Future advances in the treatment of joint injuries could be taking shape through the work of J. Ty Hopkins, PhD, ATC, winner of the 2004 Freddie H. Fu, MD, New Investigator Award. Since the latter 1990s, Dr. Hopkins has been studying the neuromuscular consequences of joint injury (arthrogenic muscle inhibition) and interventions that might lessen the impact of those consequences. Some of his research has been funded by the Foundation and has produced the study “Effects of Knee Joint Effusion and Cryotherapy on Lower Chain Function.” Ongoing projects examine various aspects of knee and ankle injuries and the factors affecting the rehabilitation of such injuries.
The results of his work over the past 7 years, he said, have been sometimes unexpected but always informative. “We have observed that when we cool tissues, those tissues respond well in terms of allowing exercise,” Dr. Hopkins said. “We weren't sure if that was due to a decrease in pain or due to some other type of neuromuscular response. We started studying it. I don't know if we've gotten to the point yet where we can say, ‘We need to do X-Y-Z in the clinical setting,’” he added. “I think what we can say is, ‘We need to attack the problem (arthrogenic muscle inhibition) itself instead of dealing with the consequences of it.’”
As an undergraduate student at Brigham Young University, Dr. Hopkins did not foresee research as his career path. But while preparing his master's thesis at Indiana State University, he said he was excited by the possibilities of research. “I certainly didn't see myself as a scholar or a researcher, but it was exciting to answer clinical questions that hadn't previously been answered through research,” he said.
Dr. Hopkins completed his doctoral work at Indiana State University in 2000 and is currently an assistant professor at BYU. His work has been published in 9 peer-reviewed scientific journals, and he has been a guest lecturer for sports medicine association meetings throughout the country. He plans to continue research in arthrogenic muscle inhibition, potentially leading to more effective treatment of joint injury.
As a member of the research community, Dr. Hopkins serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Sport Rehabilitation and is a reviewer for the Journal of Athletic Training, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Brain Research, and the British Journal of Sports Medicine. He also reviews grants for the NATA Foundation. Dr. Hopkins is a member of the NATA, the American College of Sports Medicine and regional affiliates.
Dr. Hopkins thanks his mentors, especially Dr. Chris Ingersoll of the University of Virginia and Dr. Ken Knight of BYU. Ty Hopkins and his wife, Holly, have two daughters, Rylee and Brooklyn, and a third child expected later this year.