Correlation between Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation score and Lysholm score in primary total knee arthroplasty patients.

BACKGROUND: There are numerous subjective rating scales available to evaluate outcomes of total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation (SANE) score was developed to reduce the burden of patients or clinicians to evaluate patients' status by asking patients to simply rate the current status of their injured body part on a scale of 0-100. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between SANE score and Lysholm score in patients who underwent primary TKA. METHODS: Forty-nine patients who underwent primary TKA participated. Patients who underwent bilateral TKA or revision TKA were excluded from this study. They were asked to respond to SANE and Lysholm scores. Regression analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between 2 scores. Bilateral isometric quadriceps strength and limb symmetry index were also measured and recorded. RESULTS: There were a total of 49 patients in the study. The mean age of the subjects was 73.04 ± 6.63 years. The mean height and body weight were 153.37 ± 8.81 cm and 55.51 ± 8.61 kg, respectively. The mean scores for SNAE and Lysholm scores were 66.08 ± 16.77 and 71.0 ± 17.55, respectively. Pearson r correlation coefficient between SANE and Lysholm scores was 0.38 (P = .003). Regression analysis showed statistically significant correlation between 2 scores with r2 of 0.15 (P = .005). The average time from surgery was 16.02 weeks. The mean isometric quadriceps strength was 26.76 ± 11.30 kgf for the involved knee and 40.58 ± 11.55 kgf for the non-involved knee. The limb symmetry index was 66.10% ± 21.51%. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the investigation showed that there was a statistically significant, however relatively weak, correlation between SANE score and Lysholm score. SANE score may serve as an alternative method to assess TKA patients' subjective post-operative outcomes to Lysholm score.

Single-Leg Hop Test Performance and Isokinetic Knee Strength After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction in Athletes.

BACKGROUND: Isokinetic strength and hop tests are commonly used to assess athletes' readiness to return to sport after knee surgery. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to investigate the results of single-leg hop and isokinetic knee strength testing in athletes who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) upon returning to sport participation as well as to study the correlation between these 2 test batteries. The secondary purpose was to compare the test results by graft type (patellar tendon or hamstring). It was hypothesized that there would be no statistically significant limb difference in either isokinetic knee strength or single-leg hop tests, that there would be a moderate to strong correlation between the 2 test batteries, and that there would be no significant difference between graft types. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Twenty-nine high school and collegiate athletes who underwent ACLR participated in this study. At the time of return to full sport participation, a series of hop tests and knee extension/flexion isokinetic strength measurements were conducted. The results were analyzed using analysis of variance and Pearson correlation (r). RESULTS: The timed 6-m hop test was the only hop test that showed a significant difference between the involved and uninvolved limbs (2.3 and 2.2 seconds, respectively; P = .02). A significant difference between limbs in knee strength was found for flexion peak torque/body weight at 180 deg/s (P = .03), flexion total work/body weight at 180 deg/s (P = .04), and flexion peak torque/body weight at 300 deg/s (P = .03). The strongest correlation between the hop tests and knee strength was found between the total distance of the hop tests and flexion total work/body weight at 300 deg/s (r = 0.69) and between the timed 6-m hop test and flexion peak torque/body weight at 300 deg/s (r = -0.54). There was no statistically significant difference in hop test performance or isokinetic knee strength between graft types. CONCLUSION: The single-leg hop tests and isokinetic strength measurements were both useful for a bilateral comparison of knee functional performance and strength. Knee flexion strength deficits and flexion-to-extension ratios seemed to be correlated with single-leg hop test performance. There was no difference in postoperative hop test performance or knee strength according to graft type.

Upper Extremity Range of Motion and Pitching Profile of Baseball Pitchers in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder range of motion and pitch count in baseball pitchers have been linked to pitching-related upper extremity injury. PURPOSE: To investigate upper extremity range of motion and pitching profiles in baseball pitchers in Japan as well as to make a comparison between injured and noninjured pitchers. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Forty-one Little League to college-level baseball pitchers were measured for bilateral shoulder and elbow range of motion, including shoulder internal rotation (IR), external rotation (ER), shoulder horizontal adduction (HAD), and elbow extension (EXT). They were also asked to answer a simple questionnaire regarding their past pitching-related medical history and pitching profile. Additionally, 28 participants with baseball-related upper extremity injuries (injury group) were compared with 13 participants without injury (no-injury group) for the same parameters. Collected data were analyzed using analysis of variance. RESULTS: Significant limb differences (dominant vs nondominant side) were noted for ER (117.2° vs 109.8°, P = .02), IR (53.5° vs 61.9°, P = .007), HAD (28.3° vs 32.8°, P = .03), and EXT (1.0° vs 4.6°, P = .01). A significant between-group difference (injury vs no-injury group) was observed for IR in both the dominant (55.4° vs 45.6°, P = .03) and nondominant shoulder (65.3° vs 55.0°, P = .01). Participants in the injury group pitched more games in a season and more innings per game started. CONCLUSION: Japanese baseball pitchers displayed adaptive changes in upper extremity range of motion similar to American pitchers when compared bilaterally. Injured pitchers exhibited greater IR range of motion in their pitching arm compared with noninjured pitchers.

Generalized Joint Laxity and Ligament Injuries in High School-Aged Female Volleyball Players in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Generalized joint laxity has been linked to ligamentous injuries such as anterior cruciate ligament tear and ankle sprain. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose of this study was to investigate generalized joint laxity and incidence of ligament injuries in high school-aged female volleyball players. It was hypothesized that volleyball players with a past history of sprains would have increased generalized joint laxity compared with those without any history and that athletes with multiple sprains would demonstrate with a higher generalized joint laxity score than those who had only 1 sprain. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Forty-seven subjects were tested for generalized joint laxity using the Beighton and Horan Joint Mobility Index (BHJMI). They were categorized into 2 groups based on the presence of past ligament injury: injury group (IG) and noninjury group (NG). The IG group was further divided into 2 groups based on whether they had a single ligamentous injury (IGS) or multiple injuries (IGM) in the past to study whether there was any difference in scores between the subgroups. The collected data were analyzed statistically with 1-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: Subjects in the IG group scored significantly higher on the BHJMI than those in the NG group. The mean score for the IG group was 2.40 ± 1.42, as opposed to 1.24 ± 1.09 for the NG group (P = .006). Eleven subjects in the IG group had suffered multiple injuries or recurrent injuries (IGM) and scored significantly higher than the remaining 19 individuals in the IG group, who had only sustained a single injury (IGS). The mean BHJMI scores were 3.18 ± 1.47 and 1.95 ± 1.22 for IGM and IGS, respectively (P = .02). CONCLUSION: Female athletes with a high generalized joint laxity score may be more prone to ligament injury and potentially to recurrent ligament injuries.