Return to Sports Following Shoulder Injury: Clinical Evaluation, Isokinetic, and Functional Testing.

ABSTRACT: The shoulder is commonly injured in overhead sports. This is associated with a high degree of mobility at the expense of stability, sports specific demands, high volume or intensity of practice and competition, biomechanical deficits, and poor technique. Following injury, the return to competition process includes nonsurgical or surgical treatment, comprehensive rehabilitation, and a structured return to sports program. The return to sports continuum is divided into phases which include return to practice of the sport, return to competition at a lower level or with reduced performance, and return to expected performance. Components of the return to sports decision include clinical evaluation of physical and psychological readiness, measurement of muscle strength using isokinetic tests, evaluation of overhead functional tasks, and progression in a supervised interval throwing program. The evidence for the effectiveness of return to sports programs following shoulder injury is limited but evolving and is an area that will merit continued investigation.

Inducing Ulnar Nerve Function while Eliminating Claw Hand and Reducing Chronic Neuropathic Pain.

Ulnar nerve injury induces chronic neuropathic pain and is frequently devastating due to loss of cupping the hand around objects (finger clawing) and diminished grip strength. There is little chance of restoring good function, eliminating finger clawing, or reducing the pain. A novel technique was tested for its efficacy in promoting ulnar nerve function and reducing finger clawing and chronic neuropathic pain. A 25-year-old subject presented 5.7 months after a wrist gunshot that created three nerve gaps proximal to the deep ulnar nerve branch. He sought restoration of function due to developing ulnar nerve injury-induced claw hand and increasingly severe chronic neuropathic pain. After resection of the scarred nerve tissue, each gap was 10 cm long. The gaps were bridged with two nonreversed sural nerve grafts within a PRP-filled NeuroMend collagen tube (Collagen Matrix, Oakland, N.J.). Some axons regenerated entirely across all three 10-cm-long repaired nerve gaps, restoring excellent topographically correct sensitivity of S4, including two-point discrimination of 4 mm, good M4 motor function, and full ROM. The ulnar nerve injury-induced finger clawing was eliminated, and the chronic neuropathic pain of 7 was reduced to 0 on a 0-10 validated scale and did not return over the following 3.75 years. Thus, this novel technique induces good sensory and motor function, despite repairing three 10-cm-long nerve gaps while eliminating ulnar nerve injury-induced hand clawing and chronic neuropathic pain. Further studies are required to determine whether the effects were due to PRP.

Current status and trends in subspecialty certification in physical medicine and rehabilitation.

BACKGROUND: There is a need to better understand the overall state of sub-specialization in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R). OBJECTIVE: To examine the status and trends in subspecialty certification for each of the seven subspecialties approved for American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (ABPMR) diplomates. DESIGN/SETTING: Retrospective analysis of deidentified information from the ABPMR database. PARTICIPANTS: Physicians certified by ABPMR through 2019. INTERVENTIONS: Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: For each subspecialty, we examined: (1) the number of certificates issued to ABPMR diplomates; (2) the recertification rate; (3) the yearly trends for total active, new, and expired certificates; and (4) for ABPMR-administered subspecialties, recertification rates for those entering the subspecialty through fellowship completion versus a "grandfathered" practice pathway. RESULTS: Of 11,421 ABPMR diplomates in the United States in 2019, a total of 3560 (31.2%) had 3985 active subspecialty certificates. Pain Medicine (PM) was the most common subspecialty certification (15.5% of all ABPMR diplomates) followed by Sports Medicine (SM, 6.6%), Brain Injury Medicine (BIM, 4.8%), Spinal Cord Injury Medicine (SCIM, 4.2%), Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM, 2.5%), Neuromuscular Medicine (NMM, 0.7%), and Hospice and Palliative Medicine (HPM, 0.5%). For diplomates with more than one subspecialty certification, PM and SM was the most frequent combination. Both the recertification rate and the end of practice track eligibility influenced certification trends differently for individual subspecialties. The average number of new certificates added annually for every subspecialty was higher before than after the temporary practice track-based eligibility ended; the difference was statistically significant (p < .05) for SCIM, PM, SM, and NMM. The recertification rate for all subspecialties combined was 73.4%. For the subspecialties (SCIM, PRM) for which these data were available, fellowship candidates had higher recertification rates than those grandfathered through a practice track. CONCLUSION: This report informs stakeholders about the state and evolution of subspecialty certification in PM&R over time.

Return-to-Competition Progression After Exertional Heat Stroke in an Adolescent Runner: A Case Report.

A 14-year-old runner indigenous to the tropics collapsed during his first 10-km race in a hot and humid climate. Dizziness, stumbling, and loss of consciousness were symptoms of exertional heat stroke. Two days postcollapse, blood tests revealed elevated hepatic transaminases consistent with hepatic injury. We discuss the return-to-competition progression, which included a gradual increase in exercise duration, initially in a cool and then in a tropical climate, and 2 field-based (wet-bulb globe temperature > 29.0°C) running evaluations that simulated the environmental conditions and training intensity the athlete would encounter in his sport. The thermoregulatory results guided the training progression, his tolerance to running in the heat improved, blood values normalized, and he was cleared to compete in a tropical climate. This exploration case report presents a novel field-based protocol that replicates the physiological demands of training in the tropics to evaluate thermoregulatory responses during exercise-heat stress in young runners after exertional heat stroke to facilitate a safe return to competition.

Estado actual de la especialidad en medicina física y rehabilitación en Puerto Rico: educación, investigación científica y práctica clínica / Current status of the specialty in physical medicine and rehabilitation in Puerto Rico: education, scientific research and clinical practice

En Puerto Rico, la especialidad de medicina física y rehabilitación surgió en la década de los años cincuenta y a partir de ese momento ha progresado gracias a la creación de programas de adiestramiento de vanguardia, el establecimiento de una cultura de investigación científica y el desarrollo de la especialidad primaria y de subespecialidades como manejo de dolor, medicina del deporte, rehabilitación pediátrica, medicina neuromuscular, medicina de trauma cerebral y medicina de lesiones medulares. La práctica clínica más común es la de atención a pacientes externos con dolor, lesiones musculoesqueléticas y daños en el sistema nervioso, pero se ha presentado un aumento en los servicios de rehabilitación intensiva de pacientes que requieren hospitalización; en el uso de técnicas intervencionistas para manejo de dolor, lesiones de tejido blando y articulares, así como en el manejo de espasticidad. Actualmente, la especialidad de fisiatría en Puerto Rico enfrenta grandes retos, como lo son el control de las aseguradoras sobre los servicios que se les ofrecen a pacientes con impedimentos físicos y restricciones de participación, el incremento en la cantidad de documentos requeridos para que se aprueben estos servicios y la competencia de otros profesionales de la salud que han incursionado en el campo de rehabilitación. Las oportunidades para la especialidad incluyen el aumento de la población mayor y con discapacidad que requiere servicios de rehabilitación; el desarrollo de las prácticas de subespecialidad, y la necesidad de aumentar la evidencia científica que demuestre la efectividad de los tratamientos que se ofrecen y de apoyar las políticas públicas que aumenten el acceso a servicios de rehabilitación para personas de escasos recursos.

In Puerto Rico, the specialty in physical medicine and rehabilitation emerged in the 1950s and since then it has progressed thanks of the creation of cuttingedge training programs, the establishment of a culture of scientific research and the development of the primary specialty and subspecialties such as pain management, sports medicine, pediatric rehabilitation, neuromuscular medicine, brain trauma medicine, and spinal cord injury medicine. The most common clinical practice is the care of outpatients with pain, musculoskeletal injuries and damage of the nervous system, but there has been an increase in intensive rehabilitation services for patients who require hospitalization, in the use of interventionist techniques for the management of pain, soft tissue and joint injuries, as well as for the management of spasticity. Currently, the specialty of physiatry in Puerto Rico faces big challenges, such as the control of the insurers on the services offered to patients with physical impairments and participation restrictions, the increase in the number of documents required for the approval of these services, and the competition of other health care professionals who have ventured into the field of rehabilitation. The opportunities for the specialty include the increase in the elderly and disabled population requiring rehabilitation services, the development of subspecialty practices, and the need to increase scientific evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of the treatments offered and to support public policies that increase the access to rehabilitation services for people with limited resources.

Evidence for isokinetic and functional testing in return to sport decisions following ACL surgery.

The rupture and reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of the knee are associated with an increased risk of functional instability, a reduction in sports performance, and a higher risk of future additional injuries. Competitive athletes who participate in sports that require pivoting, cutting, and jumping are at particularly high risk for ACL rupture. The return to sport progression continuum after surgery includes sports-specific rehabilitation, evaluation of strength and function, gradual participation in exercise training with progressively challenging activities in the field of play, participation in sports at a lower level, and finally a return to preinjury-level sports competition. This narrative review evaluates the evidence that supports the use of quadriceps and hamstrings isokinetic strength testing and sports-specific functional skills assessments to evaluate progress with rehabilitation after ACL surgery. Strength evaluations, hop tests, agility tests, and the limb symmetry index are described, as well as the associations of quadriceps and hamstrings muscle strength and functional test results with successful return to sports and the risk of ACL graft rupture and contralateral knee injuries. Suggestions for future research directions are presented including the importance of presurgery testing, standardization of test batteries, and comparison of test results with normative data.

Functional Recovery following Repair of Long Nerve Gaps in Senior Patient 2.6 Years Posttrauma.

Sensory nerve grafts are the clinical "gold standard" for repairing peripheral nerve gaps. However, reliable good-to-excellent recovery develops only for gaps less than 3-5 cm, repairs performed less than 3-5 months posttrauma, and patients aged less than 20-25 years. As the value of any variable increases, the extent of recovery decreases precipitously, and if the values of any two or all increase, there is little to no recovery. One 9-cm-long and two 11-cm-long nerve gaps in a 56-year-old patient were repaired 2.6 years posttrauma. They were bridged with two sensory nerve grafts within an autologous platelet-rich plasma-filled collagen tube. Both were connected to the proximal ulnar nerve stump, with one graft end to the distal motor and the other to the sensory nerve branches. Although presurgery the patient suffered chronic level 10 excruciating neuropathic pain, it was reduced to 6 within 2 months, and did not increase for more than 2 years. Motor axons regenerated across the 9-cm gap and innervated the appropriate two measured muscles, with limited muscle fiber recruitment. Sensory axons regenerated across both 11-cm gaps and restored normal topographically correct sensitivity to stimuli of all sensory modalities, including static two-point discrimination of 5 mm, and pressure of 2.83 g to all regions innervated by both sensory nerves. This novel technique induced a significant long-term reduction in chronic excruciating neuropathic pain while promoting muscle reinnervation and complete sensory recovery, despite the values of all three variables that reduce or prevent axon regeneration and recovery being simultaneously large.

Ulnar-Sided Wrist Pain in the Athlete: Sport-Specific Demands, Clinical Presentation, and Management Options.

ABSTRACT: Ulnar-sided wrist injuries are common in sports that require repeated pronosupination, wrist radial/ulnar deviation, axial loading, and gripping equipment. Common anatomic structures affected include the triangular fibrocartilage complex, extensor carpi ulnaris tendon, distal radioulnar and ulnocarpal joints, and hamate bone. Presenting symptoms include pain with activity, swelling, possible snapping or clicking, and reproduction of symptoms with provocative maneuvers. Imaging may confirm or rule out pathologies, but abnormal findings also may present in asymptomatic athletes. Initial treatment is usually nonoperative with splinting, load management, activity modification, strengthening the components of the kinetic chain of the particular sport, and pain management. Surgery is usually indicated in ulnar-wrist pain pathology such as hook of hamate fractures and required in associated instability. Future research should address specific treatment and rehabilitation protocols, emphasizing the complete kinetic chain along with the injured wrist.

Recommendations for Enhancing Sports Medicine Fellowship Training.

Physical medicine and rehabilitation-trained physicians are increasingly interested in caring for patients with musculoskeletal and sports disorders. Sports medicine fellowships are designed to provide competency in sports medicine and musculoskeletal care. The authors, with endorsement from the Association of Academic Physiatrists, provide a framework and tools that Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited sports medicine fellowship programs can use to enhance and meet the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education program requirements. Based on the position statement from the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, we propose recommendations for Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited sports medicine programs to achieve standards of excellence. We also provide recommendations for research requirements during the course of a sports fellowship. With the proposed recommendations, a sports medicine fellowship program can achieve excellence and enhance fellowship training by increasing proficiency in physical medicine and rehabilitation-based skills relevant to sports and musculoskeletal medicine. Given the multidisciplinary nature of musculoskeletal and sports medicine, it is also key that fellowship programs (regardless of the department that they are accredited through) have faculty members that represents these disciplines and accept applicants with residency training in physical medicine and rehabilitation, internal medicine, family medicine, pediatrics, and emergency medicine.

Rehabilitation Management of Rotator Cuff Injuries in the Master Athlete.

Rotator cuff (RTC) injuries are common in master athletes, especially overhead athletes. Risk factors include aging and degeneration as nonmodifiable and volume of activity, muscle weakness, and loss of motion as modifiable. The clinical presentation involves limited range of motion (ROM), pain at rest and at night. Injury classification into traumatic versus nontraumatic and tendinopathy, partial or full-thickness tears helps to establish a treatment plan. RTC injury rehabilitation protocols are criteria-based, multimodal, and divided into four phases. The acute phase addresses pain, inflammation, ROM, and RTC protection. The recovery phase addresses kinetic chain abnormalities, flexibility, and strength, and the functional phase involves exercises directed toward specific sport activities. Return to sports is based on clinical recovery, kinetic chain principles, and adequate sports technique. Nonsurgical management is recommended in most cases, and surgical management is considered if symptoms progress, especially for full-thickness tears.

Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Latin America: Development and Current Status.

Disability disproportionately affects women, older individuals, and ethnic minorities in low-income countries, many of which are located in Latin America. Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) is the medical specialty that manages disability and works on restoring function, and over the past 6 decades has significantly expanded its importance in Latin America. The specialty has developed graduate and postgraduate educational programs, provides services to individuals of all ages in inpatient and outpatient settings, has increased its research productivity, and has become an advocate for patients with disabling conditions, which has resulted in improved access to care for many patients.

Conservative Management and Rehabilitation in the Older Runner With Knee Osteoarthritis: An Evidence-Based Review.

Osteoarthritis is an age-related condition that commonly affects the middle-aged and elderly population including individuals who continue to pursue an active and athletic lifestyle. Running is an easily accessible activity with many health benefits; thus, it is becoming a popular form of exercise, even in older individuals. Studies evaluating the correlation between running and osteoarthritis show conflicting results; however, most studies show an increased risk of osteoarthritis in runners with a combination of modifiable and nonmodifiable risk factors. This study reviews the current literature to provide an overview of conservative (nonpharmacological and pharmacological) management strategies including patient education, therapeutic modalities and exercises, mechanical measures, dietary factors, oral and injectable pharmacotherapies, and orthobiologics. Rehabilitation considerations and return-to-sport guidelines are discussed, emphasizing the notion that a return to running activity requires reduction in mileage and formulation of a structured exercise program that includes strengthening, flexibility, and stability exercises, as well as modifications in the running technique.

Burnout in Diplomates of the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation-Prevalence and Potential Drivers: A Prospective Cross-Sectional Survey.

BACKGROUND: Physician burnout is of growing concern. Burnout among physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) physicians has shown a significant increase, positioning PM&R as one of the most "burned out" of specialties. Little has been written about potential factors contributing to physiatrist burnout or potential interventions. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of burnout among physiatrists and identify risk factors for burnout and potential strategies to decrease burnout among physiatrists. DESIGN: Prospective cross-sectional survey. SETTING: National survey of board certified physiatrists. PARTICIPANTS: One thousand five hundred thirty-six physiatrists certified by the American Board of PM&R. OUTCOME: The Mini-Z Burnout Survey, 1 question from the Maslach Burnout Scale on callousness toward patients, and several potential drivers of burnout. The probability of burnout, identified by question 3 on the Mini-Z, was the dependent variable. Other questions on the Mini-Z were explored as independent variables using logistic regression. RESULTS: Seven hundred seventy physiatrists (50.7%) fulfilled the definition of burnout. Only 38% of physiatrists reported not becoming more callous toward patients. The top 3 causes of burnout identified by physiatrists were increasing regulatory demands, workload and job demands, and practice inefficiency and lack of resources. Higher burnout rate was associated with high levels of job stress and working more hours per week. Lower burnout rates were associated with higher job satisfaction, control over workload, professional values aligned with those of department leaders, and sufficient time for documentation. There was no significant association between burnout and sex, years in practice, practice focus, or practice area. CONCLUSION: Burnout is a significant problem among PM&R physicians and is pervasive throughout the specialty. Opportunities exist to address major contributing drivers of burnout relating to practice patterns and efficiency of care within PM&R. These opportunities are, to varying degrees, under the control of hospital leaders, practice administrators, and practitioners.

Benefits of Exercise in the Older Population.

Older adults 65 years of age and older compose a great portion of the US population. Physiologic changes of aging that limit function and general quality of life occur at a faster rate as we get older. There is high-quality evidence that exercise activity has many favorable benefits for older adults. The ideal exercise program in older adults should include aerobic, resistance, flexibility, and balance training. The exercise recommendations should be individually tailored to the abilities, precautions, and goals of each person. They also should be of sufficient intensity, volume, and duration in order to achieve maximal benefits.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: Return to Play, Function and Long-Term Considerations.

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.

Recurrence and return to play after shoulder instability events in young and adolescent athletes: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder instability in athletics is a common occurrence. However, there is controversy as to whether non-operative versus operative management is the most effective treatment in youth athletes. We systematically reviewed recurrence and return to play (RTP) after shoulder instability events in youth athletes based on surgical versus non-surgical intervention. DESIGN: The systematic review concerned studies published before August 2016. Statistical analysis was performed to compare rates of recurrence for each extracted risk factor. Pooled ORs were analysed using random-effects meta-analysis. RESULTS: 17 studies comprising 654 total shoulder instability events met the criteria for inclusion (438 men and 158 women; 507 cases traumatic and 20 atraumatic). Patients were grouped by whether they received non-operative or operative treatment. The primary non-operative group was more likely to have recurrence compared to the primary operative group (OR=13.41; 99% CI 3.60 to 49.93, p<0.001). Patients <14 years old in the primary non-operative group were less likely to recur compared to those aged ≥14 years (OR=0.16; 99% CI 0.06 to 0.43, p<0.001). The rate of recurrence in patients aged <14 years was high (44.44%). For RTP, there is evidence that RTP rates were higher for primary operative patients (95.3%) versus primary non-operative (41.3%, Z=6.12, p<0.001) and secondary operative patients (77.6%, Z=2.66, p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: This meta-analysis summarises a mix of 17 acceptable quality level II and III prospective and retrospective cohort studies. Given the superior rates of recurrence and RTP, primary operative treatment for shoulder instability should be considered in youth athletes aged ≥14 years. Additionally, the recurrence rate in athletes aged <14 years is significant.

The role of physiatry in regenerative medicine: the past, the present, and future challenges.

Historically, the foundation of physical medicine and rehabilitation training has provided the capabilities to optimize nonoperative treatments of a variety of musculoskeletal conditions, including acute and chronic muscle, tendon, ligament, and cartilage disorders. Such treatments include the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), therapeutic modalities (eg, thermal and manual therapies), and corticosteroid injections in conjunction with specific rehabilitation exercises. Although NSAIDs, modalities, and corticosteroids may be helpful for short-term pain reduction and early recovery of function, they do not typically reverse the structural changes associated with degenerative conditions and may contribute to worse long-term outcomes by potentially interfering with tissue healing. Regenerative interventions, including platelet-rich plasma and mesenchymal stem cells, recently have been used to treat refractory painful conditions such as chronic tendinopathies because of the potential of these interventions to facilitate tissue healing. The future development of these regenerative techniques will require a variety of conditions to be met, including determining the most appropriate procedures based on the disease being treated; establishing the optimal preparations of these regenerative techniques; and providing clinicians, patients, and regulatory agencies with high-quality evidence demonstrating the safety, effectiveness, and long-term results of these treatments. Clarification of current regulatory uncertainty, improved access for all patients, proper training for clinicians who incorporate these techniques into their practice, and determination of the most appropriate postinjection protocols will allow physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists to play a unique role in the long-term management of patients with musculoskeletal and sports injuries. This article will also address the role physiatrists should have in the inevitable growth of regenerative medicine applications.