Prevention of Running Injuries: Mileage and Prior Injury....

Running greater than 40 miles per week is one of the strongest factors associated with injury. Additional factors that increase the risk of injury include: daily running, length of running, and a history of prior injury in the past 12 months.

Male Bone Density and Resistance Training...

A recent study linked resistance training to increased bone formation in men.  The findings suggest that weight-bearing exercise promotes bone formation in men. The researchers conducted a secondary analysis of previously published data that associated 12 months of resistance training or jump training to increased whole body and lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) and increased serum bone formation markers relative to resorption among physically active men with osteopenia of the hip or spine.

Running May Reduce Knee Inflammation...

Running May Reduce Knee Inflammation...

Findings from a small pilot study published suggest that running may help reduce inflammation in the knee. The researchers examined synovial fluid (SF) and serum samples of six recreational runners before and after 30-minute running and control sessions. Overall, the study found a trend of a decrease in selected inflammatory markers following running.

The Advantages of Outpatient ACL Reconstruction...

A recent study highlighted some of the advantages of outpatient ACL reconstruction. The study compared levels of discomfort in both inpatient and outpatient ACL reconstructions. During the first night after surgery, the outpatient participants experienced less difficulty sleeping and were less often woken up by pain. Further, the outpatient participants walked more frequently. The study authors concluded outpatient ACL reconstruction is not associated with any additional postoperative discomfort.

Rehab Before ACL Surgery May Improve Outcomes

A recent study suggests that preoperative rehabilitation prior to ACL reconstruction may improve postoperative outcomes for up to 2 years following surgery. The researchers compared outcomes from two groups. One group was treated with extended preoperative rehabilitation, including neuromuscular training. The second group did not undergo extended preoperative rehabilitation. After adjustment for baseline scoring, the research team found that the group treated with pre-op rehab displayed significant and clinically meaningful differences in scoring at 2-year follow-up.

Concussion impacts the brain for many months after initial injury...

The data from a recent study showed that young athletes with concussion may still exhibit changes in white matter of their brains 6 months after injury.  The researchers conducted imaging on 17 high school and college football players with concussion, and compared the scans with those from 18 matched controls who did not have a concussion. At 6-month follow-up, they found no difference between groups in self-reported concussion symptoms, cognition, or balance. However, they noted widespread decreased mean diffusivity in the concussion cohort compared with controls, which was similar to acute findings at 24 hours and 8 days.

Track and Field Injuries...

Track and field remains one of the most popular high school sports among boys and girls. The majority of track and field injuries are overuse injuries due to chronic repetitive stresses. A recent study demonstrated that sprints, distance running, and jumps accounts for over 65% of all track injuries...

Risk Factors for Elbow Injury in Baseball Pitchers...

A recent study investigated 104 MLB pitchers who underwent Tommy John surgery (UCL reconstruction). The authors found the following six factors may increase the likelihood for the need for UCL surgery in high level baseball pitchers:
  -fewer days rest between consecutive games
  -smaller repertoire of pitches
  -less pronounced horizontal release location
  -small stature
  -greater mean pitch speed
  -greater mean pitch counts per game

High School Athletes and Over-Specialization...

Over specialization is a term used when referring to athletes who focus on one sport all year round. An example would be a high school pitcher who throws all year round and does not take an off-season. A study suggests that highly specialized high school athletes may be more likely to report a history of overuse knee or hip injury. The high school athletes were classified as low specialization (n = 105), moderate specialization (n = 87), or high specialization (n = 110). They found that athletes in the high specialization group were more likely to report a history of overuse knee injuries (n = 18) compared with moderate (n = 8) or low specialization (n = 7) athletes. Overall, athletes who trained in one sport for more than 8 months out of the year were more likely to report a history of knee injuries, overuse knee injuries, and hip injuries.

Female Soccer Athletes and Recurrent ACL Injury...

A recent study reported that female soccer players treated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction who returned to the sport had an increased rate of graft re-tear and contralateral ACL injury, compared to a similar group of non-soccer female athletes.

ACL Reconstruction and Long-Term Changes to the Knee...

A recent study examined changes in knee osteoarthritis (OA), symptoms, and function after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The authors conducted a prospective study of 210 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction, with 168 available at 20-year follow-up. At 20 years, the authors noted that 42 percent of patients had radiographic tibiofemoral OA and 21 percent had radiographic patellofemoral OA.

The Potential Key To Long Term Relief From Plantar Fasciitis... Stretching?

Plantar fasciitis is a very common condition of the heel. While there are many various treatment modalities, steroid injections and stretching are the most common. A recent study specifically compared the effectiveness of joint mobilization combined with stretching exercises against steroid injection for the treatment of plantar fasciitis. The study involved 43 patients with plantar fasciitis who were treated with joint mobilization and stretching or a single steroid injection. Compared to baseline, they noted significant improvement in pain relief and functional outcomes across both groups at 3-, 6-, and 12-week follow-ups. However, at the 12-week and 1-year follow-ups, pain and functional outcomes were significantly improved in only the mobilization and stretching group.

Returning to basketball following Achilles tendon rupture...

A recent study showed how devastating an Achilles tendon rupture can be for the competitive basketball player. This study examined postoperative performance for injured National Basketball Association (NBA) players. The researchers found that return-to-play rates were highest among patients with hand/wrist fractures (98.1 percent) and lowest for players with Achilles tendon tears (70.8 percent). Players who underwent Achilles tendon repair and arthroscopic knee surgery displayed a significantly greater decline in postoperative performance outcomes at 1- and 3-year time points, and had shorter career lengths compared to those who underwent other procedures.

Low Vitamin D Level and Stress Fracture Risk...

A recent study found that reduced levels of vitamin D many be associated with an increased risk of stress fracture for active patients. In the study, they found 83% of patients with a stress fracture had insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels...

NCAA's Most Dangerous Sports...


A recent study analyzed data on NCAA athletes' injuries in 25 sports. The researchers studied data on over 1 million injuries over a fiver year period. The study concluded that football accounts for the most sports injuries each year and wrestling was the most dangerous. The study indicated wrestling poses the highest rate for injury for male college athletes.

Female Soccer Injuries: Concussions

With soccer becoming a more popular sport among girls, here are some important facts...

-for all women’s NCAA sports, soccer has the highest rate of concussions

-among all NCAA sports, women’s soccer is only second to men’s football in terms of concussion rates

-female soccer players have a higher concussion rate than men

-women tend to sustain concussions from head-to-ground and player-to-ball contact, while men sustain a greater proportion of concussions due to player-to-player contact

-females are predisposed to concussions compared to men due to smaller head-to-ball ratio, less neck girth, and less neck stiffness

-after concussion, women have different symptoms and more symptoms than men; females have more headache, fatigue, drowsiness, and noise sensitivity than males

Teenagers and Shoulder Dislocation...

A recent study of patients aged 10 to 16 years found that the rate of primary and recurrent anterior shoulder dislocations among 14- to 16-year-old patients was similar to that in a high-risk group of adults aged 17 to 20 years; the rate was considerable lower in patients aged 10 to 13 years. The study concluded that parents and clinicians should be aware male patients and those aged 14 to 16 years are at increased risk of recurrence after the nonoperative management of a primary anterior shoulder dislocation.

Tips for Avoiding Pitching Injury...

Major League Baseball has a list of risk factors and tips for avoiding injury on its Pitch Smart website. The league advises against:

Pitching while fatigued;

Throwing too many innings over the course of the year;

Not taking enough time off from baseball every year;

Pitching on consecutive days;

Excessive throwing when not pitching;

Playing for multiple teams at the same time;

Pitching with injuries to other body regions;

Not following proper strength and conditioning routines;

Not following safe practices while at showcases;

Throwing curveballs and sliders at a young age; and

Radar gun use

Fish Oil and Osteoarthritis...

 Osteoarthritis (OA) is the leading cause of disability in the United States, affecting more than 50 million people. Current treatments are targeted at reducing symptoms of the inflammatory reaction that occurs after destruction of essential joint cartilage. There are claims that fish oil can prevent or decrease the severity of OA. Lab studies have shown that components of fish oil can reduce proinflammatory mediators and increase joint lubrication in vitro. Also, canine studies have shown clinically significant reductions in various symptom parameters. However, results of human clinical trials have not been consistently significant. Well-designed clinical trials are needed to substantiate or refute the potential benefit of fish oils in OA treatment. Long-term studies are needed to assess the possibility of prevention. In addition, standardization of the fish oil industry is needed for consistency of therapy.

Am J Orthop. 2015;44(7):302-305.

Physical Activity and Your Mental Health...

Did you know being physically inactive is a risk factor for depression? A recent meta-analysis studied over 83,000 participants, and concluded that sedentary behavior is associated with increased risk of depression. Just one more reason to stay physically active...