A National 20-year Analysis of Weight Lifting-related Injuries and Fractures Among Adolescents.

BACKGROUND: Increasing strength through weightlifting has become a core component of competitive sports training, recreational exercise programs, and school physical education classes. Although many health benefits exist, there is concern for injury, especially with improper supervision and accelerated progression of training loads. Though organizations have advocated safe training practices, trends in the national health burden of injuries, specifically fractures, associated with weightlifting in the adolescent population have not been investigated. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System database was queried between 2002 and 2021 for patients aged 11 to 21 years presenting to US Emergency Departments with weight lifting-related injuries. The narrative component of each case identified was analyzed to include only patients noted to be using weightlifting equipment or free weights at the time of injury. Estimates and analyses were performed with 95% CIs. RESULTS: Although there has been some variability in weight lifting-related injuries, the incidence remained roughly constant over the 20 years ( R2 =0.0364). 14,497 cases were identified, reflecting a national estimate of 540,986 total injuries and an annual estimate of 27,049 injuries. Most injuries occurred among 15-to-18-year olds (44.1%±1.6%) and 19-to-21-year olds (38.3%±2.0%). The most common injuries were sprain/strain (36.7%±1.3%), contusion/abrasion (15.7%±0.7%), and fracture (9.9%±0.3%). There were 53,813 estimated fractures, giving an annual incidence of 2,691 fractures. As a portion of all injuries, the number of fractures decreased significantly as patients got older, accounting for 26.8%±3.3% at age 11 and only 8.3%±0.9% at age 21 ( R2 =0.6626). Fingers (37.1%±1.8%) and toes (27.9%±1.4%) were the most fractured body parts. Overall, fractures mainly occurred either at school (25.3%±2.0%) or places of recreation (24.7%±2.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Despite the guidelines to improve safety, the national health burden of weight lifting-related injuries among adolescents has remained constant over the past 20 years. Given that most of the fractures occur in the distal extremities, such as toes and fingers, at school and places of recreation, there may be an opportunity to promote safer weightlifting practices and the development of weightlifting equipment with in-built safety mechanisms, especially at gyms and schools. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III-prognostic.

Pectoralis Major Injuries: Presentation, Diagnosis, and Management.

¼: In the past 20 years, there has been a substantial increase in the prevalence of pectoralis major injuries, largely related to the rising popularity of weight-lifting and participation in contact sports. ¼: Treatment options are influenced by the severity of the injury, patient age, and the amount and type of physical activity. ¼: Although there is no consensus as to which treatment method is most effective, previous studies have demonstrated increased satisfaction among patients who undergo operative treatment. ¼: The average length of time from surgery to return to activity ranges from 6 to 24 months.

Nontraumatic Acute Hyperextension Myelopathy Associated With Weightlifting.

ABSTRACT: We describe the clinical course of a 56-yr-old woman without a significant medical history presenting with nontraumatic paraplegia found to have an infarction of the conus medullaris after intensive lumbar hyperextension exercises. This condition, known as surfer's myelopathy, has been described in multiple case reports that attributed a similar mechanism and presentation. We present a case of surfer's myelopathy associated with weightlifting, which has not been previously reported. We conclude that this diagnosis should be considered in patients who present after spine hyperextension activity with nontraumatic paraplegia. Furthermore, we support the nomenclature change to "acute hyperextension myelopathy," better reflecting the underlying pathophysiology.

Acute Paraspinal Compartment Syndrome After Deadlifting: A Case Report.

CASE: A 27-year-old African man was admitted with acute right-sided loin pain that had started 4 hours after deadlifting. Renal colic was suspected, but clinical and radiological examination revealed no pathology of the urinary system. Further investigation revealed rhabdomyolysis. The back pain worsened with flexion, and both loins were hard on palpation 24 hours later. High intracompartmental pressures confirmed acute paraspinal compartment syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: We performed fasciotomy of the back muscles 28 hours after the onset of pain. Eighteen months after surgery, the patient no longer performed deadlifts but returned to pain-free exercise.

Comparison of Post-Exercise Hypotension Responses in Paralympic Powerlifting Athletes after Completing Two Bench Press Training Intensities.

Background and objective: Post-exercise hypotension, the reduction of blood pressure after a bout of exercise, is of great clinical relevance. Resistance exercise training is considered an important contribution to exercise training programs for hypertensive individuals and athletes. In this context, post-exercise hypotension could be clinically relevant because it would maintain blood pressure of hypertensive individuals transiently at lower levels during day-time intervals, when blood pressure is typically at its highest levels. The aim of this study was to compare the post-exercise cardiovascular effects on Paralympic powerlifting athletes of two typical high-intensity resistance-training sessions, using either five sets of five bench press repetitions at 90% 1 repetition maximum (1RM) or five sets of three bench press repetitions at 95% 1RM. Materials and Methods: Ten national-level Paralympic weightlifting athletes (age: 26.1 ± 6.9 years; body mass: 76.8 ± 17.4 kg) completed the two resistance-training sessions, one week apart, in a random order. Results: Compared with baseline values, a reduction of 5-9% in systolic blood pressure was observed after 90% and 95% of 1RM at 20-50 min post-exercise. Furthermore, myocardial oxygen volume and double product were only significantly increased immediately after and 5 min post-exercise, while the heart rate was significantly elevated after the resistance training but decreased to baseline level by 50 min after training for both training conditions. Conclusions: A hypotensive response can be expected in elite Paralympic powerlifting athletes after typical high-intensity type resistance-training sessions.

Part II: Comparison of Crossfit-Related Injury Presenting to Sports Medicine Clinic by Sex and Age.

OBJECTIVE: To examine CrossFit-related injuries based on sex and age. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SETTING: A tertiary-level pediatric sports medicine clinic. PARTICIPANTS: CrossFit athletes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: CrossFit-related injuries by sex (males vs females) and age groups (≤19 years vs >19 years) using a χ analysis with P = 0.05, odds ratio (OR), and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: Among injured CrossFit athletes, female athletes sustained lower extremity injuries more frequently than male athletes (P = 0.011; OR, 2.65; 95% CI, 1.25-5.65). In observed CrossFit injuries, shoulder injuries were more frequently observed in male athletes compared with female athletes (P = 0.049; OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 0.98-7.95). Additionally, a greater proportion of CrossFit athletes aged 19 years and younger suffered trunk/spine injuries than those older than 19 years (P = 0.027; OR, 2.61; 95% CI, 1.10-6.21) in injured CrossFit athletes. CONCLUSIONS: The current results indicated sex- and age-specific susceptibility to CrossFit-related injuries based on body parts and diagnoses. The presented information may be useful to develop a safer exercise program, especially for pediatric and adolescent CrossFit participants.

Weightlifting Shoulder Injuries Presenting to U.S. Emergency Departments: 2000-2030.

Weightlifting is associated with a significant risk of shoulder injury. We used the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database to identify patients presenting to U.S. emergency departments between 2000 and 2017 with weightlifting-associated shoulder injuries to determine how the health burden and demographic characteristics of these patients have changed over time. Our analyses demonstrated a significant increase in the national estimate of weightlifting-associated shoulder injuries between 2000 (N=8.073; C.I. 6.309-9.836) and 2017 (N=14.612; C.I. 12.293-16.930) (p<0.001), with linear regression (R2=0.87, P<0.001) projecting 22.691 national cases by 2030. Patients were most often males (83.3%; C.I. 81.5-85.2%) between 20-29 years of age (30.5%; C.I. 28.2%-32.8%) sustaining a sprain, strain, or muscle tear (65.1%; C.I. 60.4-69.8%). Additionally, the average age of injury (34.33 years; C.I. 33.43-35.23 years) in the 2012-2017 period was significantly higher than in prior periods (p<0.001). We postulated these findings may reflect older individuals more frequently participating in resistance training than in the past, and considered that contemporary fitness trends such as CrossFit might have higher injury rates. We believe increased awareness of this burden, coupled with focus on injury prevention strategies, could yield substantial national health and cost savings.

Brachialis Muscle Tendon Rupture of the Distal Ulnar Attachment in a Competitive Weight Lifter.

Isolated tears of the brachialis muscle are rare and often take on the clinical appearance of other pathology, such as a distal biceps brachii tendon tear or an intramuscular tumor, thus making diagnosis especially difficult. The authors describe the case of a 31-year-old competitive male weight lifter who was found to have a full-thickness tear of the brachialis tendon at its distal ulnar attachment after performing a 40.8-kg biceps curl. The authors describe the differential diagnosis, radiographic findings, and methods used that led to the diagnosis and also provide a comprehensive review of the literature on brachialis muscle injuries. The patient decided to proceed with conservative management consisting of a period of rest and physical therapy. At 10 months after the injury, the patient went back to weightlifting and biceps curls. He had progressed to full strength and had returned to all weightlifting activities at final follow-up. Isolated full-thickness brachialis muscle ruptures can be treated successfully with conservative management, including rest and physical therapy. [Orthopedics. 2019; 42(3):e339-e342.].

Median Arcuate Ligament Syndrome Related to Bodybuilding.

BACKGROUND: Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS), also known as celiac artery compression syndrome, is characterized by postprandial abdominal pain and weight loss thought to be secondary to compression of the celiac artery ganglia by the median arcuate ligament (MAL). METHODS: A young female powerlifter presented with a 3-month history of postprandial epigastric pain and involuntary weight loss following the start of a vigorous weightlifting program. The diagnosis of MALS was established after excluding other possibilities and by detailed evaluation including magnetic resonance imaging and celiac plexus block. She was treated by laparoscopic MAL release. RESULTS: The patient experienced immediate and complete cessation of her pain. She has continued to be asymptomatic at 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Heavy weightlifting may potentially lead to MALS. The laparoscopic approach to MAL release can be utilized to treat this condition with favorable results.

Severe Hypoglycemia Due to Cryptic Insulin Use in a Bodybuilder.

BACKGROUND: Bodybuilding is a demanding sport, which requires high-volume, high-resistance weight training and augmented nutritional intake, toward an increase of overall body muscle mass accompanied by an overall decrease of body fat percentage and mass. Among bodybuilders, the use of various legal and illegal supplements is common. These supplements may be naturally occurring or man-made. CASE REPORT: We discuss the case of a 30-year-old male bodybuilder presenting with coma due to severe hypoglycemia from unknown cause, necessitating iterative glucose infusions, which was subsequently found to be related to cryptic insulin injections. WHY SHOULD AN EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN BE AWARE OF THIS?: In strength athletes, especially amateurs, the recourse to performance-enhancement drugs (e.g., insulin) is frequent. Beyond the specificity of care required for surreptitious insulin intoxication, emergency physicians should be alert to the possibility that exogenous insulin has been injected for use as an ergogenic aid by bodybuilders and others seeking to increase their body muscle mass when they encounter a patient with a decreased level of consciousness and treatment-refractory hypoglycemia. Moreover, in case of suspicion of such intoxication, the use of other illegal supplements should be screened, due to potentially associated risks of complication.

Rotura simultanea bilateral de tendon cuadricipital asociada a anabolizantes esteroideos / Bilateral simultaneous rupture of quadriceps tendon associated to anabolic steroids administration

La rotura bilateral y simultánea del tendón cuadricipital es una lesión rara con pocos reportes en la literatura, que suele ocurrir en mayores de 50 años con enfermedades sistémicas crónicas subyacentes. Presentamos el caso de un paciente masculino sano de 32 años con rotura bilateral de tendón cuadricipital durante la práctica de musculación asociada a la administración de anabolizantes esteroideos y el tratamiento realizado

Bilateral and simultaneous rupture of the quadriceps tendon is a rare injury with a few reports in record that usually occurs in people older than 50 years with underlying chronic systemic diseases. We present the case of a healthy 32-year-old male patient with bilateral quadriceps tendon rupture during weight training practice associated to anabolic steroids administration and the treatment provided

Epidemiology and Trends of Weightlifting-Related Sprains and Strains that Presented to Emergency Departments in the United States.

Despite potential health benefits of weightlifting and physical activity, individuals can suffer from a number of musculoskeletal injuries. This study aimed to: (i) compare incidence and annual trends of different weightlifting injury types presenting to emergency departments in the United States and (ii) identify frequency and annual trends of weightlifting-related sprains and strains to each body part. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried to identify all weightlifting-related injuries from 2010-2016. Incidence and annual trends of various types of weightlifting-related injuries were compared during the study period. Furthermore, frequency and annual trends of weightlifting-related sprains and strains to different body parts were assessed. The weighted estimated annual incidence of weightlifting-related injuries significantly increased from 86,910 in 2010 to 109,961 in 2016 (R2 = 3.382; p = 0.01). The most common weightlifting-related sprains and strains involved the lower trunk (29.4%), shoulder (22.6%), upper trunk (17.3%), neck (6.5%), upper arm (5.6%), wrist (4.8%), knee (3.4%), and elbow (2.6%). There was a significant increase in the frequency and trends of sprains and strains that involved the lower trunk (R2 = 0.631; p = 0.033). Weightlifting-related injuries have increased, of which sprains and strains were the most common. Additionally, the most commonly affected body part was the lower trunk. Further studies are needed to determine the etiologies of weightlifting-related lower trunk sprains/strains. This study may be beneficial to weightlifters, highlighting common injury types, thereby allowing them to take preventative measures.

Risk factors for acute injuries and overuse syndromes of the shoulder in amateur triathletes - A retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence of shoulder-related acute and overuse injuries in triathletes and examine the role of possible risk factors, in order to identify potential preventive measures. METHODS: We performed a retrospective epidemiologic study of 193 amateur triathletes between June and August 2013 and evaluated their competition and training habits, as well as the presence of acute and overuse injuries of the shoulder sustained during the past 12 months. Contingency tables were analyzed using Pearson's chi-squared test. Normally distributed data were compared with the independent samples t-test, while non-parametric analyses were performed with the Mann-Whitney U test. Binary logistic regression was used to identify important predictors of injuries. RESULTS: 12 participants (6%) sustained acute injuries and 36 athletes experienced an overuse injury. The acute injury rate amounted to 0.11 per 1000 hours of training and the overuse injury rate to 0.33 per 1000 hours of training. There was no association between athletes' age, height, weight, BMI, a history of shoulder complaints or triathlon experience in years and acute or overuse injuries. Male athletes had a trend for sustaining more acute injuries then female athletes (8% vs. 2%, p = 0.079). Athletes with acute injuries spent a significantly higher amount of time per week doing weight training (p = 0.007) and had a trend for a higher weekly duration of cycling training (p = 0.088). Athletes with overuse injuries participated in a significantly higher number of races compared to athletes without overuse injuries (p = 0.005). The regular use of paddles was associated with a significantly higher rate of overuse injuries (24% vs. 10%, p = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The regular use of paddles during swimming training appears to be a risk factor for the development of overuse injuries, while an increased duration of weight and cycling training seems to be associated with a higher rate of acute injuries.

Spontaneous hepatic rupture in a bodybuilder: a case report and review of the literature.

This article is the first description of a spontaneous hepatic rupture in a young bodybuilder with a history of clenbuterol and ephedrine alkaloid use. The patient presented with a sudden mid-epigastric pain and vomiting. Hemoglobin levels decreased a few hours later and a computed tomography scan was performed which revealed a rupture of the right liver capsule and hemoperitoneum. Two attempts at transarterial embolization did not control the bleeding and a right hemihepatectomy was performed. The pathological report identified a hepatic adenoma, a capsular tear and diffuse peliosis hepatis. The patient was discharged in a good condition after eleven days. Spontaneous hepatic ruptures are rare and life-threatening and are usually described in association with tumors, connective tissue diseases and gestosis. This article is a review of the available literature with regard to this condition, with a focus on its relation to peliosis hepatis and banned substance used by body image fanatics. The present case highlights the challenging diagnosis of this potentially fatal liver complication in a healthy appearing male, the risk associated with the online trade of performance enhancing drugs and its relation with peliosis hepatis.

Lifting and pregnancy outcomes: feasibility of a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The highest incidence of preterm birth (18%) occurs in Africa but the causes are largely unknown. Some studies have reported adverse effects of maternal physical exertion on birth outcomes. A randomized controlled trial (RCT) is proposed to determine the effectiveness of an intervention reducing lifting and carrying in pregnant women in reducing preterm birth and low birthweight. Aims: To test the feasibility and acceptability of the proposed lift-less intervention RCT. Methods: We recruited pregnant women and midwives from antenatal clinics within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The midwives were trained to administer the intervention during a 5-week trial. Four intervention trial sessions were organized at weekly intervals. Results: Seven pregnant women and six midwives participated. After piloting, we observed a reduction in participants' self-reported daily exposure to heavy lifting and carrying. The daily average frequency of lifting by a participant within the first seven days of the study was 3.5 (SD 1.7) with an estimated mean total weight of 41.1 kg (SD = 13.3 kg). This had decreased to 2.3 (SD = 1.0) and the amount to 13.4 kg (SD = 10.9) within the last seven days of the study. Conclusions: The findings provide insight into the daily physical exertion experienced by pregnant women in Ghana. The lift-less intervention trial is feasible with modifications and has the potential to reduce excessive physical exertion among pregnant women in Ghana to improve birth outcomes.