Department of Sports Medicine

About

In 1948, still at the Vytautas Magnus University the faculty began its life as the Department of Physical Education and Sports. After the reorganisation of Vytautas Magnus University (since 1951), the department took care of physical education of students at Kaunas Medical Institute, provided them with knowledge about the peculiarities of physical exercises and mobile activities and the method of application in protecting and strengthening health. In 2003, the name of the department was changed to the Department of Kinesiology and Sports Medicine, from 1 March 2012 – to the Institute of Sports, from 1 February 2019 – to the Department of Sports Medicine.

From 1948 to 1975, the department was headed by Dr. M.D. Zigmas Vegertas. For the first time in Lithuania, a sports medicine and physiotherapy course for students and dentists was taught, 4 textbooks of these disciplines were prepared. For almost two decades, the department was headed by the Associate Professor Gerardas Šauklys, and since 1993 by Professor Valerijus Jasiūnas. In 2003, the position of the head of the department was entrusted to Prof. Alfonsas Vainoras. From 2012 to 2020, the head of the Department of Sports Medicine was Prof. Rimtautas Gudas. Current Head of the Department of Sports Medicine  – Assoc. Prof. Renata Žumbakytė-Šermukšnienė.

The Department of Sports Medicine participates in the following study programmes:

Degree-granting study programmes:

  • First cycle (Bachelor’s): Oral Hygiene, Occupational Therapy, Animal Science, Kinesiotherapy, Food Science, Health Psychology, Veterinary Food Safety, Public Health.
  • Postgraduate (Master’s): Lifestyle Medicine, Advanced Nursing practice, Nursing Leadership, Health and Rehabilitation.
  • Integrated studies: Pharmacy, Medicine, Odontology, Veterinary Medicine.
  • Third cycle: PhD in Biology, Medicine and Nursing.

Non-degree programmes:

  • Residency in Sports Medicine.

The lecturers direct the final thesis of Bachelor and Master students, help them prepare publications and conference presentations. There is also SMD Kinesiotherapy club (scientific supervisor Lect. Dr. Agnė Slapšinskaitė-Dackevičienė).

Scientific activities are carried out according to the approved scientific topic of the Department of Sports Medicine “complex assessment of physical health from a multidisciplinary point of view”.

PARTICIPATION IN SCIENTIFIC PROJECTS

  • The project for “public health professionals and nursing staff contributing to the reduction of morbidity and mortality from major non-infectious diseases”, qualification improvement courses “Health promotion, promotion of healthy lifestyle, prevention of cardiovascular diseases”. No. VP1-1.1-SADM-10-V-01-007. 2009–2014
  • Project “Technological development of innovative system for forecasting arterial hypotension episodes”. No. VP1-3.1-ŠMM-10-V-02-003. 2013–2015
  • “The effect of allogeneic cartilage and bone complex transplantation on the regeneration of joint cartilage in the experimental model of cartilage damage (CHONDRO)”. No. VP1-3.1-CMM-07-K-03-078. 2013–2015
  • “Creation of 3D micro-structured and collagen structures with chondrogenic cells and their broadcast use for cartilage regeneration.” No. SEN-20/2015. 2015–2018
  • “Development of advanced cell therapy prototypes for prevention and treatment of acute and chronic damage to articular cartilage (RECART). No. 01.2.2-CPVA-K-703-02-0011. 2018 – 2021

International projects:

  • Project “Individualized rehabilitation: embodying movement.” Supported by the Office of the Baltic States and German Higher Education Institutions through the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) at the expense of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Republic of Germany. From 01-06-2021 to 15-11-2021. Project Supervisor Dr. Agnė Slapšinskaitė-Dackevičienė.
  • Project Erasmus + Wolverhampton University of the United Kingdom Erasmus + Sport Programme Project “Virtual Advice, Nurturing, Guidance on Universal Action, Research and Development for physical activity and sport Engagement: the VANGUARD project” (with participation of Prof. L. Šiupšinskas).
  • Eureka project EDFAS “Distributed Intelligence Functional Status Assessment System for the Elderly and Disabled”. 2008–2012
  • Eureka ITEA2 project GUARANTEE “Guardian Angel for Extended Home Environment”. 2009–2011
  • Interreg IVB project “ICT for Health – Strengthening social capacities for the utilisation of eHealth technologies in the framework of ageing population”. 2010–2012
  • „PrimCareIT-Counteracting brain drain and professional isolation of health professionals in remote primary health care (PrimCareIT)”. 2011–2014
  • A clinical study to evaluate the safety and efficacy of NOVOCART® 3D plus compared to the micro-fracture procedure in patients with knee cartilage defects. No. AAG-G-H-1202. 2016–2019

CONFERENCES ORGANISED

  • International Conference “Exercise for Health and Rehabilitation”,
  • 2nd International Conference “Exercise for Health and Rehabilitation”,
  • 3rd Scientific-Practical Conference “Physical Exercises for Health and Rehabilitation”,
  • 3rd International Congress “Complex Systems in Medicine and Sport”,
  • 4th Scientific – Practical Conference “Exercise for Health and Rehabilitation”.

 

SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS in 2019

Articles in Clarivate Analytics Web of Science databases – 11.
In the international databases referred publications – 3.
Other peer-reviewed scientific publications (Lithuanian scientific publications, conference reports) – 29.
Textbooks, teaching and methodological tools – 1.

17 doctoral dissertations were defended in 2001-2021 at the Department:

  • Saulė Salatkaitė.Evaluation of long-term treatment results of young physically active persons undergoing frontal cruciate ligament reconstruction (2021).
  • Justinas Mačiulaitis.Treatment of osteochondral lesions of joints during sports injuries using tissue engineering products in preclinical models (2020).
  • Deivydas Velička.The influence of high-intensity interval training, occlusive training and aerobic exercise, supplemented by differential training tasks, on the cardiovascular system of men (2020).
  • Toma Garbenytė-Apolinskienė.Study of the relationship between high-performance basketball players’ lower limb sports injuries and functional skeletal and muscular system indicators (2020).
  • Rokas Jurkonis. The influence of the type and diameter of the transplant on the restoration of the knee joint function after the reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (2018).
  • Margarita Radžiūnienė. Motor changes in infancy and childhood with age-adjusted movement training (2016).
  • Viktorija Repšaitė. The effect of differential training on the functional movements and independence of individuals who have suffered a stroke in the brain (2015).
  • Virginija Bertašiūtė. Changes in the functional parameters of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems of men at the threshold of anaerobic metabolism (2015).
  • Giedrė Taletavičienė. Change of electrocardiographic indicators and their dynamic interfaces during general cryotherapy and pelotherapy procedures (2014).
  • Brigita Zachovajevienė. Assessment of functional connections and changes in pelvic floor, diaphragm and trunk muscles in men after radical prostatectomy (2013).
  • Sandra Bardauskienė. The effect of short-term fasting on the functional indicators of the cardiovascular system (2012).
  • Aura Leonaitė-Evans. Alternation of the cardiovascular system functional state during two relaxation techniques in men after myocardial infarction (2010).
  • Inga Muntianaitė Dulkinienė. Mathematical assessment of the complexity of changes in functional parameters of the cardiovascular system in performing mobile tasks (2010).
  • Ernesta Gurskienė. Assessment of cardiovascular and anxiety, depression symptoms of students attending aerobic exercise (2009).
  • Kristina Poderytė. Long-term adaptations to physical loads influence on the cardiovascular system (2009).
  • Kristina Bačiulienė. Assessment of the relationship between the indicators of posture in children, cardiovascular and force parameters (2006).
  • Laimonas Šiupšinskas. Complex assessment of physical activity of students by indicators of physical health, physical capacity and body mass composition (2006).
  • Vilma Mauricienė. Features of the body posture of children of junior school age and the connection with the parameters of the body composition and participation in sports activities (2005).
  • Algė Daunoravičienė. Long-term effects of local physical exercises on muscles and the cardiovascular system (2001).
  • The HeartMath Institute, USA the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences (LSMU) and the Institute of HeartMath (USA) have been collaborating on the global measurement and registration and analysis of the Earth’s magnetic field since 3 March 2014, and together with scientists from this institute have been writing scientific publications in international journals.
  • The lecturers of the Sports Medicine Clinic of Mainz Johann Gutenberg University, Germany actively cooperate with the professor W.I. Schöllhorn, the areas of cooperation are related not only to ECG monitoring and “Kaunas-load” system use in scientific research, but also to the use of ECG and EEG systems and the extraction of signals during synchronised recording. The application of differential training and the spread of this method in Lithuania is one of the most important results of this cooperation. The current direction of cooperation is the integration of traditional Chinese medicine and its elements such as Qigong into everyday physical activity.
  • In cooperation with the University of Applied Sciences (Finland)and the University of Applied Sciences of Flensburg (Germany), participating in the HORISONT 2020 and INTERREG programmes, active Erasmus+ engagements, cooperation in the application of IT technologies in the healthcare system;
  • Cyril and Methodius University of Skopje– with this university and its professor R. Hristovski, we cooperate in finding optimal methods of mathematical analysis that can be applied to data processing. The theory of dynamic systems and its application is one of the cornerstones of this cooperation;
  • The INEFC Institute of Catalonia, Spain– lecturers of the Department of Sports Medicine participate in the joint scientific project “Unified framework for the study of sport related phenomena”, whose main goal is to study phenomena arising from sports (e.g., fatigue, pain) and to offer innovative models and solutions to describe these phenomena using the theory of dynamic systems. The theory of complex systems and its application in sports sciences is one of the essential areas of interest uniting these two institutions. Scientists give lectures under the Erasmus exchange programme and constantly raise their competence. The lecturers of the Sports Medicine Clinic participated in the organisation of the International Congress of Complex Systems in Sport, held in FCB Camp Nou, Barcelona in 2017;
  • University of Tartu, Institute of Sports Sciences and Physiotherapy, Estonia– lecturers of the Department of Sports Medicine cooperate with their colleagues from the University of Tartu on the topic of sports physiotherapy. Erasmus exchange is also taking place.
  • Each year, together with the Lithuanian Basketball Federation, the risk assessment of sports injuries is carried out for various youth, young girls’ and boys’ teams, as well as for national men’s and women’s teams. The risk of injuries is also assessed for the Lithuanian Women’s Basketball League teams, various projects are carried out, such as the Lithuanian Women’s Basketball League Sports Injuries and Diseases Register; analysis of basketball players’ play effectiveness after knee cartilage reconstruction surgeries; the ability to restore the levels of physical activity as prior to injury after the reconstructions of the anterior cruciate ligament of different diameter in athletes;
  • KTU Institute of Health Telematics Science;
  • KTU Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institute of Mechatronics;
  • LSMU Institute of Cardiology, Laboratory for Automation of Cardiology Investigation;
  • LSMU Gymnasium.
LSMU MA Faculty of Nursing the Department of Sports Medicine
+370 37 362249 sporto.medicinos.klinika@lsmu.lt
Tilžės str. 18, Building 9, Kaunas
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Renata Žumbakytė-Šermukšnienė
Head of the Department of Sports Medicine
All contacts