A Comparison of ACL Injury Rates for Female Athletes Playing Lacrosse and Field Hockey

Posted May 16, 2014 by Stacie Grossfeld

ACL Injury Rates for Female Athletes – Comparing Lacrosse and Field Hockey

Researchers led by Dr. Hillary J. Braun and colleagues looked at the differences in risk factors for ACL injuries for female athletes who are field hockey players compared to lacrosse players. Prior research has suggested that ACL injuries tend to be more common for women playing lacrosse than field hockey.

In order to assess the biomechanical risk factors for female lacrosse and field hockey players, researchers attempted to understand why lacrosse might yield an increase in ACL injury incidence. Researchers recognized the different posture demands of the two sports, with field hockey players often in a crouching position that is forward flexing, and lacrosse players having a more upright stance with a lot of overhead throwing.

The study recruited 31 Division I NCAA female athletes from field hockey and lacrosse. They were asked to do four tasks three times with each leg. This included bilateral drop jumps, single leg drop jumps, single leg jumps onto a bosu ball, and a 45 degree anticipated cut. (more…)

ACL Tears and ACL Injury Prevention

Posted May 14, 2014 by Stacie Grossfeld

Preventing ACL Tears in Kids – Find Out More from the Latest Research

A clinical report published by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is working to cut down on the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears for kids, especially girls. ACL tears are a common sports injury for people of all ages, and females are at higher risk for an ACL tear.

Some of the sports most commonly associated with ACL injury include gymnastics, basketball, lacrosse, and soccer.

Many kids who experience ACL tears end up needing ACL surgery to repair the injury. One of the major signs of an ACL tear involves a feeling like the knee is unstable and may give way.

As explained by Dr. Cynthia LaBella, sports medicine physician at the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, when suffering from an ACL tear, “Most athletes will feel their knee give out and feel a pop.” Swelling is another common side effect of an ACL Tear. (more…)

Factors Influencing Return to Play Following ACL Surgery in Division 1 Football Players

Posted May 8, 2014 by Stacie Grossfeld

Researchers led by Dr. Jimmy Daruwalla and colleagues published in the April 2014 in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine looked at factors that influenced return to play for Division 1 college football players after undergoing ACL surgery.

“Return to Play” was defined as a player being able to engage fully in football practice and/ or football games after ACL surgery. Information from 184 college football players was analyzed and the overall return to play rate was 82%.

About three-fourths of the football players were able to return to football at a level of equal or even higher play than they did prior to ACL surgery. A football players depth chart prior to ACL surgery had a significant association with return to play. For example, 95% of football players who were starters returned to play after ACL surgery compared to 73% of players who rarely played.

College football players who were on scholarships also returned to play at a higher rate than those who were not. Years of experience playing college football also had an effect on return to play with 83% of first year students returning to play football following ACL surgery compared with 73% of seniors. (more…)

10 Facts About Arthritis You Should Know

Posted May 8, 2014 by Stacie Grossfeld

10 Facts About Arthritis You Should Know

1. More than one in five American adults has been diagnosed with some kind of arthritis.

2. Arthritis is one of the biggest reasons for disability.

3. Arthritis is divided into two major categories – arthritis caused by use and arthritis caused by inflammation.

4. Osteoarthritis is the most common kind of arthritis in the United States.

5. Kentucky is ranked in the top three states in the United States for rates of arthritis based on CDC data.

6. Arthritis includes many different diseases and conditions that impact your joints.

7. Females are more likely than males to suffer from some type of arthritis. (more…)

Sports Injury Prevention for Kids and the Importance of Balance

Posted May 4, 2014 by Stacie Grossfeld

Researchers in Denmark considered whether a child’s ability to balance – referred to as “sway performance” – had an impact on injury risk. Dr. L Runge Larsen and colleagues thought that excessive sway would be linked to an overall increase in injuries.

Over 1,000 kids between 8 and 14 years of age participated in the study with nearly equal amounts of boys and girls. The kids’ injuries were tracked over a period of 1 year and 3 months.

The amount of sway was measured with different physcial tests including the bilateral and unilateral stance. Some of the testing was conducted with participants having their eyes open and others with eyes closed.

Researchers found that kids suffered from a total of 2,276 traumatic injuries. The most common injury was an ankle sprain, followed by knee sprains. (more…)

Lower Back Injury and Golfing

Posted April 27, 2014 by Stacie Grossfeld

There are more than 28 million golfers ages 7 and up in the U.S., based on 2009 data from the National Golf Foundation. Golfing is growing in popularity and is a sport enjoyed by people of all ages.

According to researchers Dr. John Parziale and Dr. William Mallon published in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (2006), thousands of golfers each year in the U.S. end up going to doctors due to a golf-related injury.

Golf Swing Plays a Role in Lower Back Injury for Golfers

Lower back injury is the most common type of golf injury. The golf swing plays an important role in lower back injuries and should be assessed to prevent injury. The stages of the golf swing from setup to follow-through influence the severity and risk of lower back injury. (more…)

Injuries from Baseball Pitching

Posted April 22, 2014 by Stacie Grossfeld

Youth Baseball and Injuries from Baseball Pitching

Kids who play baseball and serve as the pitcher often end up pitching a lot of balls. This can mean that their arms, shoulders, and elbows get tired, especially if they do not have much time for recovery.

Dr. Jingzhen Yang, Dr. Barton Mann, and colleagues conducted a survey with 754 youth baseball pitchers between 9 and 18 years of age to understand whether there were any relationships between injuries and pitching activities.

The researchers found that about 44% of the kids had pitched on consecutive days and just over three out of ten pitched on different teams that had seasons that overlapped. Nearly one out of five pitched more than one game in a day during the prior year.

The pitchers who had less time off had an increased risk of arm pain that was pitching-related. Certain types of pitches like curve balls also were linked to increases in arm pain. Kids who pitched when their arm was tired were also more likely to suffer from a pitching-related sports injury. (more…)

Concussion Symptoms and Recovery for Girls and Boys

Posted April 17, 2014 by Stacie Grossfeld

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 Stacie Grossfeld

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 Stacie Grossfeld

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…)