Critical Fluctuations as an Early Warning Signal of Sports Injuries? A Proof of Concept Using Football Monitoring Data.

Background: There has been an increasing interest in the development and prevention of sports injuries from a complex dynamic systems perspective. From this perspective, injuries may occur following critical fluctuations in the psychophysiological state of an athlete. Our objective was to quantify these so-called Early Warning Signals (EWS) as a proof of concept to determine their explanatory performance for injuries.

Medial Malleolar Stress Fracture Treatment and Return to Activity: A Systematic Review.

Background: Medial malleolar stress fractures (MMSFs) naturally appear to occur primarily in athletes participating in sports requiring prolonged running or repetitive jumping. Nonoperative and operative modalities have been described, yielding a wide range of outcomes and return to activity (RTA) rates.

Hypothesis/purpose: To systematically review the current literature to identify reports of MMSFs to better understand the current state of treatment, outcomes, and RTA rate.

"We Were Just so Sad and Devastated": NICU Nurses' Stories of Caring for Families With Substance-Exposed Pregnancies.

This secondary analysis re-examined stories of caregiving told by NICU nurses in the southeast US through a trauma theory lens expanding on research surrounding substance-exposed pregnancies. Narrative analysis identified distress-related experiences of nurses related to child custody decisions and outcomes, suggesting traumatic stress within this caregiving dynamic. Four distinct story types and three themes were identified across 23 stories, highlighting similarities and differences and illustrating how distress and trauma were experienced and may be manifested in care practices.

Median nerve impairment in leprosy: how does it differ from the classic carpal tunnel syndrome?

Background:  Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) has already been described as a possible form of neural leprosy presentation. However, the median nerve can be involved in this neuropathy in proximal segments and, sometimes, with an asymmetric impairment of the digital branches.

Objective:  To detail the pattern of median nerve impairment through nerve conduction study (NCS) and ultrasound evaluation.

The Movement Competency Screen Shows Improved Injury Predictive Ability Compared With the Functional Movement Screen in Ballet and Contemporary Dance Populations: A Critically Appraised Topic.

Clinical Scenario: Ballet dancers exhibit a high risk of musculoskeletal injuries with around 75% of all injuries attributed to overuse injuries. The high prevalence of chronic injuries suggests contributions caused by abnormal biomechanics in combination with repetitive stress common to ballet. Traditional sports settings implement movement screening tools including the Movement Competency Screen (MCS) and functional movement screen (FMS) to identify factors predisposing athletes to injury.

Symptomatic Ulnar Nerve Compression After Biceps-to-Triceps Tendon Transfer for Elbow Extension Reconstruction in Tetraplegia: A Case Report.

Introduction: Medially routed biceps-to-triceps tendon transfer for elbow extension reconstruction in spinal cord injury (SCI) has proven to be a reliable procedure. This technique classically places the tendon transfer superficial to a paralyzed ulnar nerve, with a theoretical risk of compression neuropathy.

Case Presentation: A 21-year-old male with a C5 American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade B SCI who underwent bilateral biceps-to-triceps tendon transfers presented with new-onset paresthesias in the ring and small fingers 10.

Injury Profiling in Male Police Cadets During Initial Training Phase: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Musculoskeletal injuries during the "Initial Training Phase" (ITP) are a major medical problem faced by law enforcement agencies worldwide. Aiming to develop an injury prevention strategy, we examined the incidence, type, associated factors, and severity of injuries and secondarily tracked their evolution over time by batches in a police academy. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using prospectively collected injury data on 979 newly recruited male police cadets enrolled in eight batches between 2015 and 2023.

In vitro fatigue of human flexor digitorum tendons.

Carpal tunnel syndrome and stenosing tenosynovitis (i.e., trigger finger) are common work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) that have been linked to overuse of the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) and flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) tendons of the hand.

Persistent Lateral Knee Pain From a 10% Thickness Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) Tear in a 36-Year-Old Runner.

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears are due to jumping, rapid decelerating, or quick changes in direction, but recent research indicates that accumulated tissue fatigue from repetitive submaximal knee loading can also cause ACL disruption. Partial degenerative ACL tears due to overuse are currently thought to be asymptomatic until the ligament is at least 50% torn. In this case, a 36-year-old female runner presenting with sharp lateral joint line knee pain, which precluded running or hiking over one mile, was found to have an atraumatic 10% thickness ACL tear.

An osteopathic assessment of lower extremity somatic dysfunctions in runners.

Context: Runners often experience acute/chronic pain due to pre-existing structural somatic dysfunction and/or acquired various overuse injuries of the lower extremity, specifically affecting the ligaments, tendons, muscles, and bones. Common structural and function dysfunctions include but are not limited to patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), Achilles tendonitis, iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS), ligamentous and muscle tears, muscle sprains/strains, stress fractures, pes planus, plantar fasciitis, and shin splints.

Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the correlation between acute and chronic pain, overuse injuries, and observational and palpatory findings upon evaluation to establish common trends of somatic dysfunctions and determine possible etiology of the pain/injury.

Relationship between Shoulder Pain, Trunk and Lower Limb Pain in Overhead Athletes: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis.

Background: Forty-nine percent of overhead athletes suffer from shoulder pain. Throwing movements require the participation of all components of the kinetic chain to reduce risk for shoulder overuse. Thus, limited lower limb range of motion or weakness has been identified as a risk factor for shoulder pain in overhead athletes.

Let´s Swing it -The Interaction Between Participation-Related Shoulder Load and Pre-season Trunk Rotation Power on Shoulder Problems in Male Handball Players.

Background: Little is known about the influence of kinetic chain strength and power on shoulder problems in handball players or the impact of participation-related shoulder load (PSL) during a season. Suboptimal activity of the kinetic chain during throwing might make the shoulder more vulnerable.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess 1) the association between pre-season measurements and shoulder problems among handball players and 2) whether pre-season strength and power influence the association between PSL and severity of shoulder problems.

A Cross-sectional Study on Association of Iliopsoas Muscle Length with Lumbar Lordosis Among Desk Job Workers.

Background: Prolonged hours of sitting in sustained posture is a common job requirement of desk job workers. Potential risk of iliopsoas muscle shortening leading to lumbar hyperlordosis, which in turn may cause low-back pain was identified. Thus, this study determined association between iliopsoas muscle length and lumbar lordosis in desk job workers.

Impact of surgeon volume on the risk of complications following volar locking plating of unstable distal radius fracture.

Complications following volar locking plating (VLP) of distal radius fracture (DRF) are frequent. Increasing evidence has shown an inverse relationship between increased surgeon experience and fewer complications in a variety of surgeries, and this study aimed to verify whether this relationship existed when specified in the DRF surgically treated with VLP. Patients with an unstable DRF surgically treated by VLP in our institution between January 2016 and December 2021 were included.

Elbow injuries in overhead throwing athletes: clinical evaluation, treatment, and osteopathic considerations.

Injury to the elbow is very common in the throwing athlete and can potentially lead to long absences from play and, in the most severe scenarios, medical retirement. The throwing motion is a highly complex series of movements through the entire kinetic chain that results in very high angular velocities and valgus forces at the elbow joint. The repetitive nature of overhead throwing in combination with the high levels of accumulated force at the elbow puts both pediatric and adult athletes at risk of both acute and chronic overuse injuries of the elbow.

Work-related musculoskeletal symptoms among public municipal elementary school teachers in Cuiabá, Brazil.

Introduction: The demands and conditions of work can lead to development of a range of health conditions, including repetitive stress injuries and work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of musculoskeletal symptoms and the working conditions of primary school teachers working for the public municipal education system in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with teachers working for the public municipal education system in the capital of Mato Grosso state.

Biomechanic Differences Between Anticipated and Unanticipated Volleyball Block Jump: Implications for Lower Limb Injury Risk.

Volleyball is a high-intensity sport characterized by repetitive jumping, sudden directional changes, and overhead movements, all of which significantly increase the risk of injuries, particularly to the shoulders, knees, and ankles. Despite the frequency of injuries caused by actions like blocking and spiking, there has been limited research focused on the specific biomechanical risk factors unique to volleyball. This study aimed to investigate the lower limb biomechanics during block jumps in both the dominant and non-dominant directions, under both anticipated and unanticipated conditions, in fifteen elite male volleyball players.

Investigating the Potential Overuse of Pan-Computed Tomography (PanCT) Examinations in Trauma Cases in Emergency Departments.

The increasing use of whole-body computed tomography (WBCT) examinations, also known as panCT, in emergency departments for trauma patients has raised concerns about potential overuse and the associated risk of unnecessary radiation exposure. The purpose of this study was to examine the utilization patterns and findings of panCT scans performed over one year at a major academic hospital. : This retrospective cohort study included 531 stable trauma adult patients who underwent panCT scans in 2023.

A new alternative to the Ober test for evaluating the difference between right and left iliotibial band stiffness: A reliability study.

Introduction: A dysfunctional stiffness of the iliotibial band can be related to pathologies of the pelvis/lumbar spine and the knee. The classic and modified Ober tests are the gold standard for assessing iliotibial band stiffness. However, to the authors' knowledge, this test lacks adequate validation, and its specificity is questionable.

Effectiveness of dry needling on pain & disability in athletes with iliotibial band tightness- a clinical trial.

Introduction: Dry needling (DN) for Myofascial trigger points (MTrP's) can be done on superficial or deep tissue levels for the management of a range of neuromusculoskeletal pain disorders. There is still much to learn about dry needling, despite the fact that it has been demonstrated to be useful for a variety of illnesses. The aim of the current study was to determine the effectiveness of DN with stretching on pain and disability in the treatment of athletes with iliotibial band (ITB) tightness.