Twenty institutionalized children with scoliosis were treated with a spinal bracing program for an average of two years. The Boston brace with or without superstructure was employed. These children generally had neuromuscular disease and were often functional sitters only. Seizure disorders were common. Fifteen thoracolumbar curves were improved from a prebracing mean curvature of 4.25 degrees to a postbracing mean curvature of 31 degrees. The three lumbar curves improved from 39 degrees to 30 degrees. On patient was termed a failure. The program is considered to be of definite benefit.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Radiation exposure during scoliosis screening radiography.

Screening programs to detect scoliosis in the adolescent population are active in most communities. Two percent of children screened will be referred for treatment or observation. Increasing concern has been voiced regarding the amount of the potential effects of the radiation administered in such screening programs. Radiation dosage was directly measured on 19 children participating in an established school scoliosis screening program, using lithium fluoride thermoluminescence dosimeters. The mean gonadal doses are measured to be 19 mrem in males and estimated at a maximum 95 mrem in females. The mean entrance skin dose was 174 mrem. A lack of uniformity in the radiographic techniques employed by individual technician was identified. The measured doses were within established acceptable limits and are comparable or below the average dose of 100 mrem received annually by the general public from the environment.

Adolescent↗

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A literary review on ice therapy in injuries.

There is good evidence that cold application can be useful in certain situations as a therapeutic modality. In particular, it seems ideally suited to the acute injury where the reduction in local factors such as hemorrhage and edema can hasten recovery. Although cold has established physiologic effects which can be useful, there are specific contraindications to its use which must be recognized. Although the method of application is not critical, new products such as moldable frozen gel packs make on-the-field use simple. The important concept in the use of cold for treating the acute injury seems to be early prolonged application.

Athletic Injuries↗

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Laboratory evaluation of various cold therapy modalities.

An attempt to evaluate the potential of four modalities to cool soft tissue mass has been done under laboratory conditions using canines. The cooling of deep soft tissues within the thigh after application of various cooling devices was recorded over a 60-min exposure period. Under these circumstances, ice performed best, a frozen gel pack performed in a parallel but slightly less efficient manner. Two other modalities, an inflatable bladder filled with refrigerant gas and an endothermic chemical reaction, were least efficient in cooling.

Acute Disease↗

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Injuries in soccer.

The injury profile of a professional soccer team from the 1976 to 1977 season is compiled in this report. Injuries are spread across all of the playing positions, with midfielders and forwards being most prone to injury. During the entire season of this report, 60 injuries were encountered, 35 during game situations and 25 in practice. The most common injuries noted were foot and ankle sprains, but muscle strains were also frequent. Most injuries were of a minor variety. Seventeen injuries resulted in missed games while 46 injuries resulted in no games being missed. Only one player had an injury which did not allow him to return to play during the season. Although little is written in the American literature concerning soccer injuries, it does appear that the injury potential is much less when compared with that of football. The rapid increase in interest in this sport will require physicians and trainers to become familiar with its specific needs in order to render adequate care and participate in injury prevention programs.

Ankle Injuries↗

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Conditioning program for competitive figure skating.

To test the feasibility that traditional interval training methods could be adapted to the needs of competitive figure skaters, an interval skating program was conducted during a 3-month period for a group of skaters at diverse levels of proficiency. The program required only a small portion of the total ice time utilized by the skaters on a daily basis, i.e., 1/2 hr, three times a week. On alternate days, the skaters used the same amount of time in a strength training program. A flexibility-stretching facet was to be done by the skaters on a daily basis. Progress was evaluated by treadmill oxygen consumption determinations and ability to perform a 1/2-mile skate effort. Over the course of the 3-month period, the skaters in the program showed an average increase in oxygen consumption of 9% from 44.73 cc per kg per min to 55.51 cc per kg per min. This was accompanied by an average 10-sec reduction in the timed effort at the 1/2-mile skate. Subjectively, the skaters were less fatigued during their freestyle skating programs and were able to improve consistency at skilled maneuvers in the last minute of their performances. This initial effort to evaluate the efficacy of this type of a training program for competitive figure skating seems to have proven to be beneficial to the skaters. Currently, we are continuing our efforts to expand the program.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Closed versus open partial meniscectomy: postoperative changes in the force-velocity relationship of muscle.

Explore the source record for details and available documents.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Contractile properties of slow and fast muscle following tourniquet ischemia.

Tourniquet application is commonly used during surgery on an extremity to create a bloodless field. Investigations have focused on the ultrastructural, histochemical, and biochemical effects of tourniquet ischemia on muscle. Few studies, however, have examined the influence of tourniquet ischemia on the contractile properties of muscle. The purpose of this study was not only to examine this latter consideration, but also to determine whether slow and fast muscles exhibit a differential response. In adult male guinea pigs, the plantaris and soleus muscles of control (N = 5) and experimental legs (N = 5) were tested for time-peak-tension (TPT), one-half relaxation time (1/2RT), maximal twitch tension (Pt), and maximal tetanic tension (Po). The experimental leg was subjected to a 2 hour tourniquet which was placed around the thigh. Muscles of this leg were tested following a 2 hour recovery period. In three of the five animals, no response could be elicited from either the plantaris or soleus muscles of the experimental leg. In those instances where the experimental muscles were capable of generating force, the plantaris was clearly more effected. While tension production in the soleus was reduced by approximately 55%, the plantaris exhibited approximately a 90% decrease in tension output. Furthermore, both TPT and 1/2RT demonstrated consistent changes. These results indicate that the contractile properties of both the soleus and plantaris are dramatically effected by a 2 hour tourniquet. They further suggest that there may be a differential response based upon fiber type.

Animals↗

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Anterior glenoid labrum damage: a painful lesion in swimmers.

The diagnosis of swimmer's shoulder has long connoted a malady usually perceived to be impingement syndrome. However, as greater understanding of shoulder mechanics and diagnosis has been applied to the shoulder of swimmers, it is apparent that they too suffer from a variety of problems common to all overhead sports. This paper describes the functional instability problem of labral damage in the swimmer. Isolated labrum damage is part of a spectrum of anterior shoulder problems. This lesion is particularly disturbing to the swimmer, and its successful management through arthroscopic means is a boon. Correct diagnosis is paramount if a treatment is to be successful. The lesion in swimmers is described as well as its diagnosis by examination and computerized tomography (CT) arthrography.

Arthroscopy↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Enhancement of blood lactate clearance following maximal swimming. Effect of velocity of recovery swimming.

Swimming is an endurance-intensive sport resulting in accumulation of lactate. Repeat performances are often necessary in championship events. Lactate produced during a maximal effort requires time to metabolize to a base level. If this does not occur, performance in a repeat effort may be impaired. Thus, techniques to enhance lactate clearance are of potential benefit to the athlete. We have demonstrated previously that swimming at 65% of maximum velocity significantly improved lactate clearance over passive resting. This study tested the effect of various swimming velocities on lactate clearance. Following a maximal swim, blood lactate clearance was tracked during a 15 minute cool down swim. Velocities of 55%, 65%, and 75% of maximum were tested. The results confirmed that cool down swimming will return lactate values to near resting levels in the test interval. However, statistical superiority of any of the test velocities was not demonstrated. The intensity of the swim should be below the lactate accumulation level. The 65% of maximum velocity was felt by all swimmers to be most comfortable and is a good target velocity for the athlete to reference.

Anaerobic Threshold↗

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Isokinetic torque imbalances in the rotator cuff of the elite water polo player.

The specific repetitive activity of water polo, like baseball pitching, emphasizes adduction and internal rotation. This study used the Cybex II to evaluate the isokinetic strength of the rotator cuff in elite water polo players and in a group of control subjects. The water polo players were significantly stronger than the controls. Of greater importance was the confirmation of imbalances in the rotator cuff force couples of adduction/abduction and external/internal rotation. These changes are similar to those reported for pitchers. The adductors in the water polo group had gained in relative strength resulting in an increase in the adduction/abduction ratio to about 2:1. The internal rotators had gained in relative strength resulting in a decrease in the external/internal ratio to about 0.6:1. For both force couples the differences are more apparent at a slow speed. Side-to-side differences were not significant.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Shoulder torque changes in the swimming athlete.

Torque production was assessed in the shoulders of competitive men and women swimmers for the motions of abduction, adduction, and external and internal rotation. Testing was performed on the Cybex II dynamometer and the results were compared to controls. In addition, the ratios of torque development for adduction:abduction and external rotation:internal rotation were evaluated. The results demonstrated a statistically significant increase in torque production in swimmers for most motions tested. Statistically significant ratio shifts were also noted. The ratio of adduction:abduction increased and that for external rotation:internal rotation decreased. We think these shifts in the torque ratios in swimmers' shoulders resulted from sport-specific repetitive activity that emphasizes adduction and internal rotation.

Adolescent↗