ABSTRACT
Anterior cruciate ligament tears are common and affect young individuals who participate in jumping and pivoting sports. After injury many individuals undergo ligament reconstruction (ACLR) but do not return to play, suffer recurrent injury and osteoarthritis. Outcome studies show that after ACLR, 81% of individuals return to sports, 65% return to their preinjury level and 55% return to competitive sports. Systematic reviews place the risk of ipsilateral retears at 5.8% and contralateral injuries at 11.8%, with recent reports of over 20% failure rate. Approximately 20% to 50% of patients will have evidence of OA within 10 to 20 yr. Factors important in reducing complications include timing of surgery, individualized return to play protocols, and prevention programs for injury. Further understanding of the factors that increase return to play percentages, reduce the risk of recurrent injury and improve long-term outcomes after ACL injury is needed to reduce the burden of these injuries on society.
Subject(s)
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/epidemiology , Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries/therapy , Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction/statistics & numerical data , Athletic Injuries/epidemiology , Athletic Injuries/therapy , Athletic Performance/statistics & numerical data , Return to Sport/statistics & numerical data , Adolescent , Adult , Child , Clinical Decision-Making , Evidence-Based Medicine , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prevalence , Recovery of Function , Risk Factors , Treatment Outcome , Young AdultABSTRACT
The anterior cruciate ligament is an intra-articular structure of the knee essential for both static and dynamic stability. It is commonly injured during sports activities by a noncontact mechanism. Several modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors predispose athletes to this injury, especially females. Early diagnosis and rehabilitation play an important role in its management, including both conservative and surgical treatment. Even though no specific guidelines are available in regards to which is the best alternative, criteria such as pain, instability episodes, secondary structures injuries, and pre-injury level of activity should be considered. Rehabilitation protocols for both conservative and surgical reconstruction are available and recommended approach to avoid complications. However, injury prevention protocols emphasizing on modifiable risk factors seem to be the next big step in management for the anterior cruciate ligament.
Subject(s)
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries , Anterior Cruciate Ligament/anatomy & histology , Biomechanical Phenomena , Exercise Therapy , Humans , Wounds and Injuries/diagnosis , Wounds and Injuries/rehabilitation , Wounds and Injuries/therapyABSTRACT
During the XVII Central American and Caribbean Sports Games held in Ponce in 1993 the health services offered to the Puerto Rico Delegation included medical, dental and psychological assistance, physical therapy and services on the playing field. Information about the use of these services was obtained from the encounter sheets. The Puerto Rican delegation of 750 members had 1,800 encounters with the health team; 612 (34.0 per cent ) individual consults; 896 (54.8 per cent ) physical therapy sessions; 166 (9.2 per cent ) encounters in the sports venues; and 36 (20 per cent ) group therapies. The most common diagnoses were athletic injuries (304; 58.2 per cent ) and diseases of the respiratory system (76; 14.5 per cent ). The most frequent athletic injuries were first degree strains (75; 24.7 per cent ) and tendinitis (73, 24.0 per cent ). This pattern is similar to that observed in other sports games and delegations with mild conditions prevailing. An interdisciplinary work and biopsychosocial approach will be important for the better health and performance of our athletes
Subject(s)
Adolescent , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Athletic Injuries/therapy , Respiratory Tract Infections/therapy , Health Services , Caribbean Region , Central America , Mexico , Puerto RicoABSTRACT
The pattern of sports injuries appears to be population-specific. The purpose of the present study is to describe 1750 injuries evaluated between April 1988 and April 1994 in our Olympic Training Center Interdisciplinary Sports Injury Clinic. Our patient population included elite and recreational athletes of both sexes between the ages of 7 and 71 years. Males comprised 73 per cent of the patient population and approximately 80 per cent of the injuries corresponded to the 10 to 29 age range. The most frequent sports in males were baseball (21.9 per cent ) and basketball (15.9 per cent ) and in females were track and field (17.1 per cent ) and gymnastics (15.1 per cent ). Most injuries (52 per cent ) were traumatic in nature, chronic (71.6 per cent ), and occurred during training sessions (57.4 per cent ). The most commonly affected anatomical areas were the knee (31.2 per cent ) and shoulder (15.5 per cent ). The most common diagnoses were tendinitis (25.4 per cent ), and first degree strains (11.8 per cent ) and sprains (9.3 per cent ). Finally, treatment strategies included medications (61.0 per cent ), physical therapy (48.9 per cent ), relative rest (35.7 per cent ), and home exercise programs (35.2 per cent ). The variety of musculoskeletal disorders seen in combination with the frequent use of conservative treatment confirms the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to sports injuries
