Western Mustangs football player and engineering student Riley Macleod is turning knowledge into action and passion into research.
As a student in the School of Biomedical Engineering and the department of mechanical and materials engineering, as well as a linebacker on Western’s football team, Macleod was inspired to explore the physical toll of the sport. With unique experience as both an athlete and an engineering student, he’s been able to bridge theory and practice in ways that resonate deeply with his peers and future football players alike.
This year, under the guidance of Emily Lalone, professor in the department of mechanical and materials engineering and the School of Biomedical Engineering, Macleod embarked on an interdisciplinary research project to understand the mechanics of wrist injuries among football players. Football is a collision-heavy sport, and wrist injuries are common, but few studies have explored the underlying biomechanics.
For Macleod, the project is personal. His own experiences with wrist soreness on the field motivated him to seek out Lalone as a supervisor.
“Football is such a physically intense sport,” Macleod said. “Studying a part of the body that undergoes a heavy load each week can hopefully lead to better awareness and allow players to treat their bodies with the care they need.”
Engineering student-athlete Riley Macleod (#33) leads the charge as the Western Mustangs defence comes together for a dominant tackle. (Jacob Arts/Western Engineering)
Macleod’s background as a student-athlete is central to the project. He understands firsthand the physical demands placed on players and brings a unique perspective to the study. The combination of academic rigour and athletic insight has guided the research direction, helping the team identify relevant data to capture and analyze.
Sore wrists lead to interdisciplinary research
Lalone, who specializes in hand and upper limb biomechanics, saw potential in Macleod’s proposal.
“He initially approached me as he was finishing his fourth year and mentioned that his wrists and those of his teammates often felt sore after games,” she said.
Intrigued by the frequency of hand-related impacts during play, Lalone and Macleod reviewed footage to discover wrist contact was indeed frequent and forceful.
Riley Macleod and engineering professor Emily Lalone hope their research will lead to better injury prevention strategies, drawing attention and awareness to wrist injuries and their consequences. (Jacob Arts/Western Engineering)
To explore the issue further, Lalone and Macleod reached out to Dr. Assaf Kadar, a hand surgeon at the Roth | McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, and Dr. Vishal Kalia, an MSK radiologist at St. Joseph’s Health Care, as well as his colleague Dr. Itay Shavit. The clinicians suspected that there might be tendinopathy due to overuse of the hands in sports. The team partnered with professor Aaron Fenster’s lab, leveraging its expertise in 3D ultrasound imaging to visualize tendons within the various compartments of the hand.
Radiologists and ultrasonographer Mary-Ellen Empey helped develop detailed protocol to ensure repeatable and clinically useful images were obtained. Dave Humphreys, a physical therapist and professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences’ School of Kinesiology, created a battery of tests assessing hand and wrist function, including measures of grip strength and joint laxity.
Transforming sport safety research
The researchers hope to better understand the forces and stresses athletes’ wrists endure during gameplay. Working with Jake Reeves, a mechanical engineer and Western professor with expertise in impact biomechanics, they are creating a specialized loading device – a blocking simulator that measures the force experienced by the wrist. The team drew inspiration from devices used to study trauma in car accidents.
“I think technology such as this loading device can provide better insight into what athletes are actually going through in competition,” Macleod said. “There is not a large understanding of the loads and stresses the human body undergoes during sports, and I think it will be very beneficial to understand the mechanical forces that occur during competition.”
Riley Macleod demonstrates a blocking posting during training with a tackling dummy. (Jacob Arts/ Western Engineering)
The NFL recently launched the Contact Detection Challenge to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) in injury prevention.
“Our study aligns with the NFL’s goal to measure and analyze player contact using AI. We are developing AI-based tools that can track player positions and contact points throughout play, contributing to the grand challenge of determining where and when athletes can get injured,” Lalone said.
Macleod agrees AI could be transformative in sports safety research.
“Manually tracking contacts is time-consuming, but with AI, we could analyze many more games faster and more efficiently, helping us further understand injury risks.”
Future impact
Ultimately, Macleod and Lalone hope their research will lead to better injury prevention strategies.
“I hope this research brings more knowledge and awareness to the effects that repeated impacts can have on an athlete’s body,” Macleod said.
While wrist injuries may not receive the same attention as concussions, they can still have long-term implications if left unaddressed.
“I want athletes to have a better understanding of the extent of the activities they’re participating in so they can ensure their bodies stay healthy.” – Riley Macleod, Western student-athlete
For Lalone, the project highlights the importance of evidence-based practices.
“In youth baseball, pitch counts are in place to prevent joint injury and ensure player longevity,” she said. “We envision something similar for football – a way to understand and mitigate the impact of play on the hand and wrist joints. Players wear hand guards or tape their wrists, but these practices are not evidence-based. This study will allow us to evaluate their effectiveness and improve them.”
Balancing academics and athletics
Balancing a demanding engineering program with football is no small feat, but Macleod credits supportive coaches and professors for helping him succeed. Faculty members like Lalone work closely with student-athletes, allowing them to meet both academic and athletic responsibilities.
“Time management is crucial. Football and school each require a lot of commitment, and without the support I’ve had, it would be difficult to excel at both,” Macleod said.
Lalone said Macleod’s work is a strong example of the Faculty of Engineering’s emphasis on student-led research and interdisciplinary collaboration. With support from clinicians, radiologists, and physical therapists, the project includes expertise across fields.
“His leadership and passion for his work have rallied an impressive team to tackle a real-world problem,” Lalone said. “This type of project offers our students invaluable hands-on experience and fosters connections with the broader research and athletic communities.”
As the study progresses, the dynamic duo look forward to expanding their research. Lalone is already encouraging Macleod to consider a PhD.
“Even if he makes it to the CFL – I’ll be flexible!” she joked.
Macleod hopes the findings will go beyond Western, benefiting athletes at all levels.
“We’re just scratching the surface,” Lalone said.
