ObjectiveTo review the effects of core stability exercise or general exercise for patients with chronic low back pain (LBP).Summary of Background DataExercise therapy appears to be effective at decreasing pain and improving function for patients with chronic LBP in practice guidelines. Core stability exercise is becoming increasingly popular for LBP. However, it is currently unknown whether core stability exercise produces more beneficial effects than general exercise in patients with chronic LBP.MethodsPublished articles from 1970 to October 2011 were identified using electronic searches. For this meta-analysis, two reviewers independently selected relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating core stability exercise versus general exercise for the treatment of patients with chronic LBP. Data were extracted independently by the same two individuals who selected the studies.ResultsFrom the 28 potentially relevant trials, a total of 5 trials involving 414 participants were included in the current analysis. The pooling revealed that core stability exercise was better than general exercise for reducing pain [mean difference (−1.29); 95% confidence interval (−2.47, −0.11); P = 0.003] and disability [mean difference (−7.14); 95% confidence interval (−11.64, −2.65); P = 0.002] at the time of the short-term follow-up. However, no significant differences were observed between core stability exercise and general exercise in reducing pain at 6 months [mean difference (−0.50); 95% confidence interval (−1.36, 0.36); P = 0.26] and 12 months [mean difference (−0.32); 95% confidence interval (−0.87, 0.23); P = 0.25].ConclusionsCompared to general exercise, core stability exercise is more effective in decreasing pain and may improve physical function in patients with chronic LBP in the short term. However, no significant long-term differences in pain severity were observed between patients who engaged in core stability exercise versus those who engaged in general exercise.Systematic Review Registration http://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO PROSPERO registration number: CRD42011001717.

When compared with open lateral ankle repair, arthroscopic repair of lateral ankle ligament when feasible produced similarly favorable outcomes. Arthroscopic ATFL repair, as a minimally invasive technique, provided favorable outcomes.

CSA did not appear to influence postoperative functional outcomes, while those in the large CSA group had poor tendon integrity after rotator cuff repair. These findings indicate that a large CSA is associated with an increased risk of rotator cuff tendon retear after repair.

Purpose The purpose of our study is to evaluate the clinical results of anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments with semitendinosus allograft. Methods Thirty-six patients with chronic lateral instability underwent anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments of the ankle with semitendinosus allograft. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale score (AOFAS score) and the Karlsson score were used to evaluate the clinical results before and after surgery. Results A total of 35 patients (97.2 %) (36 ankles) were followed up for a mean of 37.9 months. The mean AOFAS score improved from 42.3±4.9 points preoperatively to 90.4± 6.7 postoperatively. The mean Karlsson score improved from 38.5±3.2 preoperatively to 90.1±7.8 postoperatively.Conclusions Anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments with semitendinosus allograft achieves a satisfactory surgical outcome for chronic ankle instability.Ankle sprains are reported to be the most common sports injury and account for 10∼15 % of sports-related injuries [1][2][3]. Although the majority of the patients have successful results after conservative treatment, up to 20-40 % have mechanical instability requiring operative intervention [4,5].There are various operative procedures to treat chronic lateral ankle instability. If the patient has a weak remnant of the lateral ligament, generalised joint laxity or previous failed operation for lateral ankle instability, anatomical lateral ligament reconstruction is always suggested [6].Several kinds of graft are used for the anatomical ligament reconstruction. Compared to the autograft, an allograft has the advantages of no donor site morbidity, shorter operation time and less postoperative pain [7]. Furthermore, with the improvement of the sterilisation technique, some potential complications, for example, the potential for disease transmission, osteolytic reactions, etc., have been markedly decreased [7,8]. Up to now, there have been few reports about the use of allograft for lateral ankle ligament reconstruction. We use a semitendinosus allograft in lateral ankle ligament reconstruction and propose that anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments with this allograft can achieve a satisfactory surgical outcome for chronic ankle instability.