COVID Vaccination in Athletes and Updated Interim Guidance on the Preparticipation Physical Examination During the SARS-Cov-2 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) convened an expert panel to address the current evidence, knowledge gaps, and recommendations surrounding the COVID vaccination in athletes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The group held a series of meetings beginning in July 2021 and reviewed the available literature while using an iterative process and expert consensus to finalize this guidance statement. This document is intended to provide clinicians with suggestions on how to incorporate the COVID vaccination during the preparticipation physical examination for athletes in all levels of training and competition. The statement is not intended to address treatment, infection control principles, safety, ethical discussion, or public health issues related to SARS-CoV-2. The AMSSM task force acknowledges the clinical uncertainty, evolving public health objectives, and the limited data currently available to create this guidance statement.

COVID Vaccination in Athletes & Updated Interim Guidance on the Preparticipation Physical Examination during the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT: The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) convened an expert panel to address the current evidence, knowledge gaps, and recommendations surrounding the COVID vaccination in athletes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The group held a series of meetings beginning in July 2021 and reviewed the available literature while using an iterative process and expert consensus to finalize this guidance statement. This document is intended to provide clinicians with suggestions on how to incorporate the COVID vaccination during the preparticipation physical examination for athletes in all levels of training and competition. The statement is not intended to address treatment, infection control principles, safety, ethical discussion, or public health issues related to SARS-CoV-2. The AMSSM task force acknowledges the clinical uncertainty, evolving public health objectives, and the limited data currently available to create this guidance statement.

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine Sports Ultrasound Curriculum for Sports Medicine Fellowships.

ABSTRACT: Sports ultrasound is commonly used by sports medicine physicians to enhance diagnostic and procedural accuracy. This expert consensus statement serves as an update to the 2015 American Medical Society for Sports Medicine recommended sports ultrasound curriculum for sports medicine fellowships. Although written in the context of the American sports medicine fellowship training model, we present a stepwise progression in both diagnostic and interventional sports ultrasound that may be applicable to the broader sports medicine community. The curriculum is divided into 12 units with each unit including didactic instructional sessions, practical hands-on instruction, independent scanning practice sessions, and mentored clinical experience. To assist with prioritization of learning, we have organized relevant pathology and procedures as essential, desirable, and optional. The expanded content can serve as an outline for continuing education postfellowship or for any physician to further advance their sports ultrasound knowledge and skill. We also provide updated scanning protocols, sample milestones, and a sample objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) to aid fellowships with implementation of the curriculum and ongoing assessment of fellow progress.

Interim Guidance on the Preparticipation Physical Examination for Athletes During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) convened a writing group to address the current evidence and knowledge gaps regarding preparticipation evaluation of athletes during the SARS-CoV2 pandemic. The writing group held a series of meetings beginning in April 2020. The task force reviewed the available literature and used an iterative process and expert consensus to finalize this guidance statement that is intended to provide clinicians with a clinical framework to return athletes of all levels to training and competition during the pandemic. The statement is not intended to address treatment, infection control principles, or public health issues related to SARS-CoV2. The AMSSM task force acknowledges the clinical uncertainty, evolving public health objectives, and the limited data currently available to create this guidance statement.

Interim Guidance on the Preparticipation Physical Examination for Athletes During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) convened a writing group to address the current evidence and knowledge gaps regarding preparticipation evaluation of athletes during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The writing group held a series of meetings beginning in April 2020. The task force reviewed the available literature and used an iterative process and expert consensus to finalize this guidance statement that is intended to provide clinicians with a clinical framework to return athletes of all levels to training and competition during the pandemic. The statement is not intended to address treatment, infection control principles, or public health issues related to SARS-CoV-2. The AMSSM task force acknowledges the clinical uncertainty, evolving public health objectives, and the limited data currently available to create this guidance statement.

AMSSM Position Statement on Cardiovascular Preparticipation Screening in Athletes: Current evidence, knowledge gaps, recommendations and future directions.

Cardiovascular screening in young athletes is widely recommended and routinely performed prior to participation in competitive sports. While there is general agreement that early detection of cardiac conditions at risk for sudden cardiac arrest and death (SCA/D) is an important objective, the optimal strategy for cardiovascular screening in athletes remains an issue of considerable debate. At the centre of the controversy is the addition of a resting ECG to the standard preparticipation evaluation using history and physical examination. The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) formed a task force to address the current evidence and knowledge gaps regarding preparticipation cardiovascular screening in athletes from the perspective of a primary care sports medicine physician. The absence of definitive outcome-based evidence at this time precludes AMSSM from endorsing any single or universal cardiovascular screening strategy for all athletes, including legislative mandates. This statement presents a new paradigm to assist the individual physician in assessing the most appropriate cardiovascular screening strategy unique to their athlete population, community needs and resources. The decision to implement a cardiovascular screening programme, with or without the addition of ECG, necessitates careful consideration of the risk of SCA/D in the targeted population and the availability of cardiology resources and infrastructure. Importantly, it is the individual physician's assessment in the context of an emerging evidence base that the chosen model for early detection of cardiac disorders in the specific population provides greater benefit than harm. AMSSM is committed to advancing evidenced-based research and educational initiatives that will validate and promote the most efficacious strategies to foster safe sport participation and reduce SCA/D in athletes.

AMSSM Position Statement on Cardiovascular Preparticipation Screening in Athletes: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, Recommendations and Future Directions.

Cardiovascular screening in young athletes is widely recommended and routinely performed prior to participation in competitive sports. While there is general agreement that early detection of cardiac conditions at risk for sudden cardiac arrest and death (SCA/D) is an important objective, the optimal strategy for cardiovascular screening in athletes remains an issue of considerable debate. At the center of the controversy is the addition of a resting electrocardiogram (ECG) to the standard preparticipation evaluation using history and physical examination. The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) formed a task force to address the current evidence and knowledge gaps regarding preparticipation cardiovascular screening in athletes from the perspective of a primary care sports medicine physician. The absence of definitive outcomes-based evidence at this time precludes AMSSM from endorsing any single or universal cardiovascular screening strategy for all athletes, including legislative mandates. This statement presents a new paradigm to assist the individual physician in assessing the most appropriate cardiovascular screening strategy unique to their athlete population, community needs, and resources. The decision to implement a cardiovascular screening program, with or without the addition of ECG, necessitates careful consideration of the risk of SCA/D in the targeted population and the availability of cardiology resources and infrastructure. Importantly, it is the individual physician's assessment in the context of an emerging evidence-base that the chosen model for early detection of cardiac disorders in the specific population provides greater benefit than harm. AMSSM is committed to advancing evidenced-based research and educational initiatives that will validate and promote the most efficacious strategies to foster safe sport participation and reduce SCA/D in athletes.

AMSSM Position Statement on Cardiovascular Preparticipation Screening in Athletes: Current Evidence, Knowledge Gaps, Recommendations, and Future Directions.

Cardiovascular (CV) screening in young athletes is widely recommended and routinely performed before participation in competitive sports. While there is general agreement that early detection of cardiac conditions at risk for sudden cardiac arrest and death (SCA/D) is an important objective, the optimal strategy for CV screening in athletes remains an issue of considerable debate. At the center of the controversy is the addition of a resting electrocardiogram (ECG) to the standard preparticipation evaluation using history and physical examination. The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) formed a task force to address the current evidence and knowledge gaps regarding preparticipation CV screening in athletes from the perspective of a primary care sports medicine physician. The absence of definitive outcomes-based evidence at this time precludes AMSSM from endorsing any single or universal CV screening strategy for all athletes including legislative mandates. This statement presents a new paradigm to assist the individual physician in assessing the most appropriate CV screening strategy unique to their athlete population, community needs, and resources. The decision to implement a CV screening program, with or without the addition of ECG, necessitates careful consideration of the risk of SCA/D in the targeted population and the availability of cardiology resources and infrastructure. Importantly, it is the individual physician's assessment in the context of an emerging evidence base that the chosen model for early detection of cardiac disorders in the specific population provides greater benefit than harm. American Medical Society for Sports Medicine is committed to advancing evidenced-based research and educational initiatives that will validate and promote the most efficacious strategies to foster safe sport participation and reduce SCA/D in athletes.

Is there an association between superolateral Hoffa fat pad edema on MRI and clinical evidence of fat pad impingement?

OBJECTIVE: Patients with symptomatic Hoffa fat pad impingement often exhibit fat pad edema on MRI. We studied two patient groups to determine the association between MRI fat pad edema and clinical symptoms of Hoffa fat pad impingement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We studied 34 consecutive patients with an MRI diagnosis of fat pad edema and no injury in the prior year (group 1) and 47 consecutive patients with a knee MRI examination and no injury in the prior year (group 2). Two sports medicine physicians reviewed the clinical records to confirm or exclude symptomatic fat pad impingement. Two musculoskeletal radiologists independently scored 12 Hoffa fat pad locations for the presence of edema, noting the epicenter. RESULTS: Seventeen of the 34 patients in group 1 had clinical symptoms of fat pad impingement, with all 34 having fat pad edema. There was no association between clinical fat pad impingement and fat pad edema in any specific location (p > 0.183), but patients with fat pad impingement had a greater number of regions of edema (p = 0.005, 0.026 for two observers). In group 2, all four patients with clinical fat pad impingement had MRI fat pad edema, but 38 of the 43 patients without clinical impingement had MRI fat edema; 11 of the 38 had edema centered in the superolateral fat pad. CONCLUSION: Edema is present on MRI in the superolateral region of Hoffa fat pad in patients with clinical fat pad impingement. However, such edema can also be present in patients without symptoms of fat pad impingement.

Screening for insulin resistance and cardiovascular risk in collegiate football linemen.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between fitness, obesity, and the risk factors of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease in obese-classified [by body mass index (BMI) > 30 kg/m] collegiate football linemen and male students of similar age and BMI. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Institutional university based. PARTICIPANTS: Two groups of volunteer students. Thirty collegiate football linemen and 10 sedentary age-matched and size-matched peers. INDEPENDENT VARIABLE: Status as lineman or sedentary student. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Height, weight, blood pressure, and body fat percent (BF%) were measured for each subject. Fasting blood draw was used to determine glucose, insulin, cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides. RESULTS: The athlete group had lower mean (SD) BF% [21.8 (3.89) vs control 27.1 (7.07); P = 0.01], despite no significant difference in age, weight, height, or BMI. The athlete group had lower systolic blood pressure [135.6 (13.29) mm Hg vs 148.1 (13.77); P = 0.015] and at-risk LDL (10% vs 40%; P = 0.05). The groups did not differ significantly in other measures. Body fat percent (before and after adjusting for BMI) was significantly correlated with every risk factor except glucose, whereas BMI was only significantly correlated with blood pressure and insulin. CONCLUSIONS: Collegiate football linemen with elevated BMI have select risk factors, particularly blood pressure and LDL cholesterol that improved over sedentary peers. However, concerning risk factor profiles of linemen warrant standard age-appropriate and size-appropriate screening for cardiovascular and metabolic disease. Body fat percent more strongly correlated with risk factors than with BMI and may be the stronger tool for estimating risk in this population.

Hip injuries in young athletes.

The hip is an area of the body commonly injured in athletes and one that requires special consideration in the pediatric and adolescent athlete. This article reviews diagnoses specific to the young athlete and discusses more recent advances in imaging of the hip and arthroscopic treatment of the hip in the young athlete.

Pediatric residency education: is sports medicine getting its fair share?

INTRODUCTION: Sports are the leading injury-related cause for pediatric primary care visits. Pediatric residency education guidelines suggest incorporating sports medicine (SM) education into curricula; however, research is lacking regarding effective teaching methods. OBJECTIVE: To assess reported US pediatric residency SM curricula, teaching methods, and resident evaluation of SM education. DESIGN/METHODS: Chief residents (CRs) and third-year residents (PL3s) from 100 randomly selected US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited residency programs, stratified by size and geographic location, received surveys regarding programs' SM curriculum and teaching methods and individuals' methods for learning SM. RESULTS: Response rates were 63% and 39% for CRs and PL3s, respectively. According to CRs, 34% of programs had no one in charge of their SM curriculum. Lecture (77%) was the primary method used for teaching SM. Hands-on teaching (37%) was used less frequently. CRs stated that 29% of programs did not include musculoskeletal examination teaching in their curriculums; 24% did not include formal teaching of concussion management, and 29% did not include reasons for medical disqualification. PL3s rated teaching of joint examinations and the preparticipation physical as the most poorly taught components of the physical examination. PL3s rated hands-on teaching and patient experience as the best methods for improving SM education. CRs reported that only 36% of programs have discussed incorporating more SM into their curriculum. CONCLUSIONS: SM education is deficient in US pediatric residency programs. Standardized curricula should be developed with a focus on hands-on training as a means for teaching SM to pediatric residents.

Exercise prescription for the prevention of obesity in adolescents.

Childhood obesity is a major public health problem and poses important challenges for both health care and school-centered environments. Each faces difficulties in successfully addressing this problem: school personnel report lack of training in intervention, and health providers report ineffective office-based intervention strategies. With coordination of interventions in the school and office, prevention and treatment of childhood obesity can be improved. Toward this, the function of prescribing exercise as a preventive treatment can be very effective. This review evaluates recent literature upon the health care provider's role in and out of the medical office at prescribing exercise and the associated health benefits of exercise for children. Thus, health professionals caring for children and adolescents are in a key position to help prevent and treat obesity by promoting behavioral and environmental changes. Although the evidence base is insufficient to provide specific guidelines for assessment and treatment of all aspects of child and adolescent obesity, the following recommendations reflect critical reviews of the literature and are based upon expert committee guidelines.

Dynamic sonography with valgus stress to assess elbow ulnar collateral ligament injury in baseball pitchers.

Sonography is a valuable method for imaging superficial tendons and ligaments. The ability to obtain comparison images easily with dynamic stress allows assessment of ligament and tendon integrity. We studied the medial elbow joints of two baseball pitchers using MR imaging and dynamic sonography. Both sonography and MR imaging identified the ulnar collateral ligament tears. Dynamic sonography uniquely demonstrated the medial joint instability.