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Trapezius activity and intramuscular balance during isokinetic exercise in overhead athletes with impingement symptoms.

We compared normalized trapezius muscle activity and intramuscular balance ratios between overhead athletes with impingement symptoms and non-injured athletes during isokinetic abduction and external rotation movements. Thirty-nine overhead athletes with chronic impingement symptoms and 30 non-injured athletes participated in the study. Electromyographic activity of upper, middle, and lower trapezius was measured during isokinetic abduction and external rotation, using surface electrodes. The results show a significant increase of upper trapezius activity during both movements in the patient group, with decreased activity in the lower trapezius during abduction, and in the middle trapezius during external rotation. Analysis of the intramuscular activity ratios revealed muscle imbalance on the injured side of the patient group for upper/middle trapezius and upper/lower trapezius during abduction, and for all three muscle activity ratios during external rotation. These results confirm the presence of scapular muscle imbalances in patients with impingement symptoms and emphasize the relevance of restoration of scapular muscle balance in shoulder rehabilitation.

Adolescent↗

Exertion injuries in female athletes.

Because sports injuries in men form most of the available statistics, the reportage of injuries in female athletes is sparse. We describe exertion injuries and disorders in 281 women athletes, all of which hampered athletic training or performances. Sixty per cent of the injuries occurred to girls ages between 12-19 years, and about forty-eight per cent were track and field athletes. The most common sites of injury were the ankle, foot, heel and leg. Osteochondritic disorders were the most typical injuries in the series, and the chronic medical tibial syndrome was the injury that needed surgical treatment most frequently. Overuse injuries seem to differ very little from each other in the events included in this survey.

Adolescent↗

Cervical muscle strength measurement in two groups of elite Greco-Roman and free style wrestlers and a group of non-athletic subjects.

BACKGROUND: Free style and Greco-Roman are two types of wrestling. [figure: see text] OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to examine the maximal isometric strength of cervical extension (ISCE) and the maximal isometric strength of cervical flexion (ISCF) in two groups of elite wrestlers and a group of non-athletic subjects. METHODS: Fourteen elite Greco-Roman wrestlers (aged 19-25 years), 16 elite free style wrestlers (aged 18-25 years), and 16 non-athletic subjects (aged 18-25 years) participated in this study. All wrestlers competed at international level with the Iranian national team. Maximum voluntary contractions (MVC) of cervical extensor and flexor muscles were measured using a custom made device. The ratios of ISCE to weight (ISCE/weight), ISCF to weight (ISCF/weight), and ISCF to ISCE (ISCF/ISCE) were calculated for group comparisons. Pearson product moment test was used to estimate correlation between maximal isometric strength measurements and anthropometric variables. A one way analysis of variance was computed to compare ISCE/weight, ISCF/weight, and ISCF/ISCE among groups. RESULTS: There was significant correlation between maximum cervical extension and flexion strengths and weight in all groups (p<0.05, n = 46). The ratios of cervical muscle strengths to weight were significantly higher in wrestlers than in non-athletic subjects (p<0.00). Greco-Roman wrestlers appeared to be stronger than free style wrestlers following comparison of all ratios. CONCLUSIONS: Neck muscle force measurements may be a useful test for athletes in combat sports like wrestling. They can be applied to identify the weakness of a group of muscles in the neck area and to devise a proper training program.

Adolescent↗

Hazard of deceptive advertising of athletic footwear.

OBJECTIVES: Athletic footwear are associated with frequent injury that are thought to result from repetitive impact. No scientific data suggest they protect well. Expensive athletic shoes are deceptively advertised to safeguard well through "cushioning impact", yet account for 123% greater injury frequency than the cheapest ones. This study tested the hypothesis that deceptive advertising creates a false sense of security with users of expensive athletic shoes, inducing attenuation of impact moderating behaviour, increased impact, and injury. METHODS: Fifteen young healthy male volunteers confronted four surfaces: a bare force moment platform, and three with this platform covered by identical shoe sole material made to appear different and advertised divergently. Advertising messages suggested superior impact absorption and protection (deceptive message), poor impact absorption and high injury risk (warning message), and unknown impact absorption and safety (neutral message). Ground reaction forces were recorded for 10 barefoot footfalls, according to a protocol requiring stepping forward from perch to a surface 4.5 cm below. RESULTS: Impact varied as a function of advertising message (p < 0.001). Deceptive message equalled neutral message in eliciting higher impact than the warning message and the bare platform. Differences grew with repetitions (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide a plausible mechanism explaining higher injury frequency in users of expensive athletic shoes. This is the first report to suggest: (1) deceptive advertising of protective devices may represent a public health hazard and may have to be eliminated presumably through regulation; (2) a tendency in humans to be less cautious when using new devices of unknown benefit because of overly positive attitudes associated with new technology and novel devices.

Adult↗

Elastic stable intramedullary nailing of midclavicular fractures in athletes.

BACKGROUND: Intramedullary fixation of midclavicular fractures may be a better option than non-operative treatment for high performance/professional athletes because of the potential reduction in recovery time. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effectiveness of intramedullary fixation in high performance athletes and the time required to return to sporting activity. METHODS: Data were taken from a prospective study on intramedullary fixation techniques using the elastic stable Ti nail (TEN, Synthes) for the treatment of displaced midclavicular fractures, initiated in 1996. The patients in 12 cases were classified as high performance/professional athletes. These cases were used to evaluate the technique specifically in this population. Fractures were classified according to the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) system. Patients were evaluated before and after surgery for shoulder function and subjective pain. After the operation, radiological assessments documented fracture healing, and clinical outcomes scores were obtained. Time required to return to training and competition was documented. RESULTS: All fractures were transverse or oblique. Mean (SD) shoulder abduction increased from 36.3 (8) degrees before surgery to 154.2 (17) degrees afterwards (p<0.001). Mean subjective pain score using a visual analogue scale (0-100) decreased from 71.7 (18) points before surgery to 19.2 (6) points (p<0.001) three days after. There were no complications. Hospital stay averaged 2.9 (1) days. Mean delay to resumption of training was 5.9 (1) days, and to resumption of competition it was 16.8 (5) days. The mean Constant clinical outcomes score one year after hardware removal was 98.3 (2) points. CONCLUSIONS: Intramedullary fixation of displaced midclavicular fracture was successful in terms of clinical outcome and rapid resumption of sporting activities. This treatment should be offered to athletes as an alternative to non-operative treatment.

Adolescent↗

Lesions of the symphysis in athletes.

In a radiological study of the pubic symphysis in 37 athletes (26 footballers and 11 others) and 156 young men as controls changes similar to those of osteitis pubis were found in 19 (76%) of the footballers and nine of the other athletes (81%) and 70 of the controls (45%). In the controls there was a significant correlation between their athletic ability and these changes.The clinical features consist of pain in the region of the pubis which may radiate to the groin or lower abdomen. Clicking may be present and indicates instability. Local tenderness is the only significant sign. Radiographs may show a combination of marginal irregularity, reactive sclerosis, and instability.A chronic stress lesion in the iliac component of a sacro-iliac joint was found in 20 out of 37 athletes, and 13 of them had instability at the pubic symphysis.It is concluded that repeated minor trauma is the primary aetiological factor. Though the radiological appearance may resemble that of osteitis pubis, there was no evidence that infection caused the lesion in this series. Spontaneous remission of symptoms is the most likely outcome. Rest from physical exertion is the most effective treatment, and stabilization of the pubic symphysis is indicated only rarely.

Adolescent↗

Secondary cleft sign as a marker of injury in athletes with groin pain: MR image appearance and interpretation.

PURPOSE: To determine whether the secondary cleft sign demonstrated in the symphysis pubis at magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a marker of injury in athletes presenting with groin pain. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ethics review board approval was not required for studies involving retrospective image or case record review; informed consent for review was not required. Eighteen male athletes (mean age, 24 years; age range, 19-32 years) were included for study. All patients underwent radiography and MR imaging (coronal fast spin-echo T1-weighted, transverse fast spin-echo T2-weighted, and coronal turbo short inversion time inversion-recovery [STIR] imaging) of the pelvis. Subsequent image-guided nonionic contrast material injection was followed by a 0.5% bupivacaine hydrochloride (1 mL) and methyprednisolone acetate (20 mg) injection into the central cleft of the symphysis pubis. Comparison was made between imaging findings at symphyseal cleft injection and appearances at preprocedure MR imaging, with specific reference to the presence of a secondary cleft. The sensitivity and specificity of MR imaging in demonstrating the secondary cleft sign were compared with those of the reference standard, imaging at symphyseal cleft injection. MR images from a reference group of 70 asymptomatic athletes who underwent STIR imaging of the pelvis were analyzed for evidence of a secondary cleft. RESULTS: Osteitis pubis was diagnosed in six patients on the basis of radiography and/or MR imaging. A secondary cleft was identified in 12 of 18 patients at MR imaging, was best visualized at coronal STIR imaging, and was confirmed in each patient during contrast material injection into the central physiologic symphyseal cleft. In no patient was a secondary cleft identified at symphyseal cleft injection and not identified at MR imaging (sensitivity and specificity, 100%). In each patient, the side of the secondary cleft corresponded to the side of symptoms that responded to local anesthetic and steroid injection. Four of the six patients with osteitis pubis had evidence of a secondary cleft. In one patient, a secondary cleft was not identified at MR imaging or symphyseal cleft injection, but adductor avulsion was identified at MR imaging. No evidence of a secondary cleft sign at MR imaging was identified in the reference group. CONCLUSION: The secondary cleft sign demonstrated at MR imaging is a marker of groin injury in athletes presenting with groin pain.

Adult↗

The prevalence of spondylolysis in the Spanish elite athlete.

The diagnosis of spondylolysis is a major cause of concern for patients and their families, especially when the patients are young athletes with promising futures in their sports. In this study, 3152 case histories of high-level athletes were evaluated to determine which sports had a higher prevalence of spondylolysis. The overall percentage of spondylolysis among athletes in this study (8.02%) was not very much higher than that among the general population, which varies between 3% and 7%. However, when each sport was considered separately we found much higher values for some sports, with the highest percentages occurring in throwing sports (26.67%), artistic gymnastics (16.96%), and rowing (16.88%). The analysis of the biomechanical movements involved in the sports with greater prevalence of spondylolysis has led us to include the element of torsion against resistance as another possible causative factor for spondylolysis that should be added to the already known causative mechanisms, lumbar hyperextension and rotation. We have divided the sports into three risk groups according to the prevalence of spondylolysis shown and the characteristics of the sample, and we recommend systematic radiological examination of the lumbar spine in athletes considered to be at greater risk of developing spondylolysis.

Adolescent↗

Inferior capsular shift procedure in athletes with multidirectional instability based on isolated capsular and ligamentous redundancy.

Twenty-five athletes (26 shoulders) who underwent an inferior capsular shift procedure for multidirectional glenohumeral instability based on isolated capsular and ligamentous redundancy were evaluated at a median of 54 months (range, 25 to 113) after the operation. Twenty-one athletes (84%) returned to their preinjury activity level at a median of 5 months after surgery. Of 21 athletes involved in sports using overhead motions, 16 (76%) returned to their previous sport after the operation, and 12 (57%) were still active in this sport at the preinjury level at follow-up. According to the Rowe score, 23 shoulders (88%) were excellent or good. The University of California at Los Angeles score for 24 shoulders (92%) was excellent or good. The operations on two shoulders (8%) failed. One patient had a spontaneous redislocation, and one had recurrent subluxations. Nine contralateral shoulders had a history of significant instability; four of these had undergone Bankart repair. We concluded that athletes who have multidirectional instability based on isolated capsular and ligamentous redundancy can be successfully treated by an inferior capsular shift preserving the subscapularis tendon insertion. We found a high rate of return to demanding upper extremity sports in our patients, range of motion was restored in the majority of shoulders, and the failure rate after a median of 54 months was acceptable.

Adolescent↗

Refracture of proximal fifth metatarsal (Jones) fracture after intramedullary screw fixation in athletes.

This study details six instances of refracture of clinically and radiographically healed fractures of the base of the fifth metatarsal after intramedullary screw fixation. Four professional football players, one college basketball player, and one recreational athlete underwent intramedullary screw fixation of fifth metatarsal fractures. The athletes were released to full activities an average of 8.5 weeks (range, 5.5 to 12) after fixation, when healing was clinically and radiographically documented. Three football players developed refracture within 1 day of return to full activity. The other three athletes refractured at 2.5, 4, and 4.5 months after return to activity. Two football players underwent repeat fixation with larger screws and returned to play in the same season. The college basketball player underwent bone grafting and returned to play in subsequent seasons. The other three athletes underwent nonoperative management and healed uneventfully over 6 to 8 weeks. On the basis of this series, we recommend that 1) screw fixation using a large-diameter screw should be given careful consideration for patients with large body mass for whom early return to activity is important; 2) functional bracing, shoe modification, or an orthosis should be considered for return to play; 3) if refracture occurs, exchange to a larger screw may allow return to play in the same season; and 4) alternative imaging should be considered to help document complete healing.

Adult↗

Hip and groin injuries in athletes.

Although athletic injuries about the hip and groin occur less commonly than injuries in the extremities, they can result in extensive rehabilitation time. Thus, an accurate diagnosis and well-organized treatment plan are critical. Because loads of up to eight times body weight have been demonstrated in the hip joint during jogging, presumably even greater loads can occur during vigorous athletic competition. The available imaging modalities are effective diagnostic tools when selected on the basis of a thorough history and physical examination. Considerable controversy exists as to the cause and optimal treatment of groin pain in athletes, or the so-called "sports hernia." There has also been significant recent attention focused on intraarticular lesions that may be amenable to hip arthroscopy. This article briefly reviews several common hip and groin conditions affecting athletic patients and highlights some newer topics.

Acetabulum↗

Classification, investigation, and management of midfoot sprains: Lisfranc injuries in the athlete.

BACKGROUND: Midfoot sprains in athletes represent a spectrum of injuries to the Lisfranc ligament complex, from partial sprains with no displacement to complete tears with frank diastasis. Treatment of these injuries varies from the treatment of high-velocity injuries seen in nonathletes. PURPOSE: We wanted to report the outcome of treatment in athletes with Lisfranc injuries classified according to our system. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Weightbearing radiographs and bone scintigrams were used to diagnose midfoot sprains in 15 athletes who were treated surgically or nonoperatively according to the following classification: nonoperative management for stage I injuries (undisplaced) and anatomic reduction with fixation for stage II (diastasis with no arch height loss) and stage III (diastasis with arch height loss) injuries. RESULTS: We achieved an excellent outcome in 93% of 15 athletes with midfoot sprains at an average follow-up of 27 months (range, 9 to 72). CONCLUSIONS: Weightbearing radiographs and bone scintigrams are sensitive, reproducible, and relatively inexpensive methods of investigation of these injuries. Restoration and maintenance of the anatomic alignment of the Lisfranc joint is the key to appropriate treatment of injury to the midfoot.

Adolescent↗

Elbow injuries in throwing athletes: a current concepts review.

Repetitive overhead throwing imparts high valgus and extension loads to the athlete's elbow, often leading to either acute or chronic injury or progressive structural change. Tensile force is applied to the medial stabilizing structures with compression on the lateral compartment and shear stress posteriorly. Common injuries encountered in the throwing elbow include ulnar collateral ligament tears, ulnar neuritis, flexor-pronator muscle strain or tendinitis, medial epicondyle apophysitis or avulsion, valgus extension overload syndrome with olecranon osteophytes, olecranon stress fractures, osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum, and loose bodies. Knowledge of the anatomy and function of the elbow complex, along with an understanding of throwing biomechanics, is imperative to properly diagnose and treat the throwing athlete. Recent advantages in arthroscopic surgical techniques and ligament reconstruction in the elbow have improved the prognosis for return to competition for the highly motivated athlete. However, continued overhead throwing often results in subsequent injury and symptom recurrence in the competitive athlete.

Athletic Injuries↗

Magnetic resonance imaging of the asymptomatic shoulder of overhead athletes: a 5-year follow-up study.

BACKGROUND: Although several studies have described magnetic resonance imaging findings in shoulders of asymptomatic volunteers, no such investigation has been performed on asymptomatic dominant and nondominant shoulders of elite overhead athletes. HYPOTHESIS: Asymptomatic dominant shoulders of elite overhead athletes may have a higher incidence of magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities than either their nondominant shoulder or shoulders of asymptomatic volunteers. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Detailed magnetic resonance imaging scans of asymptomatic dominant and nondominant shoulders of elite overhead athletes were obtained. Three experienced musculoskeletal radiologists interpreted each scan for multiple variables, including rotator cuff appearance. Images from a surgical control group were intermixed to assess accuracy and control for observer bias. A 5-year follow-up interview was performed to determine whether magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities found in the initial stage of the study represented truly clinical false-positive findings or symptomatic shoulders in evolution. RESULTS: Eight of 20 (40%) dominant shoulders had findings consistent with partial- or full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff as compared with none (0%) of the nondominant shoulders. Five of 20 (25%) dominant shoulders had magnetic resonance imaging evidence of Bennett's lesions compared with none (0%) of the nondominant shoulders. None of the athletes interviewed 5 years later had any subjective symptoms or had required any evaluation or treatment for shoulder-related problems during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Magnetic resonance imaging alone should not be used as a basis for operative intervention in this patient population.

Adult↗

Effectiveness of a neuromuscular and proprioceptive training program in preventing anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes: 2-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Among female athletes it has not been established whether a neuromuscular and proprioceptive sports-specific training program will consistently reduce the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injuries. PURPOSE: To determine whether a neuromuscular and proprioceptive performance program was effective in decreasing the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury within a select population of competitive female youth soccer players. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: In 2000, 1041 female subjects from 52 teams received a sports-specific training intervention in a prospective non-randomized trial. The control group consisted of the remaining 1905 female soccer players from 95 teams participating in the same league who were age and skill matched. In the 2001 season, 844 female athletes from 45 teams were enrolled in the study, with 1913 female athletes (from 112 teams) serving as the age- and skill-matched controls. All subjects were female soccer players between the ages of 14 and 18 and participated in either their traditional warm-up or a sports-specific training intervention before athletic activity over a 2-year period. The intervention consisted of education, stretching, strengthening, plyometrics, and sports-specific agility drills designed to replace the traditional warm-up. RESULTS: During the 2000 season, there was an 88% decrease in anterior cruciate ligament injury in the enrolled subjects compared to the control group. In year 2, during the 2001 season, there was a 74% reduction in anterior cruciate ligament tears in the intervention group compared to the age- and skill-matched controls. CONCLUSION: Using a neuromuscular training program may have a direct benefit in decreasing the number of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female soccer players.

Adolescent↗

Recalcitrant patellar tendinosis in elite athletes: surgical treatment in conjunction with aggressive postoperative rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: Recalcitrant patellar tendinosis is difficult to treat, and results are varied. HYPOTHESIS: Surgical removal of necrotic tissue, surgical stimulation of remaining tendon, and aggressive and specific rehabilitation after patellar tendonectomy will allow athletes to return to sports. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: From December 1996 to July 2002, 16 high-level athletes (4 professional, 2 Olympic, 9 collegiate, 1 preparatory), aged 16 to 25 years (mean, 19.7 years), with 22 symptomatic patellar tendons had failed nonoperative care of their patellar tendinosis symptoms and were unable to compete effectively in their sports. Magnetic resonance imaging showed confirmation of disease, with typical findings being necrosis in the posterior half of an abnormally thick patellar tendon, often in conjunction with partial tearing of the posterior half with a compensatory enlargement of the anterior half. Each patient then underwent tendonectomy of the necrotic portion in conjunction with stimulation of the remaining tendon by making multiple longitudinal cuts in the tendon. Patients participated in a postoperative rehabilitation protocol that included immediate range of motion, full flexion, and immediate high-repetition, low-resistance quadriceps muscle exercise. RESULTS: Subjective improvement was noted in all athletes. Return to the same sport at prior level of intensity was accomplished by 14 of 16 patients (87.5%) at a mean of 8.1 months (range, 3-12 months). CONCLUSION: Overall, tendonectomy, surgical tendon stimulation, and aggressive postoperative rehabilitation were found to be a safe, effective way to return high-level athletes to their sports.

Adolescent↗

Injury prediction in the young athlete: a preliminary report.

Joint flexibility and laxity as measured by 5 indices among 2,300 West Point cadets demonstrated no statistical relationship to joint injuries, or the need for surgical intervention resulting from injuries sustained in general athletic competition involving the ankle, knee, shoulder, or elbow. Similarly, no relationships were seen in a high school and collegiate football team. Parameters of flexibility vary significantly among different athletic population groups as related to age, sex, and type of athletic activity in which the individual is participating. In that part of the study conducted during the 1975 football season, the 16PF showed some potential for predicting injuries. However, stronger relationships between predictor and criterion variables must be established in the future before injury predisposition counseling is a possibility. Hopefully, continuing study will bring this into being and will extend to younger and younger individuals and other population groups. This would facilitate the development of an injury profile index to assist in the counseling of athletes into sports where their individual traits are protective and beneficial, rather than detrimental.

Athletic Injuries↗

Migraine precipitated by head trauma in athletes.

Three members of a university football team were evaluated because of migraine symptoms precipitated by head trauma. Analysis of the clinical data from these cases, as well as eight previously reported in athletes, reveals that the head trauma is usually minor and not associated with amnesia; and, after a symptom-free interval most often of several minutes, visual, motor, sensory, or brainstem signs and symptoms begin. These usually last for approximately 15 to 30 min and are followed by headache frequently accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In 9 of 11 cases, attacks have occurred with subsequent head trauma. Only 4 of the 11 athletes admitted to spontaneous episodes, however, the incidence may be higher since they have not been followed by a sufficient period of time. Prophylaxis with antimigrainous drugs does not appear to be indicated. The decision as to future participation in contact sports is based primarily on the results of a thorough neurologic evaluation. The possible long-term sequela of this apparent "benign" condition, particularly in those athletes with repeated episodes, is not known since the entity has only recently been recognized. A migraine attack occurring in the course of an athletic event, particularly contact sports, can simulate a serious neurologic emergency. Despite its frequency in the general population and a propensity for onset in the first three decades of life, migraine has not been appreciated in the past as a possible significant sports medicine problem.

Adolescent↗