Medical problems of performing artists
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Med Probl Perform Art · Mar 2017
ReviewMusculoskeletal Injury Profile of Circus Artists: A Systematic Review of the Literature.
The circus arts involve a high degree of acrobatic, athletic, and aesthetic ability with extreme physical demands placed on performers. An understanding of the injury profile is required to guide prevention. ⋯ The spine and ankle should be targeted for preventative interventions in circus artists due to their high frequency of injury. The heterogeneity of studies included in this review highlights the need for consistency within future research, particularly in terms of injury definition and outcome measurements.
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The functional role of the glottis in brass performance is poorly understood and controversial, particularly with respect to pedagogy. Technological limitations have prevented the non-invasive, systematic study of the glottis in the past, but developments in real-time magnetic resonance imaging (RT-MRI) allow representations of glottal movement during performance on a MRI-compatible horn to be recorded and quantified. ⋯ We demonstrate that RT-MRI provides a suitable method to identify and quantify glottal movement during horn playing. We further show that there is a direct relationship between dynamic level and glottal adduction/abduction, and that the glottis is involved in performing notes during slow staccato playing.