Congenital Generalized Lipodystrophy in a Division 1 Female Sprinter.

ABSTRACT: A 21-year-old African American Division 1 female sprinter presented with 3-weeks history of right great toe and forefoot pain, fatigue, and a 30-day continuous menstrual cycle despite implanted etonogestrel (Nexplanon) inserted 3 years prior. An magnetic resonance imagine (MRI) identified likely stress fracture of the second metatarsal base with a diffusely low T1 signal indicating hyperactive red marrow. Due to persistent pain, a follow-up MRI was ordered 6 months later and indicated serous atrophy of the bone marrow, prompting a further metabolic workup notable for triglycerides exceeding 4000 mg/dL and a hemoglobin A1c of 10.9%. This case highlights the manifestation of a rare congenital lipodystrophy that initially presented as a relatively classic stress fracture and metrorrhagia in a female athlete.

Hypertension in Athletes and Active Populations.

Hypertension continues to be the most common cardiovascular disorder in the USA and worldwide. While generally considered a disorder of aging individuals, hypertension is more prevalent in athletes and the active population than is generally appreciated. The timely detection, diagnosis, and appropriate treatment of hypertension in athletes must focus on both adequately managing the disorder and ensuring safe participation in sport while not compromising exercise capacity. This publication focuses on appropriately diagnosing hypertension, treating hypertension in the athletic population, and suggesting follow-up and participation guidelines for athletes.

Superficial Vein Thrombophlebitis in a Football Athlete.

A 22-year-old professional football player presented to a preparticipation physical examination with a 2-week history of left leg discomfort extending from the groin to the knee over the previous 2 weeks. He was found to have superficial vein thrombophlebitis (SVT) of the left great saphenous vein extending from the knee to within approximately 1.6 cm of the saphenofemoral junction. There is paucity in the literature regarding the management of SVT, particularly in actively training athletes. This case addresses the considerations of anticoagulation management for SVT as well as the unique challenge of managing anticoagulation therapy in an athlete that is actively training.

Prescribing DOACs with specific patient populations in mind.

What prescribing considerations should be top of mind when obesity, renal disease, cancer, or thrombophilia are at play?

Make room for continuous glucose monitoring in type 2 diabetes management.

Here's how the various devices can be used to reach an individualized target of glycemic control and what reimbursement to expect from insurers.

Sharp lower back pain • left-side paraspinal tenderness • anterior thigh sensory loss • Dx?

► Acute-onset, sharp nonradiating lower back pain ► Left-side paraspinal tenderness ► Anterior thigh sensory loss.

Understanding Cannabis-Based Therapeutics in Sports Medicine.

CONTEXT: With increased use of cannabis-based products by the public for both recreational and medical use, sports medicine clinicians should be informed of historical context, current legal considerations, and existing evidence with regard to efficacy, safety, and risks in the athletic community. EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: A review of ClinicalTrials.gov, MEDLINE, and CINAHL from 2015 to present was conducted with emphasis on the most recent literature using search terms, cannabis, nabiximols, cannabinoids, pain management, THC, CBD, and marijuana. Bibliographies based on original search were utilized to pursue further literature search. STUDY DESIGN: Clinical review. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. RESULTS: At present, limited high-quality studies exist for use of cannabinoids for acute pain, chronic pain, or concussion. None of the trials involving cannabinoids included the athletic population. Thus, results from this clinical review are extrapolated to conditions of the sports medicine population. For acute pain, 2 small-randomized double-blinded crossover trials concluded no immediate effect of cannabinoid therapy. More robust evidence exists for treatment of chronic pain conditions through meta-analysis and systemic reviews. Cannabinoid therapy exhibits moderate efficacy as a treatment for some chronic pain conditions. Investigations included a broad spectrum of chronic pain conditions, including neuropathic, musculoskeletal, inflammatory, and central pain conditions, and reveal reduction in pain and improvement of quality of life with limited adverse effects. For concussion, evidence is based on preclinical in vitro and animal models revealing possible neuroprotective effects as well as 2 clinical studies involving the presence of cannabinoids for concussion (some sports-related), but there are no high-quality trials evaluating efficacy for treatment with cannabinoids at this time. CONCLUSION: Although various biochemical explanations exist on the use of cannabinoid therapy through modulation of the endocannabinoid system for several medical issues affecting athletes, recommendations from clinicians must be extrapolated from a majority of research done in the nonathletic population. Lack of strong-quality clinical evidence, coupled with inconsistent federal and state law as well as purity issues with cannabis-based products, make it difficult for the sports medicine clinician to widely recommend cannabinoid therapeutics at present. Future larger, higher quality clinical research studies with standardized pure extracts will better guide appropriate medical use going forward. At present, evidence for a multitude of therapeutic applications is emerging for cannabinoid treatment approaches. With emphasis placed on patient-centered clinical decisions, cannabinoids hold promise of treatment for athletes with chronic pain conditions. Clinicians who treat the athletic community must consider legal and ethical issues when discussing and recommending the use of cannabinoids, with acknowledgment of inconsistencies in purity of various formulations and concerns of drug testing.

Return to Play After Exertional Rhabdomyolysis.

OBJECTIVE: To outline a 4-phase progressive program that safely and successfully enabled athletes to return to sport without recurrence of exertional rhabdomyolysis symptoms. BACKGROUND: In January 2011, a large cluster of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I football athletes were evaluated and treated for exertional rhabdomyolysis. After the athletes were treated, the athletic trainers and sports medicine providers were challenged to develop a safe return-to-play program because of the lack of specific reports in the medical literature to direct such activities. TREATMENT: A progressive 4-phase program based on existing recommendations, including guidelines for continued clinical and laboratory monitoring. CONCLUSIONS: Although the actual process of reintegrating players will differ based on each athlete's unique circumstances, this program provides a safe and effective foundation that can be modified based on the response to activity and sport.