Weight-bearing exercise has been recognized widely to be beneficial for long-term bone health. However inherent differences in bone-loading characteristics and energy expenditure during participation in endurance sports place many endurance athletes at a relative disadvantage with regard to bone health compared with other athletes. Adolescents and adults who participate in endurance sports, such as running, and non-weight-bearing sports, such as biking and swimming, often have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than athletes participating in ball and power sports, and sometimes their BMD is lower than their inactive peers. Low BMD increases the risk of stress and fragility fractures, both while an athlete is actively competing and later in life. This article reviews the variable effects of distance running, cycling, swimming, and triathlons on bone health; the evaluation of stress and fragility fractures; and the diagnosis, management, and prevention of low BMD in endurance athletes.
The number of girls participating in sports has increased significantly since the introduction of Title XI in 1972. As a result, more girls have been able to experience the social, educational, and health-related benefits of sports participation. However, there are risks associated with sports participation, including the female athlete triad. The triad was originally recognized as the interrelationship of amenorrhea, osteoporosis, and disordered eating, but our understanding has evolved to recognize that each of the components of the triad exists on a spectrum from optimal health to disease. The triad occurs when energy intake does not adequately compensate for exercise-related energy expenditure, leading to adverse effects on reproductive, bone, and cardiovascular health. Athletes can present with a single component or any combination of the components. The triad can have a more significant effect on the health of adolescent athletes than on adults because adolescence is a critical time for bone mass accumulation. This report outlines the current state of knowledge on the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the triad conditions.
The majority of athletes with IM experience a moderate degree of splenomegaly. Peak splenic enlargement occurs within 2 weeks from the time of symptom onset in most cases, but may extend to 3.5 weeks. The rate of splenic enlargement appears to be predictable for an individual who develops IM. Ultrasonographic data further show that splenomegaly associated with acute IM infection resolves within 4-6 weeks of symptom onset in the majority of cases.
To our knowledge, no study has evaluated Sideline Concussion Assessment Tool -3rd Edition (SCAT3) scores during competition in athletes who have not had a head injury. The purpose of our pilot study was to compare SCAT3 scores in non-injured (NI), injured (but not head injured) (I), and head injured (HI) youth soccer players during competition and to establish preliminary baseline data for non-head injured athletes in a competitive setting. The HI group demonstrated significantly more symptoms (M = 9.7, SE = 0.8) than the I and NI (3.3, SE = 1.2, and 3.2, SE = 0.7, respectively) groups. The HI group also demonstrated a significantly higher symptom severity score (25.3, SE = 2.8) than the I and NI groups (7.7, SE = 4.1, and 5.9, SE = 2.5, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in mean total Standardized Assessment of Concussion (SAC) scores and mean subsection SAC scores between the groups. Clinicians should also be aware that non-injured in-competition athletes may report more symptoms on the SCAT3 than those evaluated in a non-competition setting.
These competencies provide many stakeholders, including orthopaedic educators and orthopaedists, with what may be the minimum knowledge and competencies necessary to deliver acute and general orthopaedic care. This document is the first step in defining a practice-based standard for training programs and certification groups.
Medical coverage of gymnastics competitions can be a challenging task for the sports medicine physician and other medical personnel because of the complexity and aerial nature of the sport. A broad understanding of the six gymnastics disciplines, along with the type of competitions, injury epidemiology, and the common acute gymnastics injuries will help sports medicine professionals in planning and delivering optimal care to the injured or ill gymnast.
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