Elite 100-km road ultramarathon runners: characteristics and musculoskeletal injuries.

BACKGROUND: Currently known data about ultramarathon medical issues has been collected from all combinations of ultramarathon race types (road, trail, etc.) and the population in those studies consists of mixed elite and recreational athletes. There are few studies concerning injuries related to musculoskeletal system injuries in ultramarathon runners. METHODS: The study was conducted on total of 77 elite ultramarathoners based on a questionnaire-based survey. We studied the elite male and female athletes who participated in the 30th IAU 100-km World Championships held in Croatia, in 2018. RESULTS: Ultramarathon runners have higher percentage of lower-leg injuries and rehabilitation of those injuries tend to last longer as ultramarathon runners show specific training habits with less days off and hold a permanent, full-time job and often with a higher academic degree. Furthermore, also the mean age is higher. CONCLUSIONS: Ultramarathoners have a higher percentage of lower-leg injuries than runners who do not run distances beyond a marathon. In addition, rehabilitation tends to last longer. This may well be correlated also to their specific training loads with fewer days off and training whilst holding a permanent full-time job. Often, they also hold a higher academic degree with years spent in the education system which might influence their mindsets on the medical issues they encounter. Also, being older may also have a bearing on injury occurrence and rehabilitation time.

Lower Extremity Injuries in Novice Runners: Incidence, Types, Time Patterns, Sociodemographic and Motivational Risk Factors in a Prospective Cohort Study.

The aim was to determine types and incidence of running-related lower extremity injuries and identify sociodemographic and motivational risk factors in novice runners attending an eight-month running school. Between January 2011 and October 2014, 349 novice runners were included. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, and data on running motivation and self-perceived health and fitness were collected. Subjects were screened for lower extremity injuries at regular three-month intervals. The cohort mean age was 35.46±7.31 years, and 271 (79.5%) were female. There were 173 (49.9%) injuries recorded, less frequently among women (42.9% vs. 62.7%, p=0.016; OR 0.878, 95% CI 0.788-0.977). The mean body mass index was 23.89±3.88 kg/m2 at baseline and 22.99±3.35 kg/m2 post-school (p<0.001). Median self-perceived fitness level on a ten-point visual analog scale was 4 (interquartile range (IQR) 3-5) at baseline and 8 (IQR 7-8) post-school (p<0.001). Median self-perceived overall health was 6 (IQR 5-8) at baseline and 8 (IQR 7-9) post-school (p<0.001). The knee had a significantly higher rate of injuries compared to other anatomic regions (p<0.001). Subjects listed improvement of fitness as the most common motivation for entering the school (n=159; 45.7%). In conclusion, novice runners should include strengthening exercises for knee injury prevention into their training routine.

[Urinary tract dysfunction in spinal cord injury patients]. / Uroloska disfunkcija u osoba s ozljedom kraljeznicne mozdine.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results with paralysis but also with micturition dysfunction; therefore rehabilitation management and long-term follow-up include lower urinary tract care in order to prevent upper urinary tract pathology and complications. That comprises timely and standardized neurological and urological diagnostics and eliminatory techniques with intermittent catheterisation in majority of patients. Urological diagnostics include blood and urine tests, urine culture, ultrasound and X-ray of urinary tract, and cystometry to assess dynamic properties of neurogenic bladder. It has been proven that incomplete SCI patients have neurogenic bladder with similar findings as patients with complete injuries, i.e. cystometric capacities are reduced while intravesical pressures are increased, which endanger upper urinary tract. Furthermore, it has been shown that there is no difference of these findings between particular levels of injury: cervical, thoracic, thoracic-lumbar and lumbar, so these risks are similar in every group. Conclusively, it is necessary to conduct urinary tract diagnostics in SCI patients for sake of the quality and quantity of patients' lives.

The prevalence of allergic diseases among Croatian school children according to the ISAAC Phase One questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of asthma and allergic diseases in children has been increasing worldwide over the past decades. The ISAAC Phase I results supplies valuable information on the worldwide variations in the prevalence of these diseases. Although ISAAC Phase I was completed in 56 countries, not all regions of Croatia were covered. Because of Croatia's high regional diversity, the aim was to explore the prevalence of asthma, allergic rhinitis/rhinoconjuctivitis, and atopic eczema symptoms in the Medimurje region in northern Croatia and compare the results with data from other regions in Croatia and other countries. MATERIAL/METHODS: The study was undertaken between January and April 2005 among 12- to 14-year-old children in 27 elementary schools. Data were collected using the standardized ISAAC written and asthma video questionnaires. RESULTS: A total of 3111 children participated in the study, with a participation rate of 94.33%. 27.6% of the children had symptoms of allergic diseases at some time in their life. Estimated lifetime (ever) prevalence of symptoms were: wheezing 11.86%, allergic rhinitis symptoms 12.21%, and atopic dermatitis symptoms 7.01%. Estimated 12-month prevalence rates were: wheezing 5.11%, allergic rhinitis symptoms 10.87%, allergic rhinoconjunctivitis 7.14%, and atopic dermatitis symptoms 5.34%. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with previous studies conducted in other Croatian regions (the city of Zagreb and a northern Adriatic region) using similar methods, the prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis was lower than in the northern Adriatic region but comparable with that in the city of Zagreb, and of atopic dermatitis symptoms in the same range.