Validity of a Rehab and Reconditioning Program Following an Adductor Longus Injury in Professional Soccer.

CONTEXT: The high rates of adductor injuries and reinjuries in soccer have suggested that the current rehabilitation programs may be insufficient; therefore, there is a need to create prevention and reconditioning programs to prepare athletes for the specific demands of the sport. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to validate a rehab and reconditioning program (RRP) for adductor injuries through a panel of experts and determine the effectiveness of this program through its application in professional soccer. DESIGN: A 20-item RRP was developed, which was validated by a panel of experts anonymously and then applied to 12 injured male professional soccer players. SETTING: Soccer pitch and indoor gym. PARTICIPANTS: Eight rehabilitation fitness coaches (age = 33.25 [2.49] y) and 8 academic researchers (age = 38.50 [3.74] y) with PhDs in sports science and/or physiotherapy. The RRP was applied to 12 male professional players (age = 23.75 [4.97] y; height = 180.56 [8.41] cm; mass = 76.89 [3.43] kg) of the Spanish First and Second Division (La Liga). INTERVENTIONS: The experts validated an indoor and on-field reconditioning program, which was based on strengthening the injured muscle and retraining conditional capacities with the aim of reducing the risk of reinjury. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Aiken V for each item of the program and number of days taken by the players to return to full team training. RESULTS: The experts evaluated all items of the program very highly as seen from Aiken V values between 0.77 and 0.94 (range: 0.61-0.98) for all drills, and the return to training was in 13.08 (±1.42) days. CONCLUSION: This RRP following an injury to the adductor longus was validated by injury experts, and initial results suggested that it could permit a faster return to team training.

Difference in racket head trajectory and muscle activity between the standard volley and the drop volley in tennis.

Among tennis coaches and players, the standard volley and drop volley are considered basically similar, but muscles need to be relaxed (deactivation) just at the moment of impact when hitting the drop volley. However, this is not evidence-based. The aim of this study was to clarify racket head trajectory and muscle activity during the drop volley and to compare them with those of the standard volley. We hypothesized that 1) the racket head would move less forward for the drop volley than for the standard volley and 2) the wrist and elbow muscles be relaxed for the drop volley at the time of ball impact. Eleven male college students with sufficient tennis experience volunteered to participate in this study. Wireless EMG sensors recorded activation of the four arm muscles. Each subject performed the standard volley or the drop volley with both a forehand and a backhand from a position near the net. Four high speed video cameras (300 Hz) were set up on the court to measure ball speed and racket head trajectory. Returned ball speed of the drop volley was significantly lower than that of the standard volley (p < 0.05). The racket head moved less forward than in the standard volley, supporting the first hypothesis. Muscle activity of the drop volley, just before and after ball impact for both the forehand and backhand, was lower than that of the standard volley. However, the activity was in the form of a gradual increase as impact time approached, rather than a sudden deactivation (relaxation), which did not support the second hypothesis. For the drop volley, lower muscle activity in the forearm enabled a softer grip and thus allowed a "flip" movement of the racket to diminish the speed of the returned ball.

Use of domestic tools to downstage the reconstructive ladder in a patient with severe crush and degloving injury: a case report.

In the COVID-19's crisis, elective surgery and non-emergent cases were postponed; all other procedures have to be minimized. A 17-year male patient with severe crush and degloving injury over the thigh, gluteal, sacral, and perineum areas was admitted to our Department on the 16th of March 2020. The patient presented soft tissue skin and muscle loss. A double Latissimus Dorsi and Anterolateral Thigh free flaps were indicated. However, due to the particular circumstance of the COVID-19 crisis, we applied domestic negative wound therapy (NPWT) using gauzes and wall suction. We obtained suitable granulation tissue after 17 consecutive days with this treatment. The raw area was then covered with an expanded split-thickness skin graft. The wound healed at 95%, and the patient was discharged on 25th of April 2020. He was followed up in an outpatient setting with wound care and physiotherapy. This case showed that in a limited-resource setting, with available wall suction, the domestic NPWT is a versatile tool to promote granulation tissue.