Disparities Exist in Physical Therapy Utilization and Time to Utilization Between Black and White Patients With Musculoskeletal Pain.

Objective: Black patients are less likely than White patients to receive physical therapy for musculoskeletal pain conditions. Current evidence, however, is limited to self-reported conditions and health services use. The purpose of this study was to use a large electronic health record database to determine whether a race disparity existed in use of physical therapy within 90 days of a new musculoskeletal diagnosis.

Analysis of Calcaneal Bone Mineral Density (cBMD) in Healthy College Students.

Background: There is limited evidence describing the relationship between calcaneal bone mineral density (cBMD) and activity level, menstrual history, or the development of bone stress injury (BSI).

Hypothesis/purpose: The purposes of this study were to: 1) examine the influence of physical activity on cBMD in healthy college students (HCS), 2) determine if there is an association between cBMD, body mass index (BMI), sex, menstrual history, and history of BSI in HCS, and 3) compare the cBMD of HCS to cBMD data collected on intercollegiate athletes (ICA) from a previous study.

Study Design: Cross-sectional design.

Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome in Active Individuals: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Risk Factors.

Context: Medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is a common condition in active individuals and presents as diffuse pain along the posteromedial border of the tibia.

Objective: To use cross-sectional, case-control, and cohort studies to identify significant MTSS risk factors.

Data Sources: Bibliographic databases (PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, SPORTDiscus, EMBASE, EBM Reviews, PEDRo), grey literature, electronic search of full text of journals, manual review of reference lists, and automatically executed PubMed MTSS searches were utilized.

The Quality of Reporting of Abstracts in Physical Therapy Literature is Suboptimal: Cross-Sectional, Bibliographic Analysis.

Objective: The quality of abstract reporting in physical therapy literature is unknown. The purpose of this study was to provide baseline data for judging the future impact of the 2010 Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement specifically referencing the 2008 Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials statement for reporting of abstracts of randomized controlled trials across and between a broad sample and a core sample of physical therapy literature.

Design: A cross-sectional, bibliographic analysis was conducted.

Lower extremity overuse bone injury risk factors in collegiate athletes: a pilot study.

Background And Purpose: There is limited evidence regarding risk factors for lower extremity overuse bone injury (LEOBI) in collegiate athletes. The purposes of the study were to: 1) determine incidence of LEOBI in selected sports and its impact on athletic participation and ADL, 2) assess risk relationships between LEOBI and selected risk factors, and 3) establish the viability of using calcaneal densitometry as a screening tool to identify risk for LEOBI.

Study Design: Prospective analytical cohort design.

Introduction to the GRADE approach for guideline development: considerations for physical therapist practice.

Background: Practice guidelines (guidelines) have an increasing role in health care delivery and are being published more frequently. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) is an approach for guideline development. The GRADE approach has been adopted by multiple national and international organizations producing guidelines related to physical therapist care.

A survey of exercise-related leg pain in community runners.

Purpose/background: Exercise-related leg pain (ERLP) is a common problem in runners. The purposes of this study were to 1) report ERLP occurrence among adult community runners; 2) determine ERLP impact on daily activities; and 3) determine if there is a relationship between ERLP occurrence and selected potential risk factors including sex, age, years of running, ERLP history, body mass index (BMI), orthotic use, menstrual function, and training variables.

Methods: Community runners registered for a local race were invited to complete a questionnaire including demographics and potential risk factors.

The effect of foot orthotic use on exercise related leg pain in cross country athletes.

Objectives: The purposes of this research were to (1) investigate the effect of foot orthotic use on exercise related leg pain (ERLP) in cross-country (XC) athletes, and (2) determine if an association between foot type and foot orthotic use exists.

Design: Prospective cohort design.

Setting: High schools and colleges in a Midwestern metropolitan region.

Using MeSH (medical subject headings) to enhance PubMed search strategies for evidence-based practice in physical therapy.

Background: Evidence-based practice (EBP) is an important paradigm in health care. Physical therapists report lack of knowledge and time constraints as barriers to EBP.

Objective: The purpose of this technical report is to illustrate how Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), a controlled vocabulary thesaurus of indexing terms, is used to efficiently search MEDLINE, the largest component of PubMed.

Foot orthoses in lower limb overuse conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis--critical appraisal and commentary.

Reference/citation: Collins N, Bisset L, McPoil T, Vicenzino B. Foot orthoses in lower limb overuse conditions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Foot Ankle Int.

Menstrual function in female high school cross-country athletes.

Unlabelled: Menstrual function in adolescent athletes has received limited investigation.

Objective: In a sample of female high school cross-country (XC) athletes, the purposes of the investigation were to (1) describe menstrual function (history and inseason), (2) describe the relationship between menstrual function and variables including body mass index (BMI), high school year, current year of running, total years running, training distance, racing pace, additional organized sport participation other than XC, and participation in XC practices and races, (3) determine the relationship between menstrual function and self-reported interfering exercise related leg pain (ERLP), and (4) determine the relationship between menstrual function history and menstrual function during a XC season.

Study Group: 62 female high school XC athletes.

Risk factors for self-reported exercise-related leg pain in high school cross-country athletes.

Context: Prevention of exercise-related leg pain (ERLP) has not been successful because ERLP risk factors are not well known.

Objective: To determine the percentage of high school cross-country (XC) athletes who reported a history of ERLP in their running careers, to identify the percentage of athletes who reported an occurrence of ERLP during 1 XC season, and to investigate the association of selected factors (age, high school year, years of high school running, sex, ERLP history, body mass index [BMI], foot type, and training distance) and the occurrence of ERLP.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Using a partnership between academic faculty and a physical therapist liaison to develop a framework for an evidence-based journal club: a discussion.

Evidence-based practice (EBP) in rehabilitation is increasingly recognized as important. Despite the importance of EBP, physical therapists' knowledge of EBP varies. Journal clubs have been used to educate clinicians about EBP.

An exploratory analysis of PubMed's free full-text limit on citation retrieval for clinical questions.

Objective: The research sought to determine (1) how use of the PubMed free full-text (FFT) limit affects citation retrieval and (2) how use of the FFT limit impacts the types of articles and levels of evidence retrieved.

Methods: Four clinical questions based on a research agenda for physical therapy were searched in PubMed both with and without the use of the FFT limit. Retrieved citations were examined for relevancy to each question.

A primer on web surveys.

With the advancement of computers and access to the Internet, surveys using the web are becoming increasingly popular. Such surveys save money by eliminating postage costs and save time by providing immediate access to returned surveys and improved data processing. This primer describes some considerations and suggestions related to the use of web surveys.

Physical therapists' perspectives on the role and effectiveness of continuing education.

Research addressing the perspectives of physical therapists recently mandated to engage in continuing education (CE) is limited. The purpose of this investigation, therefore, was to identify physical therapy clinicians' and managers' views on its role and effectiveness. Participants were 23 physical therapists practicing at six different hospitals in Illinois.

Exercise-related leg pain in collegiate cross-country athletes: extrinsic and intrinsic risk factors.

Study Design: Prospective cohort design.

Objectives: To determine in a sample of collegiate cross-country athletes (1) the percentage of athletes with history of exercise-related leg pain (ERLP) associated with running, (2) the incidence of ERLP during 1 season, (3) if factors including years of collegiate running, training distance, and gender are associated with ERLP, and (4) if there is a relationship between foot type and ERLP.

Background: ERLP is a common overuse pain syndrome, but little evidence exists regarding the prevalence, incidence, and risk factors.

Variables influencing physical therapists' perceptions of continuing education.

Background And Purpose: As of October 1, 2002, physical therapy continuing education (CE) in Illinois was mandated. Research examining the recent mandate for physical therapists to engage in CE is limited. The purposes of this study were to examine the perceptions of physical therapist clinicians and managers concerning the barriers to and facilitators of CE and to identify how physical therapists perceive the role of their department in the CE process.