Concussion Symptoms and Recovery for Girls and Boys

Posted April 17, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Girls Experience Concussions Differently Than Boys, According to Latest Research

According to research by Dr. Shayne Feher at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, there are differences in the way that boys and girls experience concussion symptoms. Concussions are brain injuries that negatively impact normal brain functions. Often kids end up with a concussion following some type of sports injury that involves head impact from a fall, hit, or strike.

In Dr. Fehr’s study, just over three-fourths of the concussions were caused by some type of sports activity and this can include activities like soccer, basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, and more.

Tracking nearly 550 patients between 10 and 18 years of age who went for treatment at a clinic for pediatric concussions, Dr. Fehr found that the concussion symptoms girls reported tended to be more severe. Girls also took longer than boys to be free of concussion symptoms. It took boys an average of 34 days to reach full recovery following a concussion, while recovery from a concussion for girls averaged 56 days. (more…)

MCL Injury in College Athletes

Posted April 10, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

The medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a very important ligament in the knee. Situated on the inner side of the knee joint, the MCL is one of four knee ligaments. Many people suffer from an MCL injury at some point in time.

The MCL injury is a common sports injury for athletes engaged in sports like football and skiing. It often happens from impact and can occur as a result of a blow or during an intense landing.

Researchers Consider MCL Injury among College Athletes

Researchers led by Dr. Christopher Roach and colleages looked at MCL sprains among people at the U.S. Military Academy between 2005 and 2009. Based on the analysis, approximately 128 individuals experienced an isolated MCL injury. (more…)

Hip Injuries for Junior Tennis Players Include FAI Syndrome Risk

Posted April 3, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Results of Hip Screenings for Elite Junior Tennis Players – While shoulder and elbow injuries are often associated with tennis players, research by Dr. Cotorro and colleagues (2014) found that tennis players may also more commonly suffer from hip problems. This research involved screenings on 148 youth tennis players with an average age of 15.1 years. There were 90 male participants and 58 females in this study.

The participants started playing tennis at the average age of 6 years. Many played tennis approximately 47 weeks per year. Following a special “hip at risk” screening for femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome, researchers found that six participants had a past hip injury while three had suffered from sports hernias in the past. (more…)

Ankle Sprains – An Overview of this Common Sports Injury

Posted March 27, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Ankle Sprain Injury – Ankle sprains are one of the most common types of injuries. Researchers led by Dr. Cailbhe Doherty and colleagues (2013) conducted a review of research on ankle sprain injuries, identifying a total of 144 separate studies.

Based on this meta-analysis, the researchers found that the sports with the highest rate of ankle injury were indoor and/or court sports like indoor soccer, basketball, or volleyball.

What is the most common type of ankle sprain injury for athletes?

Lateral ankle sprains were the most common type of ankle sprain injury. Lateral ankle sprains happen on the outside area of the ankle when a person’s lateral ligaments are pulled when their foot rolls.

Lateral ankle sprains happen when a volleyball or basketball player jumps into the air and lands unevenly on the court. They may also occur when a cross country runner turns an ankle after landing on uneven ground.

Different Types of Ankle Sprains

Ankle sprains are divided into different grades depending on severity. Grade 1 ankle sprains are the least severe. These ankle sprains happen when a person’s ligaments are pulled and have minor tearing. (more…)

Researchers Find Ways to Cut Down on Osteoarthritis Pain

Posted March 25, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Therapeutic exercise is often recommended to cut down on osteoarthritis pain. With all the different kinds of exercise, what types are most appropriate for people with osteoarthritis pain? Medical researchers analyzed data from sixty different medical trials which included 8,218 people. Physical activity was categorized in three different ways:

1. Strength building

2. Flexibility

3. Aerobic exercise

Strength building includes things like weight lifting, resistance training, and other physical activities designed to build muscle. Strength training helps to build up your strength while also increasing your metabolism.

Flexibility-based exercises include things like yoga and stretching activities designed to increase performance by improving muscle elasticity and tone, range of motion, and muscle control. (more…)

Sports Injuries and Kids Health

Posted March 18, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Physical Activity A Key Part of Preventing Sports Injuries

Children that are not used to being active might be in more danger when they participate in sports and go outside to play, according to some of the latest research on sports injuries.

Research conducted by Dr. Evert Verhagen at the Australian Centre for Research into Injury in Sport and its Prevention discovered that children who did not do a lot of physical activity had higher rates of sports injuries than kids who are more active and play frequently.

Dr. Verhagen concludes: “This rise in injuries appears to correlate to a decrease in physical activity and motor skills.”

Kids often experience sports injuries when engaged in physical activity not connected to organized sports. This may involve, for example, time playing on the playground, or while walking to or from school. (more…)

How Does Knee Surgery Impact Student Athletes?

Posted March 10, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Researchers including Caitlin Rugg MS, Dean Wang MD, and colleagues (2014) at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UCLA looked at how knee surgery impacts the sports career for intercollegiate athletes.

Athletes who participated in college sports between 2003 and 2008 with a history of knee surgery were identified for analysis. Data on approximately 456 athletes was included in the analysis.

The research considered the number of games the athletes played, the number of days they missed participating in their sport, sports injuries, surgical operations while in college, and diagnostic imaging conducted.

Over the five year period, over one fifth or approximately 23% had a history of orthopedic surgery, while about 11% had knee surgery, 6% had multiple surgeries, and about 4% had ACL surgery (anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction). (more…)

Common Tennis Injuries from Serving

Posted March 3, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Tennis Injuries from Serving the Tennis Ball – An Analysis of 3 Types of Tennis Serves

Researchers led by Dr. Geoffrey D. Adams and colleagues at Stanford University looked at three different types of tennis serves to see if certain serves were more strongly associated with musculoskeletal injury.

The three types of tennis serves considered in this research study included the flat serve, kick serve, and slice.

According to the analysis published in the 2014 British Journal of Sports Medicine, the kick serve had the highest force magnitude at the back and shoulders. Compared to the slice, the flat serve required more maximum shoulder internal rotation velocity. This is important information for tennis players trying to prevent common tennis injuries including a shoulder injury.

Researchers did not find any significant differences between the serves in terms of force and torque magnitudes at the wrist and elbow. (more…)

Rotator Cuff Repair Techniques

Posted February 24, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

Your rotator cuff includes your shoulder muscles and tendons that allow your shoulder to move and keep your arm stable.

Sometimes your rotator cuff gets torn, either from an injury, or wear and tear that happens over an extended period of time.

If your rotator cuff is injured, you may need rotator cuff repair. This can involve orthopedic surgery to fix your torn rotator cuff.

What is better for rotator cuff repair? A double row suture bridge (transosseous equivalent) rotator cuff repairs or single row repairs?

At Orthopaedic Specialists, I use a double row suture bridge (transosseous equivalent) repair. The repair gives multiple points of contact between the rotator cuff and the footprint of the (more…)

The High Cost of Hockey Injuries

Posted February 18, 2014 by Orthopaedic Specialists

NHL Injuries Come with High Costs

The fiscal importance of sports injury prevention is emphasized in a recent medical study by Dr. Michael Cusimano at Toronto’s St. Michael’s Hospital. National Hockey League (NHL) teams and their insurance companies paid over $650 million in salary to NHL players who were unable to play due to sports injuries.

Common hockey injuries for the players including sports injuries like concussions. Over a three year period the cost of concussions averaged around $218 million per year. About half of the hockey players missed one NHL game or more due to hockey injuries. (more…)