bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Muscle imbalance among elite athletes
Authors: Franettovich M , Hides J , Mendis M D , Littleworth H
Published: March 2011

Background

Previous research in team sports, such as football and cricket, has found muscle imbalances in the lumbo-pelvic region, especially in muscles involved in joint stability and protection. It is thought that these muscle imbalances occur as a result of the specific requirements of the sport. However, this pattern of muscular imbalance may not be isolated to team sports and may potentially exist in elite athletes performing Olympic sports.

Objective

To investigate similarities in patterns of muscle imbalance among elite athletes performing team and individual sports.

Design

Comparative case studies.

Setting

MRI examinations were carried out in a hospital setting.

Participants

Elite athletes participating in a range of team and individual sports including cycling, heptathlon, marathon and skeleton racing.

Main outcome measurements

Muscle cross-sectional areas (CSA) of individual muscles of the trunk and pelvic region.

Results

CSA of the trunk muscles show variation across muscle groups but evidence of imbalance within these groups.

Conclusion

Muscle imbalances exist in a wide range of athletes performing at the elite level and may be related to injury occurrence. Identification of the pattern of imbalance for different sports will enable muscle specific rehabilitation.
Preventing lower extremity sport injury through a high intensity neuromuscular training program in a junior high school setting
Authors: Richmond S , Emery C A , Doyle-Baker P K , Nettel-Aguirre A
Published: March 2011

Background

Neuromuscular training programs have shown to decrease injury rates in sport specific domains; however, there is limited research in non-sport populations.

Objective

Examine the effectiveness of reducing sport injury through a high intensity, neuromuscular training program aimed at school youth.

Design

Pilot, randomised controlled trial. Participants were randomised by school, to either intervention or control programs in year one. Year two, the intervention program was implemented in the control school.

Setting

Physical education (PE) classes.

Participants

725 (year one) and 314 (year two) consenting participants aged 11–15.

Intervention

Intervention group completed a 15 min, high intensity, neuromuscular training warm-up, three times per week for 12 weeks. The control group warm-up was the same duration, with standard of care components.

Main outcome measurements

Sport injury, defined as any sport injury that required medical attention, and/or cessation of the activity, and/or time loss from sport. Secondary outcomes; aerobic fitness (VO2maximum (ml/kg/min), vertical jump (cm) and balance (s).

Results

Incidence rate ratios (IRR), adjusted for clustering by class, previous injury and exposure hours, estimated the intervention program was protective of all sport injury (IRR=0.29 (95% CI 0.18 to 0.46)), lower extremity injury (IRR=0.30 (95% CI 0.17 to 0.53)), and time loss injury (IRR=0.43 (95% CI 0.20 to 0.94)). The intervention group showed greater improvement in aerobic fitness (2.14 ml/kg/min (95% CI 1.17 to 2.59)) (t=-3.86, p=0.0001) and vertical jump (4.16 cm (95% CI 3.65 to 4.66)) (t=-3.67, p=0.0003) compared to the control group. No statistical differences were detected in balance measures.

Conclusions

A neuromuscular training program implemented in PE classes was protective of all sport injury, lower extremity injury and time loss injury. Results pertaining to year two will be determined and presented.
Non-invasive measurement of local intratendinous strain using dynamic ultrasound an ex vivo validation experiment in a porcine patellar tendon
Authors: Geukens L , Fukagawa S , Scheys L , Labey L , Suetens P , Bellemans J , Peers K
Published: March 2011

Background

Eccentric exercises have proven to be an effective management option and prevention strategy in tendon overuse injuries (a challenging sport pathology). However, till date, these exercise protocols are undifferentiated and certainly don't take subregional stress and strain differences, which have frequently been mentioned as important etiological factors, in account. Knowledge on these biomechanical parameters, obtained by in vivo experiments, could optimise the exercise protocols.

Objective

The present experiment evaluates the feasibility of automatic, intensity-based, spatio-temporal elastic registration for non-invasive local strain measurement by speckle tracking on dynamic ultrasound movies.

Methods

An isolated porcine patellar tendon (tendon length of 60 mm) with bone parts at each side was placed in a loading frame with an ultrasound transducer orientated along the long axis of the tendon. Ultrasound recordings were made while the tendon was cyclically loaded at two different velocities (1 mm/s and 2 mm/s) and three different displacements (1.5 mm, 3 mm and 5 mm). Afterwards a precalibrated strain-gauge extensometer was inserted in the central 2.5 cm of the tendon and the same loading scheme was applied while recording ultrasound movies. The movies were processed, based on non-rigid elastic registration and speckle tracking, and these results were compared with the extensometer data.

Results

Ultrasound strain values were comparable to extensometer strain data in four measurements (a- velocity 1.0 mm/s, displacement 1.5 mm: 0.8% strain difference; b- velocity 1.0 mm/s, displacement 3.0 mm: 0.6% strain difference; c- velocity 1.0 mm/s displacement 5.0 mm: 0.7% strain difference; d- velocity 2.0 mm/s, displacement 1.5 mm: strain difference 0.1%) resulting in a mean strain difference of 0.55%. The measurements at velocity 2 mm/s and 3.00 and 5.00 mm displacement were left out because of poor tracking in these recordings due to more out of plane movement.

Conclusion

It seems feasible to obtain comparable strain values between extensometer measurements and speckle tracking on non-invasive ultrasound recordings.
The prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in runners: a systematic review
Authors: Junior L C Hespanhol , Carvalho A C A , Costa L O P , Lopes A D
Published: March 2011

Background

The number of runners worldwide is large and still growing, and in the last 30 years the number of publications on running-related injuries has grown substantially. Many of these studies indicate the total rate of injuries and the most frequently injured body parts, but it is not describe what the injuries are.

Objective

To summarise the literature that focused on the most prevalent musculoskeletal running-related injuries.

Design

A systematic review.

Setting

The articles are related with long-distance runners without restriction of competitive level.

Interventions

Searches were performed on MEDLINE, PEDro, LILACS and SCIELO. The keywords and operands used were: sport AND injuries AND running. There was no restriction with regards to the publication date. This search is updated up to September 2010.

Main outcome measurements

We extracted the following data from the selected papers: year of publication, authors, purpose of the study, study population characteristics, study design, which musculoskeletal running-related injuries was more frequent and the anatomical location of these injuries.

Results

Of 2043 found studies, 1767 were excluded by title, 153 were excluded after reading the abstract and 114 were excluded after reading the full report. Nine articles were considered eligible and therefore were included. The five most frequently running-related injuries found in the retrieved nine studies were the Patellofemoral Syndrome, Achilles Tendinopathy, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, Plantar Fasciitis and Tibial Stress Syndrome. The remaining injuries did not have their frequency sets well established.

Conclusion

The most frequent running-related injury among long distance runners are the Patellofemoral Syndrome, followed by Achilles Tendinopathy, Iliotibial Band Syndrome and Plantar Fasciitis. We suggest that more prospective follow-up studies should be conducted and present their data through scoring injury per hours of running exposure.
Accident prevention in recreational alpine skiing: how good is the familiarity about the fis-regulations?
Authors: Hildebrandt C , Mildner E , Höbenreich C , Raschner C
Published: March 2011

Background

The conduct of participants in snow sport depends on the knowledge of the existing rules. Accidents can be avoided if there is sufficient familiarity with the skier's code published by the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Objective

We aimed to find out the knowledge of the FIS regulations, the intuitive behaviour in given situations and the general sense of security on ski slopes dependent on age, skiing ability and origin.

Design

Prospective, randomly survey.

Setting

recreational alpine skiers in 17 Tyrolean ski resorts.

Participants

1450 recreational skiers were interviewed. More than 95% agreed to answer the questionnaire.

Interventions

Interviews were conducted during the winter season 2008/2009 assessing personal data, knowledge about existing rules and the general perception of safety.

Main outcome measurements

The knowledge of existing rules on the ski slope.

Results

A total of 75.0% were aware that rules exist, 33.9% knew that they are termed FIS-Rules. 10.7% thought that no rules exist on the ski slope and 14.3% had no opinion. Young skiers (p=0.000) and beginners (p=0.001) possessed the least knowledge whereas local residents (p=0.000) and experts evidenced the best knowledge. Several risk-carrying situations were assessed incorrectly by a high percentage. 29.8% think that stopping on the slope is possible without any restrictions and 22.1% assume that they have priority when moving upwards. A low skiing ability seems to have the biggest influence.

Conclusion

The present study revealed that beginners, young skiers and non-local residents had insufficient knowledge. Ski resorts and schools should target these high-risk groups. Better awareness of the FIS-Rules is possible with media campaigns.
Effects of anterior cruciate ligament injury prevention program on lower extremity alignment, isokinetic muscle strength and electromyographic activity
Authors: Hosokawa T , Sato K , Mitsueda S , Umehara H , Hidume K , Okada T , Kanisawa I , Tsuchiya A , Takahashi K , Sakai H
Published: March 2011

Background

Previous studies have suggested that increased valgus knee motion and decreased hamstring/quadriceps (H/Q) ratios can be risk factors of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.

Objective

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of an ACL injury prevention program on these risk factors.

Design

Randomised controlled trial.

Setting

The evaluation was performed in a rehabilitation laboratory.

Participants

23 healthy females with no history of leg injuries participated in this study. They were randomly allocated to the intervention group (13 subjects) and the control group (10 subjects).

Intervention

An ACL injury prevention program modified from previous studies was used with the intervention group for 6 weeks.

Main outcome measurements

All subjects performed a drop vertical jump from a 30 cm high box at pre and post training to assess knee alignment and the knee separation distances normalised by the hip separation distances (K/H ratio). Measurements were obtained from video data and these were used as parameters. Surface electromyography (EMG) data were analyzed to assess muscle activation of the vastus medialis, vastus lateralis, semitendinosus, and biceps femoris for 50 ms immediately after initial ground contact. Isokinetic peak torque of knee extension and flexion at 60°/s were measured to calculate H/Q ratios.

Results

The K/H ratio and the H/Q ratio significantly increased in the intervention groups (K/H ratio: 44.7% to 56.2%; H/Q ratio: 47.8% to 51.2%; p<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in EMG activity. No parameters showed significant changes in the control group.

Conclusion

This study suggests that the ACL injury prevention program is useful to decrease risk factors such as valgus knee motion and H/Q ratio.
The swedish athletics study: annual incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in élite athletics athletes
Authors: Jacobsson J , Timpka T , Ekberg J , Kowalski J , Nilsson S , Renström P
Published: March 2011

Background

Athletics is one of the most popular global sports, but also one of the most demanding with regard to human physical capacities. There are few prospective epidemiological studies available on athletic injury in populations of élite athletes.

Objective

To describe annual injury incidence rates among adult and youth elite athletics athletes.

Design

Prospective cohort study using web-based data collection.

Setting

Swedish élite youth (U17) and adult athletics athletes. Data were collected between March 2009 and March 2010.

Participants

293 youth and adult athletes (97%) responded regularly to web-based questionnaires from an eligible study population of 301 athletes.

Assessment of risk factors

Athlete's sex, age, event group, and athletics activity were assessed as risk factors.

Main outcome measures

Annual incidence of musculoskeletal injuries causing partial or complete absence from practice and competition.

Results

The overall annual injury incidence among the participating athletes was 76%. There were no statistically significant differences in annual injury incidence between adult male (81%) and female (76%) or youth male (77%) and female (71%) athletes. Neither was there any statistically significant differences in annual injury incidence between the event groups (Throw 75%; Jump 78%; Multi-event 65%; Middle and long distance running 79%; Sprint 76%). 80% of the injuries occurred during practice and the remaining during competitions.

Conclusion

Only one out of four Swedish élite athletic athletes are able to complete a season without sustaining at least one performance-limiting injury. The vast majority of the injuries are sustained during practice. There is an urgent need for prospective studies of risk factors related to practices regimes that can be used to inform injury prevention programs in athletics.
The canadian best practices portal for health promotion and chronic disease prevention: a place to go for program planning in injury prevention in sport
Authors: Jetha N , Volpe R , Gagné H , Renaud A , Campbell J
Published: March 2011

Background

While participation in sports contributes to health and well being, it also increases risk for injury in both amateur and professional athletes. Consequently, the prevention of sport injuries ranks relatively high on the public health agenda. The Portal provides program planners with information needed to plan, implement and evaluate interventions.

Objective

To share the outcome of a partnership between the Portal and the Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation designed to increase the number of best practices available in the prevention of sport injuries on the Portal.

Design

Information about each best practice is compiled into an annotation summary for the Portal. These summaries link to program resources and tools, and outline features of the interventions such as strategies and theories.

Setting

The best practices focus on a range programs that include bicycling, equestrian, ATV, snowmobile, snowboarding, football, rugby, hunting, and diving activities. Many of these sport-related interventions are delivered at sport facilities, while others are home-based or school-based.

Participants

The Portal's primary audiences are decision makers in health promotion, public health and chronic disease prevention, and non-government and voluntary organisation program coordinators.

Interventions

The Portal contains approximately 15 interventions related to prevention of injury in sports. A few examples of these interventions will be discussed in the presentation.

Main outcome measurements

All interventions housed on the Portal have been evaluated, shown to be successful, and have the potential to be adapted and replicated by other health practitioners working in similar fields.

Results

The Portal is a place for program planners to get evidence-based best practices related to injury prevention in sports, which results in better program planning.

Conclusions

This presentation will provide a better understanding of the purpose of the Portal and of the scope of sport injury prevention information that can be found there.
The effect of a lace-up ankle brace on ankle injury rates in adolescent basketball players
Authors: McGuine T , Brooks A , Hetzel S
Published: March 2011

Background

It is widely accepted by many adolescent basketball players and their coaches that wearing a lace-up ankle brace will reduce the incidence of acute ankle injuries. To date there have been no prospective studies to determine if lace-up ankle braces reduce the incidence of ankle injuries in adolescent basketball players.

Objectives

To determine whether a lace-up ankle brace reduces the incidence and severity of acute ankle injuries sustained by adolescent basketball players during one season.

Design

Prospective randomised controlled study using stratified cluster (school) randomisation.

Participants

1460 adolescent male and female (age 13–18) basketball players from 46 USA high schools.

Intervention

Lace-up ankle brace.

Main outcome measures

(1) Rate and incidence of acute ankle injuries, (2) Ankle injury severity (days lost from participation). Injury rates were estimated using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and compared between the intervention and control group using a log-rank test. The Cox Proportional Hazards model was utilised to examine the relationship between injury rate and ankle bracing while controlling for covariate. Injury severity was compared using the Wilcoxon Rank-Sum test.

Results

The acute ankle injury rate (per 1000 exposures) was 1.41 in the control group, compared to 0.47 in the braced group. 75 controls (10.4%) sustained an acute ankle injury, compared to 26 athletes (3.5%) in the braced group (Cox HR 0.31, 95% CI 0.20 to 0.49). Lace-up ankle braces reduced the number of injuries in athletes with (HR 0.35, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.71) and without (HR 0.30, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.53) history of previous ankle injury. There was no difference (p=0.223) in the median number of days lost (braced group=5, controls=6).

Conclusion

Lace-up ankle braces reduced the incidence of acute ankle injuries in male and female adolescent basketball players, independent of previous injury status.
Motion analysis of a single-limb squat with resistance
Authors: Kimura Y , Koyanagi M , Tanaka N , Nakae N , Ogawa T , Mukai K
Published: March 2011

Background

The activity of the gluteal muscles is important in preventing external valgus moment of the knee, which is a major factor in anterior cruciate ligament injury. Therefore, for the prevention of external valgus moment of the knee, we devised the resistive lateral leg reach exercise (RLLR), a single-limb squat with resistance which increases the load placed on the gluteal muscles.

Objective

This study investigated the biomechanical and electromyographic characteristics of the support leg during RLLR by comparison to those during the lateral leg reach exercise (LLR), which is similar to RLLR but with no resistance applied.

Design

Quasi-experimental study.

Setting

Controlled research laboratory.

Participants

10 asymptomatic male college students.

Interventions

A 3D motion capture system and force plate were used to perform motion analysis. Surface electrodes recorded Electromyography activity at each muscle site (gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, rectus femoris, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, adductor magnus) during the exercises.

Main outcome measurements

External knee valgus/varus moment and internal hip abduction/adduction moment of the support leg were calculated using a software suite. EMG root mean squared amplitude was normalised to a percentage of maximum voluntary contraction (%MVC).

Results

RLLR was characterised by a significantly larger internal hip abduction moment (43.7±16.0 Nm) and larger gluteus maximus activity (141±109%MVC) than those observed during LLR (26.1±12.7 Nm, 81±52%MVC, respectively).External knee valgus moment almost did not occur through the motion in RLLR, but did occur during LLR (12.6±9.0 Nm).

Conclusion

RLLR serves to increase the load on the gluteal muscles and can be effective for the prevention of external knee valgus moment. It appears to be a promising exercise to prevent anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and to use in rehabilitation training after ACL reconstruction.
Overweight – a risk factor of overuse injuries in children? the childhood health, activity and motor performance school study – a 3-year controlled intervention study
Authors: Klakk H , Jespersen E , Wedderkopp N
Published: March 2011

Background

Increased adiposity is a well-recognised risk factor for tendon injuries in adults. The mechanisms could be excess biomechanical load and/or the low inflammatory condition caused by excess body fat. The issue has not been investigated in children.

Objective

To investigate if children (aged 8–12) with elevated body mass index (BMI) or total body fat% (TBF%) and/or abdominal fat% (AF%) experience more overuse injuries than ‘normal’ children, taking into account sport participation and physical activity.

Design

A whole body DEXA scan was used to measure TBF% and AF% in 614 schoolchildren (aged 8–12). Standard anthropometric methods were used to measure waist circumference, weight and height. Physical activity was measured using the MTI accelerometer GT3. Complaints, injuries and sport participation were reported by answering text messages on a weekly basis (SMS-track). If an injury was reported, the child was seen and evaluated by a clinician (physiotherapist, chiropractor or orthopaedic surgeon), and clinical evaluation using ultrasound or MRI was performed when necessary, only diagnosed injuries were included.

Main outcome measurements

The primary outcome measures are the number and duration of diagnosed overuse injuries and the impact of BMI, TBF%/AF% will be analysed using cox regression for recurrent events as described by Wei, L. J., D. Y. Lin, and L. Weissfeld. 1989. The analyses will be adjusted for age, sport participation and objectively measured physical activity.

Results and Conclusion

Results and conclusion from 2 years follow-up will be reported at the conference.
Quality of reporting of randomised controlled trials – an analysis of the world congress of sports injury prevention in 2005 and 2008
Authors: Knobloch K , Yoon U
Published: March 2011

Background

Reporting quality of clinical trials has been addressed by the CONSORT group for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) first in 1996 with updates in 2001 and 2010.

Objective

We hypothesised that the quality of reporting in sports injury prevention abstracts has increased from 2005 to 2008 as did the amount of RCTs at the 1st versus 2nd World Congress of Sports Injury Prevention in Oslo vesus Tromsø.

Design

Analysis of the published abstracts of the 2005 and 2008 World Conference on Sports Injury Prevention, two independent analysts.

Setting

154 abstracts from the 2005 and 186 abstracts from 2008 World Conferences were analysed.

Main outcome measures

Evidence-based study design, scores of 17 CONSORT criteria for RCT.

Results

RCTs were published in 9.1% in 2005 versus 10.2% in 2008 (p=0.727) of all published abstracts. Improvement in reporting was evident for RCTs in the CONSORT score 5.8±0.9 versus 8.6±2.9 (p=0.001, CI −4.29 to −1.43). Detailed description of main outcomes demonstrated the most significant improvement in reporting in the abstracts of RCTs (0% vs 57.9%, p<0.001). Study design mentioned in the title, trial design, participants, blinding, number analysed, outcome and funding tended to but did not improve significantly in the reporting RCTs in conference abstracts. No improvement at all over the 3 years was noted for reporting quality of the title randomised, authors, intervention, objectives/hypothesis, randomisation, numbers randomised, recruitment, and number analysed, harms and trial registration.

Conclusion

While the percentage of published RCTs in abstracts at the World Congress of Sports Injury Prevention remained mainly unchanged, improvement in reporting of abstracts was evident from 2005 to 2008 determined by CONSORT criteria. Further substantial and comprehensive use of the recently updated CONSORT 2010 criteria might further increase the quality of reporting of sports injury conference RCTs in the future and should be endorsed.
Effectiveness of injury prevention programs in female youth soccer: a systematic review
Authors: Lerch C , Cordes M , Baumeister J
Published: March 2011

Introduction

There is growing evidence on the higher vulnerability of the knee in young female soccer players. In adult female soccer populations injury prevention programs had demonstrated positive effects on injury incidence. Beside this functional component it is not only common sense but neuroscientific knowledge from motor learning studies that exercises which include a playful and joyful character are more suitable for young people and may support an enduring effect of prevention.

Purpose

The aim of the study was (1) to assess the effectiveness of injury prevention programs in female youth soccer and on the other hand to see (2) if prevention programs have been adapted to this specific adolescent population.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in relevant databases (PubMed, PEDro, BioMedLib) to identify injury prevention programs. Randomised controlled trials comparing the effects in female youth soccer players (<18) on the incidence of injuries were screened by two independent reviewers.

Results

Five studies were included, reporting investigations of injury prevention programs in female youth soccer. Four studies demonstrated an effect on the incidence of different injuries. All programs consist of multi-component exercises categorised by the authors as related to strength, flexibility, plyometrics, agility and balance. In four studies a functional adult prevention program was applied to the young soccer players whereas one study adopted the program to adolescents in terms of the higher variability of exercises to avoid boredom.

Conclusion

On the basis of the results of five high-quality studies, this review help to demonstrate the effectiveness of injury prevention programs in female youth soccer players. However, the number of studies investigating such intervention programs should be increased. To strengthen the enduring effect of injury prevention the development of joyful and playful programs especially for female youth soccer players may be an option to construct successful intervention programs.

This project was supported by the Youth Soccer Foundation (http://www.stiftung-jugendfussball.de).
Injury surveillance during a national female youth football tournament in kenya
Authors: Lislevand M , Steffen K , Junge A , Dvorak J , Andersen T E
Published: March 2011

Background

Football in Kenya is not only a leisure activity, but also a tool for community and individual development. Studies on injury risk in female youth football players in Africa are limited.

Objective

To analyze the incidence, characteristics and circumstances of injuries.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

A two-day female youth football tournament in Nairobi, Kenya.

Participants

A total of 938 players from 69 teams participated in the tournament. All players were included in the study.

Main outcome measurements

Any physical complaints incurred by a player during a match were registered by trained Kenyan injury reporters. The injury reporters were supported by four physiotherapists and two doctors. All complaints were registered regardless of their consequence.

Results

A total of 123 injuries were reported from 106 matches. The incidence of all injuries was 93.3 injuries/1000 h (95% CI 76.8 to 109.8). Most injuries allowed the players to continue to play (n=98; 81%). Players under the age of 13 (RR=2.16; 95% CI 1.34 to 3.47; p=0.002) and 16 (RR=2.17; 95% CI 1.35 to 3.50; p=0.002) had an increased risk of injury compared to those over 16. Eight injuries (7%; 6.1 injuries/1000 h; 95% CI 1.9 to 10.3) were expected to result in absence from play of 1–7 days. The injuries most commonly involved the lower limb (n=100; 82%). A contusion to the ankle (n=15; 12%) and foot/toe (n=15; 12%) were the most common specific injury types. Most acute injuries (89 of 113, 79%) were caused by player contact.

Conclusion

The incidence of injuries among female youth football players in a national tournament in Kenya was high, with players under the age of 13 and 16 at greatest risk. However, most injuries were minor and did not prevent continued participation in the tournament. This can be seen as positive, as football plays a vital role in individual and community development in Kenya.
A survey of the participation in competitive sports despite musculoskeletal complaints
Authors: Lopes A D , Barreto H J , Neto J O , Neto JG
Published: March 2011

Background

It is not unusual for athletes to decide to participate in important competitions, despite an ongoing disability or injury.

Objective

Evaluate the degree of confidence exhibited by injured athletes with regards to their participation in a major competition, and to profile the musculoskeletal injuries.

Design

A cross-sectional survey was conducted with the athletes of the Brazilian delegation participating in the IX South American Games, and 2nd Lusophony Games who sought care from the Brazilian team's medical department with various musculoskeletal complaints.

Setting

A group of elite athletes prior to the start of an official competition.

Participants

Of the 697 participants in the Brazilian delegation to the IX South American Games (Medellin, 2010) and 2nd Lusophony Games (Lisbon, 2009), 98 athletes (14.6%) sought care from the Brazilian team's medical department with various musculoskeletal complaints, even before commencing participation in the competition.

Main outcome measurements

Degree of confidence exhibited by injured athletes and the profile of the musculoskeletal injuries.

Results

Regarding the onset of injury, the 98 (14.6% of the 697 total participants) injured athletes who sought care from the medical staff, 57.1% of the athletes had been injured for longer than two months (n=56). Approximately half (n=44, 44.9%) reported that the injury was recurrent. The most frequently occurring injury was tendinopathy (n=33, 27.5%), and the most frequent location of injury was the knee (n=20, 18%).

Conclusions

We could observe that many athletes participating in a major competition even with existing musculoskeletal complaints were worried about their injuries affecting their well-being and performance. The majority of these athletes had been injured for longer than two months. Approximately half of them reported that the injury was recurrent. The most frequently occurring lesion was tendinopathy, and the most frequent location of injury was the knee.
A new approach to evaluate anterior knee joint laxity
Authors: Mouton C , Krecke R , Theisen D
Published: March 2011

Background

Knee instability after Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstructive surgery may lead to osteoarthritis.

Objective

To complete current evaluation of anterior knee laxity.

Design

Cross-sectional pilot study.

Setting

Physical therapy unit of the Clinique d'Eich, Centre Hospitalier de Luxembourg.

Patients

14 patients were examined 197±25 days following arthroscopic ACL reconstructive surgery (11 men and 3 women, age: 28±9 years) using the GNRB, a new knee arthrometer measuring anterior tibial displacement (ATD) when applying a standardised, progressive anterior tibial force. Inclusion criteria were: isolated ACL rupture; no prior injury in the controlateral knee.

Interventions

Both knees were tested using three trials with a progressive force up to 200 N, starting with the controlateral leg. The average ATD-force curve of trials 2 and 3 were used for further calculations.

Main outcomes

ATD at 134 and 200 N, and new variables: primary energy dissipation (PED: area under the ATD-force curve from 0 to 100 N), secondary energy dissipation (SED: area under the ATD-force curve from 100 to 200 N), primary compliance (PC: slope of the ATD-force curve between 30 and 50 N) and secondary compliance (SC: slope of the ATD-force curve between 100 and 200 N) were used as indicators of knee laxity.

Results

The results found for the operated and the controlateral knee, respectively, were: ATD at 134 N=5.6±1.6 and 4.0±0.9 mm (difference: 42%); ATD at 200 N=7.2±1.8 and 5.3±1.0 mm (difference: 34%); PED=230±80 and 146±46 N/mm; SED=622±167 and 445±96 N/mm (difference of area between both curves at 134 N: 52%, at 200 N: 44%); PC=63±22 and 40±13 μm/N; SC=25±6 and 22±4 μm/N. Results were significantly different (p<0.05) for all indicators except SC (Student t-test).

Conclusion

Anterior knee joint laxity 5 to 10 months after ACL reconstructive surgery remains greater than the non-injured contralateral knee. A complete evaluation of anterior knee laxity could help the prognostic of osteoarthritis after ACL reconstructive surgery.
Medical screening of young athletes in sports medicine and rehabilitation clinic of tartu university hospital in 2009
Authors: Mägi A , Tali M , Kalda M , Ojamaa M , Ignatjeva N , Mandel T , Kuik R , Maaroos J , Unt E
Published: March 2011

The medical screening of young athletes assures the early recognition of health problems and properly timed restriction from sports activities provides the safety of sporting. In 2009 the Estonian Health Insurance Fund prevention project ‘The medical screening of young athletes for prevention of sports-related health risks’ was started.

The aim of the study was to establish the most common health problems occurring in young athletes, to determine the amount of athletes disqualified from participation in trainings and competition due to health problems, and to explore the main reasons for disqualification.

Young athletes (n=1479) in age range from seven to 19 years (mean age 13±3 years, 70% boys), involved in 54 different sports, were screened during eight months period in 2009 in Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic of Tartu University Hospital. The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10) was used for classification of health problems.

In 830 (56%) of young athletes diseases or related health problems were established. Most common organ systems involved were musculoskeletal (posture disturbances, lower extremity enthesopathies, and back problems), cardiovascular (cardiac conduction disorders, arrhythmias, and hypertension), and respiratory system (chronic tonsillitis and asthma) – 41%, 30% and 11% respectively. The health problems occurred more often in age range 13 to 17 years. Track and field, football and volleyball were the sports where athletes had more health problems. The participation restrictions were applied in 171 (11.6%) young athletes (68% boys), in one case the athlete was disqualified from certain sport. Cardiovascular (46%), musculoskeletal (29%), and respiratory (12%) conditions were most frequent reasons for participation restrictions. Although musculoskeletal symptoms and conditions are more common in young athletes, the conditions related to cardiovascular system led more often to participation restriction.
Pattern and management of sports injuries presented by lagos state athletes at the 16th national sports festival (kada games 2009) in nigeria
Authors: Owoeye O B A
Published: March 2011

Background

There is a dearth of information on the epidemiology of sports injuries in Nigeria.

Objective

The study was aimed at documenting sports injuries sustained by Lagos state athletes during the 16th National Sports Festival and providing information on treatments offered to injured athletes.

Design

Prospective descriptive study.

Setting

The study was carried out at the Amadu Bello Stadium Complex, sporting arena of the Murtala Square and the team Lagos mini clinic.

Participants

132 accredited Lagos state athletes who at one point in time during the games required treatment from any of the members of the medical team.

Main outcome measurements

Demographic data of athletes, type of injuries, body parts injured and treatment modalities used were recorded on pre-designed injury report forms and analysed using descriptive statistics.

Results

A total of 140 sports injuries were recorded with an approximate male to female ratio of 2:1 and age ranging from 15 to 38 years. Most of the injuries reported by the athletes were ‘minor’ injuries. Muscle strain was the most common type of injury (31.4%) followed by ligament sprains (22.9%). The lower extremities were the most injured body region accounting for 50% of all injuries. Over 60% of injuries presented by the athletes were from basketball, cricket, hockey, rugby and baseball. Cryotherapy was the most frequently used treatment modality, followed by bandaging and massage with anti-inflammatory gels.

Conclusion

Establishing injury prevention programmes directed at the lower extremities may help reduce the risk of injuries to the lower extremities. It is recommended that cryotherapy should be made abundantly available to the medical team preferably in forms of portable cold sprays for easy transportation and application during the games. This data provides information that will be useful to both state and federal medical teams in preparing for future games.
Study of plasma redox biomarkers for accurate stress evaluation in athletes
Authors: de Barros M Paes , Soares C O , Pereira B , Bechara E J H , Silveira L R , Curi R , Souza-Junior T P
Published: March 2011

Background

A plethora of data revealed that reactive oxygen species (ROS) are normally produced during/after endurance or resistance exercise. Drastic drops in performance, precocious fatigue and injury risk are putative outcomes of the ROS-mediated biochemical changes. On the other hand, adequate ROS production is essential to provide the desired physiological adaptations of training and to avoid related immune depression.

Objective

This work aims to test plasma biomarkers of oxidative stress for an accurate evaluation of exhaustion in athletes.

Design

Subjects were prospectively randomised evaluated.

Setting

Male cyclists of Brazilian college league (university games) were selected.

Participants

Subjects (n=20) had no history of smoking, alcohol abuse, or systemic disease.

Interventions

A Wingate Test was carried out using a Cybex cycle ergometer with increasing loads up to 10% BW (preheat procedure for 5 min). Athletes were strongly encouraged during the test for maximum effort achievement.

Main outcome measurements

Blood samples (5 ml) were collected before and after the Wingate test, using EDTA-containing Vaccuntainer kits. Total iron, haemoglobin, uric acid, Ferric-reducing activity (FRAP), and malondialdehyde (biomarker of lipid oxidation) were measured in plasma.

Results

Plasma iron and FRAP levels varied consistently when total amounts released from time zero to 60 min after the Wingate test were evaluated (R=0.939). Remarkably, uric acid was identified as one of the major contributors for FRAP capacity, thus, restricting iron ions participation as catalysts for ROS overproduction during exercise. Lower indexes of lipid oxidation were reported under these circumstances.

Conclusion

The pool of plasma biomarkers – total iron, FRAP, uric acid and malondialdehyde – are good candidates for an efficient evaluation of oxidative stress related to exhaustion. Further investigations are necessary to precise how responsive those parameters are at different exercise intensities.

Financial support: FAPESP, CAPES & CNPq (Brazil); BioReal AB/Fuji Health Sciences (Sweden/Japan).
Injuries in icelandic male team handball players
Authors: Rafnsson E
Published: March 2011

Background

Team handball has a rich tradition and interest among Icelanders. No studies have been published on the incidence and nature of injuries in Icelandic team handball.

Objective

To examine and document the incidence, nature and severity of injuries in male team handball.

Design

Prospective cohort study. The teams were followed for 9 months. Injuries were recorded by the players under supervision from their team physiotherapists, coaches and delegates on a special form. Coaches recorded training exposure.

Setting

Icelandic elite male team handball.

Participants

Players from all (eight) premiership and six best (of eight) second division teams were invited to participate. The selection was based on the 2006–2007 league position. 159 players from seven premiership and 4 s division teams entered the study. 109 players from four premiership and 2 s division teams finished it.

Main outcome of measurement

(1) Incidence and severity of acute and overuse injuries. (2) Variation between teams and playing positions. (3) Use of braces and tape.

Results

86 injuries were recorded, 53 (61.6%) acute, and 33 (38.4%) overuse injuries. The injury incidence was 15.0 injuries per 1000 player hours during games and 2.2 injuries per 1000 player hours during training. Acute injuries were most common in knees (26.4%). Overuse injuries were most frequent in low back/sacrum/pelvic region (33.3%). No difference was in incidence of injuries between teams. Back court players were most frequent injured, goalkeepers least. 22.4% of the players used ankle braces during games and most training sessions. 28.2% used tape on fingers.

Conclusion

The total injury incidence is similar than in previous, comparable studies. However, higher rate of overuse injuries in low back/sacrum/pelvic region raise questions about training methods and preparation for the Icelandic team handball players.
Indoor soccer's injuries profile and the correlation with game volume
Authors: Bolling C Silveira , de Almeida Gomide M Mendes , Reis D Rocha Costa
Published: March 2011

Background

The indoor soccer is a sport that presents contact situations, acceleration and deceleration, combined with accurate raisins and rapid change of direction. Despite the high incidences, the literature is scarce on this modality.

Objectives

To analyze the injuries profile in indoor soccer athletes from various categories and find the relationship between the frequency of injuries and the volume of games in a season.

Design

This is an observational study, transversal, about the injuries in the 2009 season.

Setting

Athletes from seven competitive categories under 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 20 years and adult of a sport club in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Patients

83 athletes who required physical treatment.

Interventions

The physiotherapist report all injuries that occurred during the season, which required physical therapy treatment.

Mains outcome measurement

The report describe: category, situation of contact or non-contact, if occurred during practice, games or other and the time lost, for a descriptive analysis. The number of games by each category was monitored for analyze the correlation between the injuries frequency with the volume of games by the Pearson test.

Results

The athletes had 174 injuries which required physical therapy. The average of injuries by athlete was 2.1. The category with greater incidence was the adult; there was a tendency of higher age present a greater frequency of injuries. The majority of injuries occurred in situations of non contact and during training. The muscle injuries were mainly non contact, while contact had predominance of bone and ligament injuries. The Pearson's test indicated statistically significant correlation (R=0.79/p=0.034) between incidence of injuries and the number of games carried out.

Conclusion

This profile brings important data for the development of preventive program, to design more specific interventions. Further epidemiological are necessary, mainly for the futsal by virtue of the scarce literature.
Risk factors for injuries in male professional soccer: a systematic review
Authors: Stege J P , Stubbe J H , Verhagen E A L M , van Mechelen W
Published: March 2011

Background

Risk for injury in professional soccer is one of the largest in sports. Next to negative aspects for players' health, in professional soccer the absence of players due to injury leads to high costs. Therefore it is important to gain knowledge on injury risk factors within this specific athletic population to draw up measures that may prevent injuries.

Objective

To systematically review intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors which are related to injuries in male professional soccer players.

Design

A computerised literature search was carried out in Medline, Embase, SportDiscus and PsycInfo to search for relevant original studies. A study was included if: (1) it contained data of professional, adult, male soccer players; (2) it concerned a prospective or retrospective cohort study covering at least half a season; (3) it addressed data of at least one team; (4) it assessed risk factors for injuries. All relevant studies were assessed for quality.

Results

In total 313 articles were found, of which 14 were identified as being relevant and of sufficient methodological quality. In total 14 potential intrinsic and nine potential extrinsic risk factors were investigated in the included studies. From these, previous injury, preseason strength imbalances, decreased muscle flexibility and a preseason ultrasonic abnormality in the Achilles tendon were reported in the literature as intrinsic risk factors for injury. With regard to extrinsic risk factors artificial turf, match result, and time of the season were associated with injury occurrence.

Conclusion

To date, aetiological studies in professional soccer have mainly charted player characteristics, for example, age, playing position, strength, and ankle stability. According to the literature 23 potential risk factors have been investigated, and only seven have been associated with the occurrence of injury. Future research should further explore modifiable extrinsic risk factors, and translate ascertained factors into practical preventive efforts.
Relationship between clavicle length and scapular resting alignment in healthy subject
Authors: Toda H , Yamamoto K , Yoshida M , Katayose M
Published: March 2011

Background

The scapular resting alignment is one of typical quantitative clinical evaluation of the scapular kinematics. The scapular alignment could be affected by the feature of clavicle morphology, but not studied by previous study.

Objective

To investigate the correlation between clavicle length and three-dimensional scapular resting alignment.

Design

Descriptive study.

Setting

Laboratory setting.

Participants

60 shoulders of 30 males without a history of shoulder pathology.

Independent variables

The clavicle length was normalised by body height (CL/height) and by biacromial arc (CL/biacromial). Two of these normalisation data were used for analysis.

Main outcome measurements

Three-dimensional scapular resting alignment was measured with 3D motion-capture system. The scapular resting alignment was described by scapular orientation and position relative to the trunk. To describe scapular orientation and position, three of scapular rotation and two clavicular movements were used. Three scapular rotations were external/internal rotation, upward/downward rotation, and posterior/anterior tilt. Two clavicular movements were protraction/retraction and elevation/depression. The correlations of two normalisation data of clavicle length with three scapular rotations and two clavicular movements were calculated by the Pearson's correlation coefficient, with a statistical significance level of p less than 0.05.

Results

Significant linear correlations were found between the CL/height and posterior tilting (r=0.34, p=0.008), between CL/biacromial and elevation (r=0.31, p=0.018), retraction (r=0.55, p<0.001), upward rotation (r=0.39, p=0.002), posterior tilting (r=0.28, p=0.033) and internal rotation (r=-0.59, p<0.001).

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that the normative clavicle length with biacromial arc is more related to the scapular resting alignment than the normative clavicle length with body height.