Division of Athletic Training

 

Faculty Profile

Patrick O. McKeon, PhD, ATC, CSCS

 

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences

CT Wethington Building, Room 206C

900 South Limestone Ave

Lexington, KY 40536-0200

Office: 859-323-1100 Ext 80885

Fax: 859-323-6005

 

 

 

Recent Publications

PubMed Links

Curriculum Vitae

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Dr. Patrick McKeon is a NATABOC certified athletic trainer andjoined the faculty of the Division of Athletic Training in the summer of 2007. He recently completed his doctorate at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

 

Research Interests:

My research focuses on sensorimotor alterations associated with lower extremity joint injury, specifically ankle instability.  I have identified postural control and gait alterations associated with chronic ankle instability utilizing novel instrumented techniques derived from the dynamical systems theory of motor control.   According to the dynamical systems theory, musculoskeletal injury constrains the sensorimotor system, resulting in decreased variability in coordination strategies.  The impaired postural control and gait mechanics associated with chronic ankle instability may reflect a loss of functional variability in the sensorimotor system resulting in an impaired defense against injury.  It is unknown whether or not this functional variability can be restored.  Currently I am examining the effect of a progressive balance training program designed from current athletic training clinical practice on these measures of movement variability in those with chronic ankle instability.  We hypothesize that as these measures of movement variability increase, there will be a concomitant increase in self-reported functional outcome measures.

 

My goals in the future include developing a greater understanding of the role of movement variability related to deficits in postural control and gait mechanics associated with ankle instability and other lower extremity joint pathology.  By utilizing these novel instrumented techniques to assess movement variability within postural control and gait, I aim to elucidate the link between deficits in movement variability both as a risk factor and sequela of lower extremity injury.  I also seek to develop a greater understanding of the restoration of sensorimotor function associated with rehabilitation.  By combining the laboratory measures described above with the current athletic training rehabilitation techniques, I plan to design clinical trials to examine the restoration of movement variability after lower extremity pathology.   I believe information from this line of research will provide insight into effective clinical interventions for the sports medicine clinician to improve patient functional outcomes and provide insight into prevention strategies for lower extremity injury.