Peripheral nervous system injuries in sport and recreation: a systematic review

Many sports are associated with a variety of peripheral nervous system (PNS) injuries specific to that sport. A systematic review of sport-specific PNS injuries has not been attempted previously, and will assist in the understanding of morbidities and mortality associated with particular sporting activities, either professional or amateur. A systematic review of the literature using PubMed (1965-2003) was performed examining all known sports and a range of possible PNS injuries attributable to that sport. Numerous sporting activities (53) were found to have associated PNS injuries. The sports most commonly reported with injuries were football, hockey, soccer, baseball and winter activities. There are a number of sporting activities with injuries unique to the individual sport. This review should be of assistance for the neurologist, neurosurgeon, orthopaedic surgeon, physiatrist, sports medicine doctor, athletic trainer and general physician in contact with athletes possessing neurological injuries.     

Physeal injuries in children's and youth sports: reasons for concern?

A systematic review of the literature on the frequency and characteristics of sports related growth plate injuries affecting children and youth in organised sport was carried out. Both acute and chronic physeal injuries related to participation in sports have been reported to occur, although injury incidence data are somewhat limited. Of particular concern is the growing number of stress related physeal injuries, including those affecting the lower extremities. Although most physeal injuries appeared to resolve with treatment and rest, there is also evidence of growth disturbance and deformity. Possible injury risk factors and countermeasures are discussed, and suggestions for directing future research provided.     

Neuromuscular hip biomechanics and pathology in the athlete

Although hip arthroscopic techniques have been developed and evolved over the last 5 to 10 years to help active athletes, the mechanisms of athletic hip injuries across various sports are not well understood. The purpose of this article is to review the literature related to the osseous and ligamentous support as well as the neuromuscular control strategies associated with hip joint mechanics. The neuromuscular contributions to hip stability and mobility with respect to gait will be provided because this data represents the largest body of knowledge regarding hip function. Further, this article will present and describe probable mechanisms of injury in sporting activities most often associated with hip injury in the young athlete.     

Mehr als Nebenwirkungen: Ein theoretisches Modell zu den physischen,psychischen und sozialen Wirkungen des Sports

This review summarizes the current state of research about the physical, psychological and social effects of sport.A synoptic model divides sport into organized school and club sports and non-organized leisure time physical activities.The health benefit affects both the entire development of children and the biopsychosocial salutogenesis of adults.Thus, what is being learned in the framework of sporting activities (socialization in sport) can also be important for other domains of daily life (socialization through sport).     

Lifetime injury prevention: the sport profile model

Participation in sporting activities carries an injury risk. Conversely, the increased awareness that physical inactivity is a major risk factor for disease has led government agencies and the medical community to encourage increased levels of physical activity. Many people will achieve this through participation in sport. Injury inevitably leads to a reduction in participation on a temporary or permanent basis, but the injury experience may also influence the lifelong physical activity behaviour. Few studies adequately examine the possible long-term consequences of sport participation after the competitive period has been completed, but by understanding the patterns of injuries in different sports one test can develop strategies to prevent and better manage the conditions that occur and promote lifelong physical activity. There is a need to develop models of understanding of injury risk at different life phases and levels of participation in a specific sport. The risk assessment of sport participation has to be relevant to a particular sport, the level of participation, skill, age and potential future health consequences. This article describes a sport-specific model which will improve guidance for coaches and healthcare professionals. It poses questions for sports physicians, healthcare providers, educators and for governing bodies of sports to address in a systematic fashion. Additionally the governing body, as an employer, will need to meet the requirements for risk assessment for professional sport and its ethical responsibility to the athlete.     

Eye injury in sport

Eye injury sustained during sport is increasing in incidence worldwide, reflecting the rise in popularity of sport as recreation. It can account for up to 25% of severe eye injuries. This paper considers the historical context and demography of sports injuries, and the physical mechanisms and results of various types of ocular trauma in relation to sport. It reviews the specific problems associated with the sports considered to be most important in the epidemiology of eye injuries today. Certain sports, such as boxing, have an intrinsic risk of injury so high that some consider the sport should be banned. The risk of injury in many sports can be mitigated by changes in rules, such as the prevention of high sticking in ice hockey. Other sports with high risk of trauma could be made far safer with the widespread introduction of eye protection, and this applies especially to squash and badminton. The various types of eye protection are discussed. There is an urgent need to increase awareness of the risk of eye injury, to teach safe techniques, and to encourage the use of appropriate ocular protective wear in those at high risk of injury, especially the one-eyed.     

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in sport: a review

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a controversial problem in sport since participants with this disorder often require banned stimulant medication while competing. Little information is available in the literature concerning this problem or whether sports people should be allowed to participate while on stimulant therapy. The intention of this review is to undertake a brief review of recent findings in ADHD, especially as they apply to sport, and suggest some guidelines that could then be applied by sporting bodies to allow ADHD sufferers to compete. Recent scientific evidence, clinical, genetic, and imaging techniques, confirm that ADHD is characterised by dysfunction in dopamine transmission in the frontal lobes and basal ganglia structures, regions associated with attention and behaviour. The dopamine transporter (DAT) regulates dopamine by removing excess. In ADHD people, the number and density of DATs and DAT binding sites are increased by up to 70 %. The dopamine agonist methylphenidate blockades DAT, significantly increasing extra cellular dopamine, so correcting the dopamine deficiency. Methods. A search of the English literature was made using Medline from the years 1980 to 2002. [nl]The aim of this review is not to debate the use of stimulants or how often they are necessary or successful in this condition but to point out that a number of young sport people with ADHD require such medication on a regular basis. Although there are problems with their use as far as the International Olympics Committee (IOC) is concerned, it would seem most unfair to penalise sports people by having to give up their medication, even for a few days or at some arbitrary age, in order to compete.     

Training and equipment to prevent athletic head and neck injuries

Due to the potential for catastrophic neurotraumas and cervical spine injuries in sport, the sports health care professional must take proper measures to prevent such injuries. Strength training of the cervical spine, teaching of proper sporting techniques, and use of protective sports equipment are three primary means of attempting to prevent neurotraumas and cervical spine injuries in sports. There are other avenues to assist in preventing these injuries, such as flexibility programs. The sports health care professional, therefore, must be knowledgeable of the needs of each individual athlete when developing prevention plans.     

Sport accidents in childhood.

Injuries among children during sporting activities are common. This study is a one year study including children between five and fourteen years of age who sustained their injuries during sporting activities and were treated at Trondheim Regional and University Hospital. Sport accidents account for 27 per cent of all childhood accidents in this age group. Fifty-three per cent of the injured were boys, and 47 per cent were girls. The boys sustained more severe injuries than the girls. Soccer caused the greatest number of injuries. Horse riding and alpine skiing were the cause of the most severe injuries. A more widespread use of protective guards, better technique and body control, better coaching and not allowing the younger children to take part in technically advanced sporting activities might reduce the number and the severity of the sport injuries in children.     

Eye injuries in sports

In a retrospective study from 1988 to 1998, eye injuries were found in 553 patients. Seventy-six (13.7%) of these injuries were associated with sport. The mechanism of trauma was for the most part a ball (71.1%) or a club (13.2%). Most eye injuries occurred in soccer (35.5%), which is, by far, the most widespread sport in this region of Norway. A disproportionately high number of the injuries occurred in floorball (17.1%), bandy (13.2%), and squash (10.5%). The rules in these sports may, in theory, be strict enough to prevent eye injuries in most cases. However, these rules are often neglected in informal activities. Strategies for educating the general public about the potentially serious effect of eye injuries in sports exposed to such risk are of great importance.     

Return to sport after patellar dislocation or following surgery for patellofemoral instability

Patellofemoral instability may occur in a young population as a result of injury during sporting activities. This review focuses on return to sport after one episode of dislocation treated no operatively and as well after surgery for chronic patellofemoral instability. With or without surgery, only two-thirds of patients return to sports at the same level as prior to injury. A high-quality rehabilitation programme using specific exercises is the key for a safe return to sporting activities. To achieve this goal, recovery of muscle strength and dynamic stability of the lower limbs is crucial. The focus should be directed to strengthen the quadriceps muscle and pelvic stabilizers, as well as lateral trunk muscle training. Patient education and regularly performed home exercises are other key factors that can lead to a successful return to sports. The criteria for a safe return to sports include the absence of pain, no effusion, a complete range of motion, almost symmetrical strength, and excellent dynamic stability. Level of evidence IV.     

Injuries to athletes with disabilities: identifying injury patterns

Participation in sport activities for people with disabilities continues to gain in popularity. With participation in sports, there is an inherent risk of injury. A review of current sport epidemiological studies was used and we concluded that injury patterns for this population are similar to those for athletes without disabilities. Injury data from Paralympic competitions dating back to 1976 indicate that most elite athletes with disabilities seek medical care for illness and musculo-skeletal injuries. However, there are very limited injury data regarding Winter Paralympic events or skiing injuries. For those athletes who participate in Summer Paralympic events, abrasions, strains, sprains and contusions are more common than fractures and dislocations. However, location of injuries appears to be disability and sport dependent. Lower extremity injuries are more common in ambulatory athletes (visually impaired, amputee, cerebral palsy) and upper extremity injuries are more frequent in athletes who use a wheelchair. While it appears that the majority of the injuries occurring in this population are minor in nature, inconsistencies in the definition of injury in the literature make this conclusion tenuous. When injuries are expressed as time lost in participation, 52% of injuries resulted in 7 days lost or less, 29% in 8 to 21 days lost and 19% in greater than 22 days lost. The only prospective study addressing injury rates of athletes with disabilities in a manner consistent with other sport epidemiological studies found an injury rate of 9.3 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures (AE). This injury rate is less than American football (10.1 to 15/1000 AE) and soccer (9.8/1000 AE), and greater than basketball (7.0/1000 AE). It is unclear whether comparative statistics such as these take into consideration the number of illness and injury episodes that resulted from the disability. Further complicating epidemiological studies for athletes with disabilities is the definition of the population and samples of convenience which are frequently used. These samples are often not representative of the multiplicity of disability conditions, levels of competition and range of sport activities available. Prospective studies comparing athletes to sedentary control individuals to measure differences in injury rates, type and frequency between and within disability groups, sports and levels of competition are desperately needed to further the knowledge of injury trends and develop and establish accurate injury prevention programmes.     

Participation in sporting activities following knee replacement: total versus unicompartmental

Few studies have been published assessing patients sporting activity after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Common concerns of patients undergoing TKA or UKA are whether they can continue with sporting activities after surgery. This study compares the sporting activity of TKA and UKA patients preoperatively and postoperatively. A total of 110 patients were surveyed by questionnaire. Seventy-six patients had undergone TKA and 34 patients had undergone UKA. They were assessed for their participation in low-impact sport preoperatively and postoperatively at a mean follow up of 21.6 +/- 5.3 and 22.3 +/- 7.8 months, respectively. Low-impact sports are those which a surgeon would expect patients to be able to participate in postoperatively. Data were separately analysed for older and younger patients and women and men, respectively. The results were as follows: before surgery, 55 of 76 patients in the TKA group participated in an average of 1.3 different sports and postoperatively, 35 of 76 patients participated in an average of 0.7 different sports. In the UKA group, 30 of 34 patients participated in an average of 1.5 different sports preoperatively and postoperatively, 29 of 34 patients participated in an average of 1.4 different sports. The return to sport rate was 96.7% in the UKA group and 63.6% in the TKA group. In the TKA group, the average frequency of sport preoperatively was 3.0 sessions per week (62.7 min) and postoperatively it decreased to 2.0 sessions per week (37.5 minutes). In the UKA group, the average frequency of sport preoperatively was 3.2 sessions per week (85.0 min) and postoperatively it increased to 3.4 sessions per week (92.1 min). The average time before resuming sport after surgery was 4.1 months in the TKA group and 3.6 months in the UKA group; 42.9% of patients in the TKA group and 24.1% of patients in the UKA group reported pain during sports after surgery; 80.3% of the patients in the TKA group and 88.2% of the patients in the UKA group felt that surgery had increased or maintained their sporting ability. Oxford knee scores decreased significantly one year after surgery in both the TKA group and the UKA group. In conclusion, the patients in our study had a significantly greater return to sport rate after UKA than patients who had undergone TKA. A large proportion of patients in the TKA group did not return to sport which their surgeon would have expected them to including golf and bowls. Patients in the UKA group also took part in more sporting sessions and for a longer period of time than patients in the TKA group. Moreover, patients undergoing UKA also returned to sport more quickly than patients undergoing TKA.     

Boxing: Medical care in and out of the ring

Boxing may well be the oldest sport known to mankind and probably the most controversial. Injuries are common in boxing, occurring most often to the head, neck, face, and hands. Brain injury, both acute and chronic, is the major risk for potential catastrophe. Medical care for the boxer extends beyond the competition in the boxing ring; the ringside physician is responsible for protecting both boxers and must make quick decisions about their continued participation based upon a limited examination. A thorough knowledge of the rules and regulations of boxing is necessary for the ringside physician to effectively care for the athlete. In spite of the perceived brutality associated with the sport, most injuries are minor, although serious injuries and deaths do occur, most commonly due to brain injury. Given the potential for catastrophic injury, the ringside physician must be prepared and equipped to care for the boxer.     

Overcoming the organization–practice barrier in sports injury prevention: A nonhierarchical organizational model

The organization of sports at the national level has seldom been included in scientific discussions of sports injury prevention. The aim of this study was to develop a model for organization of sports that supports prevention of overuse injuries. The quality function deployment technique was applied in seminars over a two‐season period to develop a national organizational structure for athletics in Sweden that facilitates prevention of overuse injuries. Three central features of the resulting model for organization of sports at the national level are (a) diminishment of the organizational hierarchy: participatory safety policy design is introduced through annual meetings where actors from different sectors of the sporting community discuss training, injury prevention, and sports safety policy; (b) introduction of a safety surveillance system: a ubiquitous system for routine collection of injury and illness data; and (c) an open forum for discussion of safety issues: maintenance of a safety forum for participants from different sectors of the sport. A nonhierarchical model for organization of sports at the national level – facilitated by modern information technology – adapted for the prevention of overuse injuries has been developed. Further research is warranted to evaluate the new organizational model in prospective effectiveness studies.     

Epilepsy and sports

Millions of healthy people participate in sport on a regular basis. Moreover, in the last decade patients with chronic disorders have been encouraged to take part in sporting activities as a part of their rehabilitation. Can epileptic patients freely participate in sport or whether they are restricted to a certain extent by their disorder? An important factor is freedom from seizures. If seizures have been controlled for over 2 years the risk of relapse is the same as the risk of a first seizure. The risk of patients drowning or falling, or their epilepsy worsening because they are engaged in sport is thought to be low. Clinical data suggest that the incidence of seizures during sports and exercise is reduced. In the cooling down period, however, seizures tend to occur more frequently. Physicians should encourage epileptic patients to participate in sporting activities to enhance their physical fitness, self-esteem, and social integration. Before giving advice about the most suitable type of sport, the physician should known the patient's medical history, have a good insight into the different types of sport and be able to judge the role and function of sport to the particular patient. With certain precautions virtually all sports are suitable for most epileptic patients and should therefore be encouraged. However, a small minority of hospitalised patients with severe epilepsy need the supervision of qualified trainers, coaches and volunteers.     

Epidemiology of injury in child and adolescent sports: injury rates, risk factors, and prevention

The epidemiology of sports injuries in children and youth is an important area of research that has been largely overlooked in the medical and sport science literature. This article presents an overview of the analytic aspects of pediatric sports injury epidemiology, focusing on injury risk factors and preventive measures. The review indicates that few modifiable injury risk factors have been statistically evaluated, and not many studies have been designed to determine the effect of injury prevention measures in pediatric sports. However, initial results are promising. Specific directions for further analytic research are presented.     

Sport medicine and the ethics of boxing

In the light of medical evidence of the health risks associated with boxing, a watchful agnostic position among sport physicians is no longer justifiable. The normal activity in a boxing match places the athletes at risk of head injury, some of which may be difficult to detect and impossible to repair. This suggests that sport physicians and others expert in the prevention and diagnosis of such injuries should take a public stand against boxing, as other medical associations have. Although there is a need for continuing research into the health risks, doctors can in the interim take steps to increase public awareness of these risks. Sport physicians in particular can make a strong public statement by also ending their professional involvement with boxing. This need not be interpreted as paternalism; doctors are qualified neither to make laws nor to restrict private behaviour. Sport physicians are, however, well equipped to advise those who do make laws and those who choose to engage in boxing. In the end, because this stance against boxing will probably reduce the number of brain injuries in certain athletes, autonomy will be preserved, rather than restricted.     

Task based rehabilitation protocol for elite athletes following Anterior Cruciate ligament reconstruction: a clinical commentary

Anterior Cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are one of the most common and devastating knee injuries sustained whilst participating in sport. ACL reconstruction (ACLR) remains the standard approach for athletes who aim to return to high level sporting activities but the outcome from surgery is not assured. Secondary morbidities and an inability to return to the same competitive level are common following ACLR. One factor which might be linked to these sub-optimal outcomes may be a failure to have clearly defined performance criteria for return to activity and sport. This paper presents a commentary describing a structured return to sport rehabilitation protocol for athletes following ACLR. The protocol was developed from synthesis of the available literature and consensus of physiotherapists and strength and conditioning coaches based in the home country Institute of Sports within the United Kingdom.