaments, tendons, muscle, and cartilage are different? You don't say...

Muscle is contractile tissues. The other three do not have contractile properties. Cartilage has carbohydrates because of it's role in absorbing compressive forces. Tendons and ligaments are pretty similar but still have distinct differences.

He then goes on and references NASA's research with atrophy and bone density. None of which is relevant to the challenge of preventing injuries. NASA's research has to do with bed rest and limiting weight bearing to simulate the physiological affects of being in an environment without gravity. Those affects are not applicable to a baseball player since baseball is played....on earth.

The majority of injuries have to do with muscle strains and ligaments. Ligament injuries typically result from a joint having too large of a load in a poor position. Muscles injuries usually result the muscle being over active or being to weak to their counterpart (i.e. hamstrings and quadriceps).

This chemist completely ignores biomechanics. It completely ignores modern research showing that joints sustain loads greater than ligaments can handle. It ignores research showing muscles providing stability to joints to cover the extra loads that the ligaments can't handle. It ignores that muscular balance allows for joints to move in proper planes to prevent injury and to control movement.

I'll step off my soap box now.