Implementing a Sports Ultrasound Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical Education.

ABSTRACT: The utilization of sports ultrasound in the clinical practice of sports medicine physicians is growing rapidly. Simultaneously, ultrasound is being increasingly implemented as a teaching tool in undergraduate medical education. However, a sports ultrasound curriculum for medical students has not been previously described. In this article, we describe methods as well as barriers to implementing a sports ultrasound curriculum at the medical school level. Recommended content for the curriculum also is discussed. While educational goals and resources will vary among institutions, this article may serve as a general roadmap for the creation of a successful curriculum.

Load-deformation characteristics of cadaver patellae: Relationship to intraosseous pressure.

BACKGROUND: Anterior knee pain can arise from several sources. One of the main sources of pain in patients with anterior knee pain is the patella. Increased patellofemoral joint loading is the prime source of patellar pain. Elevated intraosseous pressures have been measured in painful patellae and increasing the intraosseous fluid pressure in the patella causes pain. Whether elevated fluid pressure is an independent source of pain or if the patellar deformation under load leads to elevated pressure and pain has not been determined. Our hypothesis was that the patella deforms measurably under physiologic loads and that intraosseous pressure increase is related to that deformation. The relationship may be linear as measured by correlation or nonlinear as measured by the sum of squared error. METHODS: Part I: Assessment of patellar load-deformation profiles were obtained in 2 intact cadaver patellae and 1 bisected patella under physiologic loads. Part II: Measurements of intraosseous pressure were obtained in 9 cadaver patellae as the patellae were compressed with physiologic loads. Pressures were recorded at sequential levels of anterior-posterior patellar compression. FINDINGS: Cadaver patellae compress up to 3.5 mm in the anterior-posterior plane. Compression with physiologic forces raises intraosseous pressure to more than 40 mmHg. INTERPRETATION: Load-deformation of cadaver patellae results in deformation and an increase in intraosseous pressure. These findings may help explain previous studies of patellofemoral pain where elevated patellar intraosseous pressures have been found in vivo.

Quantitative Assessment of Balance for Accurate Prediction of Return to Sport From Sport-Related Concussion.

BACKGROUND: Determining when athletes are able to return to sport after sports-related concussion (SRC) can be difficult. HYPOTHESIS: A multimodal algorithm using cognitive testing, postural stability, and clinical assessment can predict return to sports after SRC. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 2b. METHODS: Athletes were evaluated within 2 to 3 weeks of SRC. Clinical assessment, Immediate Post Concussion and Cognitive Testing (ImPACT), and postural stability (Equilibrate) were conducted. Resulting data and machine learning techniques were used to optimize an algorithm discriminating between patients ready to return to sports versus those who are not yet recovered. A Fisher discriminant analysis with leave-one-out cross-validation assessed every combination of 2 to 5 factors to optimize the algorithm with lowest combination of type I and type II errors. RESULTS: A total of 193 athletes returned to contact sports after SRC at a mean 84.6 days (±88.8). Twelve subjects (6.2%) sustained repeat SRC within 12 months after return to sport. The combination of (1) days since injury, (2) total symptom score, and (3) nondominant foot tandem eyes closed postural stability score created the best algorithm for discriminating those ready to return to sports after SRC with lowest type I error (13.85%) and type II error (11.25%). The model was able to discriminate between patients who were ready to successfully return to sports versus those who were not with area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.82. CONCLUSION: The algorithm predicts successful return to sports with an acceptable sensitivity and specificity. Tandem balance with eyes closed measured with a video-force plate discriminated athletes ready to return to sports from SRC when combined in multivariate analysis with symptom score and time since injury. The combination of these factors may pose advantages over computerized neuropsychological testing when evaluating young athletes with SRC for return to contact sports. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: When assessing young athletes sustaining an SRC in a concussion clinic, measuring postural stability in tandem stance with eyes closed combined with clinical assessment and cognitive recovery is effective to determine who is ready to successfully return to sports.

Concussion risk factors and strategies for prevention.

Concussion in children is frequently related to participation in sports. It requires a traumatic event to occur that transmits acceleration to the brain. Some children may have intrinsic risk factors that place them at greater risk for this type of injury. Comorbidities such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, migraine headaches, and mood disorders may place athletes at increased risk of more severe injury. A previous concussion is probably the most important influence on risk for future injury. Extrinsic risk factors include coaching techniques, officiating, and choice of sport. Helmet choice does not diminish concussion risk, nor does the use of mouth guards. Education of athletes, coaches, parents, and physicians is very important in improving recognition of potential concussive injury and helping child athletes and their parents understand the risks involved in sport participation.

Return to play after liver and spleen trauma.

CONTEXT: Sport-related spleen and liver injuries pose a challenge for the physician. Although rare, these injuries can have serious and even life-threatening outcomes if not accurately diagnosed and managed in a timely fashion. Currently, there are no evidence-based guidelines on duration and intensity of restricted activity and return to play after spleen and liver injury. In addition, there is controversy on follow-up imaging after injury. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: PubMed was searched using the terms splenic or spleen and trauma and hepatic or liver and trauma from 1980 to 2013. The citations from sentinel papers were also reviewed. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. RESULTS: Ultrasound is ideal in the unstable athlete. Nonoperative management of blunt splenic and hepatic injuries is recommended for hemodynamically stable patients regardless of injury grade, patient age, or presence of associated injuries. Follow-up imaging is not routinely recommended unless clinically indicated. Athletes may engage in light activity for the first 3 months after injury and then gradual return to unrestricted activity as tolerated. High-level athletes may choose splenectomy or serial imaging for faster return to play. CONCLUSION: Intravenous contrast-enhanced computed tomography is the diagnostic imaging modality of choice in stable athletes with blunt abdominal trauma. STRENGTH-OF-RECOMMENDATION TAXONOMY: C.

Blunt bladder injury.

Bladder injury should be suspected when trauma is followed by gross hematuria, suprapubic or abdominal pain, and difficulty in voiding or the inability to void. Bladder rupture with blunt abdominal trauma is uncommon; however, because of its high mortality rate, recognition of the early signs and symptoms can be life saving. The most common type of injury is a bladder contusion, which is a diagnosis of exclusion. Extraperitoneal bladder ruptures are almost exclusively associated with a pelvic fracture.

Closed head injury.

Closed head injuries vary from the very minor to the catastrophic. It is often difficult to differentiate the severity at initial presentation. Serial assessment is very valuable. Awareness of facial injuries is aided by familiarity with facial bone anatomy and the clinical presentation of orbital, zygomatic, maxillary, and mandibular fracture. Functional injury such as concussion may coexist with other injuries. This article will discuss closed head trauma and outline specific injuries to the face, brain, skull, and its surroundings.

Neck strength imbalance correlates with increased head acceleration in soccer heading.

BACKGROUND: Soccer heading is using the head to directly contact the ball, often to advance the ball down the field or score. It is a skill fundamental to the game, yet it has come under scrutiny. Repeated subclinical effects of heading may compound over time, resulting in neurologic deficits. Greater head accelerations are linked to brain injury. Developing an understanding of how the neck muscles help stabilize and reduce head acceleration during impact may help prevent brain injury. HYPOTHESIS: Neck strength imbalance correlates to increasing head acceleration during impact while heading a soccer ball. STUDY DESIGN: Observational laboratory investigation. METHODS: Sixteen Division I and II collegiate soccer players headed a ball in a controlled indoor laboratory setting while player motions were recorded by a 14-camera Vicon MX motion capture system. Neck flexor and extensor strength of each player was measured using a spring-type clinical dynamometer. RESULTS: Players were served soccer balls by hand at a mean velocity of 4.29 m/s (±0.74 m/s). Players returned the ball to the server using a heading maneuver at a mean velocity of 5.48 m/s (±1.18 m/s). Mean neck strength difference was positively correlated with angular head acceleration (rho = 0.497; P = 0.05), with a trend toward significance for linear head acceleration (rho = 0.485; P = 0.057). CONCLUSION: This study suggests that symmetrical strength in neck flexors and extensors reduces head acceleration experienced during low-velocity heading in experienced collegiate players. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Balanced neck strength may reduce head acceleration cumulative subclinical injury. Since neck strength is a measureable and amenable strength training intervention, this may represent a modifiable intrinsic risk factor for injury.