Reliability and Validity of the Anterior Knee Pain Scale: Applications for Use as an Epidemiologic Screener.

A screening instrument's ability to provide clinicians with consistent and reproducible information is crucial to intervention. Despite widespread acceptance and clinical use of the Kujala Anterior Knee Pain Scale (AKPS) in orthopedics and sports medicine, few studies have reported on its reliability and no such studies have concentrated on child or adolescent samples exclusively, segments of the population for which this instrument is often used. The purpose of the current study was to describe and report on the reliability and validity of the AKPS for use with high school female athletes participating in interscholastic athletics.

Strain Response of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament to Uniplanar and Multiplanar Loads During Simulated Landings: Implications for Injury Mechanism.

Background: Despite basic characterization of the loading factors that strain the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), the interrelationship(s) and additive nature of these loads that occur during noncontact ACL injuries remain incompletely characterized.

Hypothesis: In the presence of an impulsive axial compression, simulating vertical ground-reaction force during landing (1) both knee abduction and internal tibial rotation moments would result in increased peak ACL strain, and (2) a combined multiplanar loading condition, including both knee abduction and internal tibial rotation moments, would increase the peak ACL strain to levels greater than those under uniplanar loading modes alone.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Ephedra use in a select group of adolescent athletes.

Ephedra-containing dietary supplements are consumed to improve sports performace, but may carry risks of cardiac and neurological adverse events. Little is known of their use by young athletes. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and patterns of ephedra use among high school athletes.

Proprioception.

Although definitions of proprioception may vary, its importance in preventing and rehabilitating athletic injuries remains constant. Proprioception plays a significant role in the afferent-efferent neuromuscular control arc. This control arc is disrupted with joint and soft tissue injury.

Refining rehabilitation with proprioception training: expediting return to play.

Although definitions of proprioception sense of joint position may vary, its importance in preventing and rehabilitating athletic injury remains constant: Restoring it after injury allows the body to maintain stability and orientation during static and dynamic activities. Any type of joint injury can interrupt position sense. Proprioceptive programs need to be tailored to the individual patient, but exercises can include balance training, closed-kinetic-chain exercises such as the leg press or single-leg hops, back-strengtheners, and quadruped stabilization.