Sports injuries during the Summer Olympic Games 2008.

BACKGROUND: Standardized assessment of sports injuries provides important epidemiological information and also directions for injury prevention. PURPOSE: To analyze the frequency, characteristics, and causes of injuries incurred during the Summer Olympic Games 2008. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: The chief physicians and/or chief medical officers of the national teams were asked to report daily all injuries newly incurred during the Olympic Games on a standardized injury report form. In addition, injuries were reported daily by the physicians at the medical stations at the different Olympic venues and at the polyclinic in the Olympic Village. RESULTS: Physicians and/or therapists of 92 national teams covering 88% of the 10,977 registered athletes took part in the study. In total, 1055 injuries were reported, resulting in an incidence of 96.1 injuries per 1000 registered athletes. Half of the injuries (49.6%) were expected to prevent the athlete from participating in competition or training. The most prevalent diagnoses were ankle sprains and thigh strains. The majority (72.5%) of injuries were incurred in competition. One third of the injuries were caused by contact with another athlete, followed by overuse (22%) and noncontact incidences (20%). Injuries were reported from all sports, but their incidence and characteristics varied substantially. In relation to the number of registered athletes, the risk of incurring an injury was highest in soccer, taekwondo, hockey, handball, weightlifting, and boxing (all >or=15% of the athletes) and lowest for sailing, canoeing/kayaking, rowing, synchronized swimming, diving, fencing, and swimming. CONCLUSION: The data indicate that the injury surveillance system covered almost all of the participating athletes, and the results highlight areas of high risk for sport injury such as the in-competition period, the ankle and thigh, and specific sports. The identification of these factors should stimulate future research and subsequent policy change to prevent injury in elite athletes.

Physical activity modulates nerve plasticity and stimulates repair after Achilles tendon rupture.

In a rat model of tendon rupture using semiquantitative methodology, healing was assessed according to the diameter of newly organized collagen and the occurrence of the sensory neuropeptides (SP, CGRP) in relation to different levels of physical activity. Normally, innervation of the Achilles tendon is confined to the paratenon. After rupture new nerve fibers grow into the tendon proper, but disappear after healing. In a first experiment to establish peak tissue and nerve regeneration after rupture, tendon tissues from freely moving rats were collected consecutively over 16 weeks. A peak increase in organized collagen and nerve ingrowth was observed between week 2 to 4 post rupture. Therefore, in a second experiment week 4 was chosen to assess the effect of physical activity on tendon healing in three groups of rats, that is, wheel running, plaster treated, and freely moving (controls). In the wheel-running group, the diameter of newly organized collagen was 94% ( p = 0.001) greater than that in the plaster-treated group and 48% ( p = 0.02) greater than that in the controls. Inversely, the neuronal occurrence of CGRP in the tendon proper was 57% ( p = 0.02) lower in the wheel-running group than that in the plaster-treated group and 53% ( p = 0.02) lower than that in the controls, suggesting an earlier neuronal in-growth and disappearance in the more active group. Physical activity speeds up tendon healing, which may prove to be linked to accelerated neuronal plasticity.

Sports massage after eccentric exercise.

BACKGROUND: The use of sports massage is very common in the athletic community. However, only a few studies have shown any therapeutic effect of massage. HYPOTHESIS: Sports massage can improve the recovery after eccentric exercise. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized clinical trial. METHODS: Sixteen subjects performed 300 maximal eccentric contractions of the quadriceps muscle bilaterally. Massage was given to 1 leg, whereas the other leg served as a control. Subjects were treated once daily for 3 days. Maximal strength was tested on a Kin-Com dynamometer, and functional tests were based on 1-leg long jumps. Pain was evaluated using a visual analog scale. RESULTS: There was a marked loss of strength and function of the quadriceps directly after exercise and on the third day after exercise. The massage treatment did not affect the level or duration of pain or the loss of strength or function following exercise. CONCLUSION: Sports massage could not improve the recovery after eccentric exercise.

Lesões ligamentares do tornozelo / Ankle ligament lesions

As lesões ligamentares agudas do tornozelo são comuns. A maioria delas ocorre durante a atividade esportiva entre 15 e 35 anos. Apesar da preferência dessas lesões, os protocolos de diagnósticos e tratamento apresentam grande variação. As lesões do complexo ligamentar lateral são, de longe, as mais comuns do tornozelo. A lesão ligamentar lateral ocorre, tipicamente, durante a flexão plantar e inversão, que é a posição de máximo estresse no ligamento talofibular anterior (LTFA). Por essa razão, o LTFA é mais comumente lesado durante o traumatismo e inversão. Em lesões por inversão de maior gravidade os ligamentos calcaneofibular (LCF), o talofibular posterior (LTFP) e o subtalar também podem ser lesados. A maioria das lesões ligamentares laterais do tornozelo resolve-se espontaneamente com tratamento conservador. O programa denominado "tratamento funcional" inclui a aplicação do princípio RICE (Rest - repouso, Ice - gelo, Compression - compressão e Elevation - elevação) imediatamente após a lesão, um curto período de imobilização e proteção com bandagens elásticas ou inelásticas e exercícios de mobilização precoce seguidos de carga precoce e treinamento neuromuscular precoce. Treinamento de propriocepção com pranchas de inclinação é iniciado assim que possível, usualmente após três a quatro semanas. Seu objetivo é melhorar o equilíbrio e controle neuromuscular do tornozelo. As seqüelas após lesões ligamentares do tornozelo são muito comuns. Cerca de 10 por cento a 30 por cento dos pacientes com lesões ligamentares laterais apresentam sintomas crônicos. Os sintomas geralmente incluem sinovite ou tendinite persistente, rigidez do tornozelo, edema e dor, fraqueza muscular e freqüentes falseios.