Closed-Reduction Techniques for Glenohumeral-, Patellofemoral-, and Interphalangeal-Joint Dislocations.

Joint dislocations account for a small but important portion of all athletic injuries, with most occurring at the glenohumeral, patellofemoral, and interphalangeal joints. Athletic trainers are responsible for managing acute joint-dislocation injuries, which may include performing closed-reduction techniques when appropriate. To achieve optimal patient outcomes, the clinician should be formally trained and skilled in performing various techniques and familiar with the evidence supporting the selection of each technique. In this clinical review, we outline general reduction procedures and then summarize and synthesize the existing literature on common closed-reduction techniques for glenohumeral-, patellofemoral-, and interphalangeal-joint dislocations. When appropriate, the content has been adapted to be specific to the athletic trainer's scope of practice.

Cardiovascular disease risk profile of NCAA Division III intercollegiate football athletes: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Concerns about the long-term cardiovascular health implications of American football participation have been investigated at the professional and Division I levels, but limited research is available at the less resourced Division III level. Therefore, the objective was to assess the cardiovascular disease risk profile of NCAA Division III intercollegiate football athletes. METHODS: Eighty-nine varsity football athletes (age = 19.6 ± 1.7 years, height = 1.81 ± 0.07m, weight = 92.7 ± 16.2kg; n = 21 linemen, n = 68 non-linemen) at a private Division III university volunteered to participate. During a preseason pre-participation physical examination, all participants completed a health history screening form (to assess personal and family history of cardiac related pathologies), and were assessed for height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP). Linemen only additionally gave a blood sample for fasting blood glucose and cholesterol analysis, and were assessed for waist and hip circumference, metabolic syndrome, and percent body fat (%BF). These measures were reported as averages and frequencies of elevated cardiovascular. Independent t-tests compared linemen to non-linemen, all other data was presented descriptively. RESULTS: On average, linemen were significantly taller, heavier, had a higher BMI and higher systolic BP than non-linemen (all P < 0.05); there was no difference in diastolic BP between the groups (P = 0.331). The average anthropometric and cardiac risk characteristics for linemen were largely within normal ranges, however analyzed individually, a substantial number of participants were at elevated risk (BMI ≥30 = 85.7%, %BF ≥25 = 71.4%, waist circumference ≥1 = 42.9%, hypertension = 9.5%, high density lipoproteins <40mg/dL = 42.9%, and triglycerides ≥150mg/dL = 6.7%; metabolic syndrome prevalence = 19%). CONCLUSIONS: Similar to research in elite athletics, linemen at a single Division III university have elevated cardiovascular disease risk. Physicians and other healthcare providers should consider this elevated risk during pre-participation physical examinations and in planning educational or dietary programming targeted to promoting cardiovascular health.