Former Athlete Research Study
The Badger Athletic Performance Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is recruiting former collegiate and professional athletes to participate in a research study examining long‑term knee and joint health, including outcomes related to ACL injury and reconstruction.
This is an in‑person study conducted at UW–Madison. Participants may be eligible for one or multiple study visits depending on group assignment.
If you take part in this study, procedures may include:
- Measuring height and weight
- Knee MRI scan
- Dual‑energy X‑ray Absorptiometry (DXA) scan
- Movement analysis and strength testing
- Completion of health and activity questionnaires
Total testing time for each visit is approximately 4–5 hours.
To be able to take part in this study, you must:
- Be a former Division I collegiate or professional athlete
- Be at least 1 year removed from collegiate or professional sports
- Be capable of participating in vigorous physical activity (e.g., running, jumping, strength testing)
- Have no total joint replacements
Additional eligibility criteria apply depending on study group:
- ACL Group: 2–25 years post‑ACL reconstruction
- Control Group: No history of significant lower‑extremity injury or surgery
Compensation:
Participants will receive $400 upon completion of each study visit.
If interested:
Please complete this short eligibility questionnaire: https://redcap.link/formerathletestudy
If you have questions about the study, please contact us at:
Email: knurr@ortho.wisc.edu
Please note that email is not a secure form of communication. Please do not send sensitive personal information via email.
From Field to Future Research Study
The Badger Athletic Performance Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison is recruiting former collegiate athletes to participate in an online research study titled From Field to Future: Understanding the Effects of Competitive Sports on Athletes’ Long‑Term Health.
This study aims to better understand the long‑term physical and mental health outcomes associated with participation in competitive collegiate athletics.
If you take part in this study, procedures include:
- Completing an online survey (approximately 30 minutes)
- Answering questions about demographics, injury history, physical activity, and physical and mental health
- Optional annual follow‑up surveys to track changes in health over time
To be able to take part in this study, you must:
- Have participated in at least one season of collegiate athletics
- Be a former collegiate athlete (retired from competitive collegiate sports)
Compensation:
Each quarter, five eligible participants will be randomly selected to receive a $200 gift card.
If interested:
Please complete the online survey by visiting:
https://redcap.link/fromfieldtofuture
If you have questions about the study, please contact:
Alli Faber
Email: faber@ortho.wisc.edu
Please note that email is not a secure form of communication. Do not send sensitive personal or health information via email.
Ankle Brace Research Study
The Badger Athletic Performance Lab is looking for research participants for a study involving healthy adult men and women. This study has two types of data collection and you are invited to participate in one or both collections. Each collection is anticipated to last 90 minutes, during which you will either run on a treadmill or perform cutting tasks on a turf field while wearing different types of ankle braces.
If you take part in this study, procedures include:
- Measuring height and weight
- Running on a treadmill for 5 minutes at a time during 5 different ankle brace conditions
- Performing a cutting task during 5 different ankle brace conditions
- Giving the study team feedback on how you felt about the ankle brace and if you would consider wearing it during sport or other physical activities
To be able to take part in this study you must:
- Be 18-40 years old,
- Have a shoe size of: men’s 7.5-11.5 or women’s 9-13;
- Have no history of lower extremity surgery;
- Have experience wearing ankle braces during sport or physical activity
You will receive $60 for each data collection you complete.
If interested, please take a few minutes to complete this questionnaire.
If you have any questions about the study, please contact us at:
Email: bap@ortho.wisc.edu. Please note that email is not a secure form of communication. Please do not send sensitive personal information via email.
Telephone: 608-890-4261. Please reference the “Ankle Brace Research Study” when calling our lab.