Measurement of Healthy and Injured Triceps Surae Morphology.

Achilles tendon injuries occur throughout the lifespan and can negatively affect quality of life and overall health. Achilles tendinopathy is generally classified as an overuse injury associated with fusiform tendon thickening, neovascularization, and interstitial tendon degeneration. Current literature suggests these structural changes are associated with symptoms and lower physical activity levels, as well as symptoms and lower extremity function in the long term.

Athlete Burnout Is Associated With Perceived Likelihood of Future Injury Among Healthy Adolescent Athletes.

We examined perceived risk of future sports injury and athlete burnout among uninjured adolescent athletes. Uninjured high school athlete participants completed the Athlete Burnout Questionnaire (ABQ) and a questionnaire assessing attitudes toward likelihood of sustaining a future sport-related injury. We compared ABQ responses between injury risk perception groups: those who expected injury versus those who did not.

Comparison of Braces for Treatment of Sever's Disease (Calcaneal Apophysitis) in Barefoot Athletes: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Context: Sever's disease (calcaneal apophysitis) is a common condition in youth athletes, including those who participate in barefoot sports. Health care professionals often recommend that young athletes with Sever's disease wear heel cups in their shoes while active, but barefoot athletes are unable to use heel cups.

Objective: To compare the efficacy of 2 braces used by barefoot athletes with Sever's disease.

Age is associated with postural control performance following youth concussion.

Purpose: To examine the effect of age on postural control outcomes among patients being seen during their initial post-concussion clinical visit.

Methods: Youth patients were seen≤14 days post-concussion, and completed a series of postural control evaluations: tandem gait, Romberg, and Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) tests.

Results: We included 109 children 8-12 years of age (24% female, evaluated median = 7 [interquartile range = 4-10] days post-injury) and 353 adolescents aged 13-18 years (36% female, evaluated median = 7 [4-10] days post-injury).

Sleep Problems and Melatonin Prescription After Concussion Among Youth Athletes.

Objectives: To examine the effect of sleep disturbances on concussion symptom recovery and to examine the effect of melatonin prescription on symptom improvement among concussed adolescents with sleep problems.

Design: Longitudinal test-retest.

Setting: Sports medicine clinic.

Early physical activity and clinical outcomes following pediatric sport-related concussion.

Objective: The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes among patients who did and did not report engaging in early physical activity (PA) following sport-related concussion.

Methods: We evaluated pediatric patients seen within 21 days of concussion. The independent variable was early PA engagement (since the injury and before initial clinical evaluation).

Symptom profiles and postural control after concussion in female artistic athletes.

Objectives: The purpose of our investigation was to compare post-concussion symptom profiles and postural control measures among female youth artistic athletes (gymnasts and cheerleaders) relative to female ball sport athletes (volleyball or basketball).

Methods/findings: We compared 27 artistic athletes (median age = 15.0 years; evaluated median = 13 days post-injury) and 49 ball sport athletes (median age = 15.

Peak sagittal plane spine kinematics in female gymnasts with and without a history of low back pain.

Background: Female gymnasts have a greater prevalence of back pain compared to other female athletes. There is little evidence that female artistic gymnasts with and without back pain demonstrate different movement patterns during gymnastics skills. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were differences in back movements during back walkovers and back handsprings among female artistic gymnasts.

Comparison of pediatric sports fracture outcomes based on provider type.

: Pediatric primary care sports medicine physicians and pediatric sports medicine orthopedic surgeons, in conjunction with physician assistants (PAs), often manage patients with fractures. We sought to determine if pediatric patients with fractures seen by primary care sports medicine physicians had similar outcomes and satisfaction as those seen by orthopedic surgeons. : We performed a retrospective chart review of four to 18-year-old patients who were treated by a sports medicine provider (primary care or orthopedic surgeon/PA) for a fracture of the radius, ulna, tibia, or fibula.

Presence of Neck or Shoulder Pain Following Sport-Related Concussion Negatively Influences Recovery.

Our objective was to examine the effect of current neck or shoulder pain on concussion outcomes. Variables included symptom resolution and return-to-sport time, symptom severity, amount of school missed, and sleep disturbances. Three hundred twelve patients (37% female; median age = 15.

Concussion-Symptom Rating Correlation Between Pediatric Patients and Their Parents.

Context: Understanding how parents and their children perceive concussion symptoms may provide insights into optimal concussion-management strategies.

Objective: To examine patient-parent correlations and agreement on concussion-symptom ratings, to identify differences in patient-parent symptom reporting between children (8-12 years of age) and adolescents (13-18 years of age), and to evaluate the correlation between patient and parent initial symptom-severity ratings with symptom duration and return-to-play time.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Sleep Quality and Quality of Life Among Healthy High School Athletes.

We examined the association between sleep quality and quality of life (QOL) among uninjured high school athletes. Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Pediatric Profile 25 questionnaire. One hundred ten athletes reported poor sleep quality (mean PSQI: 6.

Sport Specialization, Club Sport Participation, Quality of Life, and Injury History Among High School Athletes.

Context: Many factors can affect the injury risk and quality of life among high school athletes. Early sport specialization and club sport participation may be components to consider when assessing the injury risk and quality of life.

Objective: To investigate patient-reported quality-of-life and injury-history measures among adolescent athletes at different sport-specialization levels and to compare these measures between those who did and those who did not report participating in club sports.

Association Between Flexibility and Low Back Pain in Female Adolescent Gymnasts.

Objective: To determine the relationship between low back pain (LBP), flexibility, and individual demographic characteristics in competitive adolescent female gymnasts.

Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Setting: Gymnastics facilities in Colorado.

A multifaceted and clinically viable paradigm to quantify postural control impairments among adolescents with concussion.

Objective: To identify clinically significant postural control measures capable of distinguishing the performance of adolescents with concussion from uninjured controls.

Approach: Fifteen adolescents with concussion (67% female; median age  =  16.3 years; tested 8  ±  4 d post-injury) and 31 controls (45% female; median age  =  15.

Low back pain in female adolescent gymnasts and functional pain scales.

Objectives: To determine the scores of gymnasts with low back pain (LBP) on two functional pain scales: the Micheli Functional Scale (MFS) and the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (ODQ).

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Gymnastics facilities.

Clinical predictors of symptom resolution for children and adolescents with sport-related concussion.

Objective: The goal of this study was to determine which variables assessed during an initial clinical evaluation for concussion are independently associated with time until symptom resolution among pediatric patients.

Methods: Data collected from a prospective clinical registry of pediatric patients with concussion were analyzed. The primary outcome variable was time from injury until symptom resolution.

Returning to Sport After Gymnastics Injuries.

Acute and overuse injuries are a common experience for artistic gymnasts; however, this population has unique needs when returning to their sport after an injury due to the technical demands imposed during gymnastics. We reviewed the current literature regarding return to play (RTP) in artistic gymnasts and developed four goals: 1) to define the guiding principles used to determine RTP in sports, 2) to identify factors that affect recovery progression among gymnasts, 3) to determine how different injury types affect RTP protocols, and 4) to create structured RTP protocols specific to gymnasts based on sex and body part injured. By establishing these guidelines, we hope to provide guidance to medical providers through a standardized approach for returning gymnasts to their sport.