How does surgery compare to sham surgery or physiotherapy as a treatment for tendinopathy? A systematic review of randomised trials.

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness of surgery on all tendinopathies by comparing it to no treatment, sham surgery and exercise-based therapies for both mid-term (12 months) and long-term (> 12 months) outcomes.

Methods: Our literature search included EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL and Scopus. A combined assessment of internal validity, external validity and precision of each eligible study yielded its overall study quality.

Predictors of Attack Performance in High-Level Male Volleyball Players.

Purpose: In volleyball, teams win the majority of points through attacks (spikes), and therefore attack effectiveness (AE) is one of the most important predictors of victory. Traditionally, greater vertical jump heights (VJH) and higher spike speeds (SS) have been thought to increase AE; however, relevant research is limited. The authors' aim was to assess the relationship of VJH and SS with AE, as well as identifying possible associations of demographic and anthropometric factors, including common volleyball injuries, with VJH, SS, and AE.

Metabolic syndrome and the skin: a more than superficial association. Reviewing the association between skin diseases and metabolic syndrome and a clinical decision algorithm for high risk patients.

There is ongoing scientific interest regarding comorbidities associated with the metabolic syndrome (MeTS). MeTS comprises a combination of parameters that predispose individuals to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD). Three or more of the following criteria are necessary: fasting glucose > 110 mg/dl (5.

Insights into the epidemiology, aetiology and associations of infraspinatus atrophy in overhead athletes: a systematic review.

Infraspinatus atrophy (IA) is much more prevalent in overhead sports compared with the general population. Its exact aetiology in this group of athletes remains unclear and definitive associations with pathology and performance have not yet been reached. The aim of this systematic review is to present the evidence on IA in overhead athletes focussing on the proposed mechanisms of suprascapular neuropathy and its associations with shoulder pathology and performance.

The volleyball athlete's shoulder: biomechanical adaptations and injury associations.

In volleyball, the dominant shoulder of the athlete undergoes biomechanical and morphological adaptations; however, definitive conclusions about their exact nature, aetiology, purpose and associations with shoulder injury have not been reached. We present a systematic review of the existing literature describing biomechanical adaptations in the dominant shoulders of volleyball players and factors that may predispose to shoulder pain/injury. A thorough literature search via Medline, EMBASE and SCOPUS was conducted for original studies of volleyball players and 15 eligible articles were identified.

Coronary endarterectomy: The current state of knowledge.

Coronary artery endarterectomy (CE) is a procedure performed adjunctive to coronary artery bypass grafting in patients with diffuse coronary artery disease (CAD). This review was conducted in order to assess the safety of the procedure, the associated complications as well as short- and long-term patient outcomes. A literature search was performed via Pubmed, and 50 articles were included in the review based on our inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Dominant vs. non-dominant shoulder morphology in volleyball players and associations with shoulder pain and spike speed.

The aims of our study were to compare the dominant (DOM) and non-dominant (NDOM) shoulders of high-level volleyball athletes and identify possible associations of shoulder adaptations with spike speed (SS) and shoulder pathology. A total of 22 male volleyball players from two teams participating in the first division of the Cypriot championship underwent clinical shoulder tests and simple measurements around their shoulder girdle joints bilaterally. SS was measured with the use of a sports speed radar.

Surgical perspectives in the management of atrial fibrillation.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia and a huge public health burden associated with significant morbidity and mortality. For decades an increasing number of patients have undergone surgical treatment of AF, mainly during concomitant cardiac surgery. This has sparked a drive for conducting further studies and researching this field.

Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injuries: New Perspectives in Management.

Blunt thoracic aortic injuries (BTAIs) present a great challenge because of their potentially fatal outcomes. Recent advancements in their management have proved to be beneficial in terms of various parameters, including mortality and complications. Endovascular repair is now the treatment of choice in most centres and is continuously replacing the traditional open surgical method.

Effects of combined vitamin D--calcium supplements on the cardiovascular system: should we be cautious?

Despite the growing body of evidence on the potential effects of calcium and vitamin D as monotherapies on different cardiovascular (CV) parameters, the combined supplementation with calcium and vitamin D (CaD), which is most frequently encountered in clinical practice, has not received the attention it deserves. A literature search was conducted via EMBASE and Medline and identified 14 randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and 2 meta-analyses reporting on effects of combined supplementation with CaD on CV events, CV death, blood pressure, lipids, glucose metabolism and weight. Overall, the existing evidence does not support beneficial properties of supplementation with CaD on the CV system, nor does it suggest that a re-appraisal of the use of CaD is necessary due to adverse effects, although increased risk of CV events has been reported by some authors.

Advances in the treatment of blunt thoracic aortic injuries.

Blunt thoracic aortic injuries, even though rare in incidence, carry significant mortality rates and their management still remains challenging. There have been major shifts in diagnosing and treating these injuries in the last 5 decades, which proved to be beneficial in terms of mortality and complications. Endovascular repair has been increasingly used for definitive treatment and its outcomes appear to be at least equally safe and effective as those of open repair.

What type of valve is most appropriate for osteogenesis imperfecta patients?

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was in osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) patients with valve disease undergoing valve replacement which type of valve (bioprosthetic or mechanical) is most appropriate in terms of safety, complications and survival. Altogether more than 77 papers were found as a result of the reported search, of which 43 represented the best evidence to answer the clinical question.

Vitamin D supplementation and lipid profile: what does the best available evidence show?

Vitamin D supplements have increasingly been used for the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Historically, effects of the vitamin on the cardiovascular (CV) system have been proposed and demonstrated in the literature, including benefits on serum lipids. Although observational studies support an association between increased serum vitamin D levels and a favorable lipid profile, interventional studies have shown no effects.

The challenge of pulmonary endobronchial chondromatous hamartomas.

Pulmonary chondromatous (or chondroid) hamartomas are common benign tumours of the lung and may be either parenchymal or endobronchial. The latter are only rarely encountered and have a variation in their clinical presentation related to the endobronchial obstructive lesion, including atelectasis, pneumonia, hemoptysis. If not diagnosed early and treated properly, endobronchial hamartomas can cause irreversible lung damage.

Archibald Cochrane (1909-1988): the father of evidence-based medicine.

Professor Archibald Cochrane (1909-1988) is considered to be the originator of the idea of evidence-based medicine in our era. With his landmark book 'Effectiveness and Efficiency: Random Reflections on Health services' he managed to inspire and positively influence the medical society with respect to the proper assessment of reliable evidence for the provision of the best medical care. His vision combined with his scientific achievements can be considered as the foundation of the Cochrane Collaboration; named after him in recognition of and gratitude for his pioneering work.