Sports Medicine Curricular Recommendations for Undergraduate Medical Education.

ABSTRACT: Sports medicine is a unique field encompassing many specialties and aspects of medicine. While musculoskeletal medicine is a significant aspect of sports medicine, the breadth of sports medicine extends beyond the musculoskeletal system and includes the spectrum of care for the patient who is or desires to be physically active. This article provides recommendations for sports medicine education in undergraduate medical education. The framework highlighting these recommendations uses domains of competence. Entrustable professional activities, measures that are endorsed by the Association of American Medical Colleges, were matched to domains of competence to provide objective markers of achievement. In addition to recommended sports medicine educational content, there should be consideration of both methods of assessment and implementation catered to each individual institution's needs and resources. These recommendations may serve as a guide for medical educators and institutions pursing optimization of sports medicine education.

Family Medicine Musculoskeletal Medicine Education: A CERA Study.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Musculoskeletal (MSK) concerns constitute up to 40% of primary care outpatient visits. Despite Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) family medicine program requirements for musculoskeletal medicine and sports medicine training, previous studies have shown that family medicine residency graduates do not have adequate training to manage common musculoskeletal conditions. Factors for this may include deficiencies in education at both the undergraduate and graduate medical education training levels. METHODS: A Council of Academic Family Medicine Educational Research Alliance survey of 287 family medicine program directors assessed the current state of the delivery of musculoskeletal medicine education. Opinions were gathered on the scope and delivery of training requirements as well as potential areas for further curricular attention. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-seven program directors responded to the survey (response rate 41.53%). Most (72.60%) were in university based or affiliated programs and had a fellowship-trained primary care sports medicine physician (59.85%) curricular lead. A majority (77.4%) did not feel that PGY-1 residents enter residency with the physical exam skills needed to evaluate common musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions , and most (81.15%) did not feel that there should be changes to the current ACGME requirements. An area highlighted for further investment is faculty development in point-of-care ultrasound (39.85%). CONCLUSIONS: Although program directors believe that current ACGME MSK curricular requirements are likely appropriate, they do not feel residents arrive with the examination skills needed to evaluate common MSK conditions.Therefore, further attention can be given to medical student education in musculoskeletal exam skills prior to residency. Future research should develop objective measures using multiple assessors-students, residents, teaching faculty, and patients-to assess both the baseline and graduating competency in MSK medicine of our residents.

Compartment syndrome of the upper arm after closed reduction and percutaneous pinning of a supracondylar humerus fracture.

BACKGROUND: Supracondylar fractures of the humerus are the most frequently seen elbow fractures in children. One of the most feared complications of this fracture, that is, compartment syndrome of the forearm is seen rarely. Compartment syndrome of the upper arm is an even more rare occurrence and to date, has not been reported in association with an isolated supracondylar humerus fracture in a child. METHODS: A 9-year-old boy was cared for at our facility for a severe (Gartland type III) supracondylar humerus fracture and developed a compartment syndrome in the perioperative period. A clinical, radiographic, and literature review of this case was undertaken to better define this occurrence. RESULTS: This patient sustained a closed supracondylar humerus fracture in association with a motor and sensory deficit of the radial nerve. Because of the severity of the deformity, a provisional reduction was performed in the emergency department. Eleven hours after the injury, a routine closed reduction and percutaneous pinning was performed. Although significant swelling was noted at that time, compartment syndrome was not clinically suspected. He was observed as an inpatient because of this persistent swelling. Over the next day, he developed considerable tenderness over the anterior arm and mobile wad musculature, hence, compartment pressure measurements were made. These confirmed a compartment syndrome in the anterior compartment of the arm and equivocally in the mobile wad. An urgent compartment release of the arm was done, which resulted in full recovery. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report of a compartment syndrome of the arm after an isolated supracondylar humerus fracture in a child. The presence of the associated fracture made the classic signs of compartment syndrome difficult to assess. Ultimately, muscle tenderness and compartment pressure measurement were most helpful in making this diagnosis. A high index of suspicion should be maintained for compartment syndrome of the arm as well as the forearm when evaluating children with severe supracondylar humerus fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case report.

The in vitro regulation of ovarian follicle development using alginate-extracellular matrix gels.

The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides a three-dimensional structure that promotes and regulates cell adhesion and provides signals that direct the cellular processes leading to tissue development. In this report, synthetic matrices that present defined ECM components were employed to investigate these signaling effects on tissue formation using ovarian follicle maturation as a model system. In vitro systems for follicle culture are being developed to preserve fertility for women, and cultures were performed to test the hypothesis that the ECM regulates follicle maturation in a manner that is dependent on both the ECM identity and the stage of follicle development. Immature mouse follicles were cultured within alginate-based matrices that were modified with specific ECM components (e.g., laminin) or RGD peptides. The matrix maintains the in vivo like morphology of the follicle and provides an environment that supports follicle development. The ECM components signal the somatic cells of the follicle, affecting their growth and differentiation, and unexpectedly also affect the meiotic competence of the oocyte. These effects depend upon both the identity of the ECM components and the initial stage of the follicle, indicating that the ECM is a dynamic regulator of follicle development. The development of synthetic matrices that promote follicle maturation to produce meiotically competent oocytes may provide a mechanism to preserve fertility, or more generally, provide design principles for scaffold-based approaches to tissue engineering.