Aetiology, epidemiology and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries in badminton players: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

The present study has two main goals: to conduct a systematic review of musculoskeletal injuries experienced by badminton players, and to examine the management of such injuries. Searches were conducted of the PROSPERO, PubMed, Scopus, and SPORTDiscus databases, from their inception until March 2023. The papers analysed were all based on a study population consisting of individuals aged 18 years or more, diagnosed with badminton-related injuries. The methodological quality assessments was using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale and REVMAN. A total of 28 studies were included in the systematic review. In total, the analysis included 2435 participants. Of these athletes, 35.6% (1012) were female and 64.4% (1503) were male. By type of injury, sprains were the most commonly studied and the most prevalent, accounting for 36.06% of the sample. These were followed by muscle injuries, representing 23.86% of the total. Injuries to the joints were the least prevalent, accounting for 4.97% of the sample. Lower limb injuries accounted for 52.15% of the total. Of these, ankle injuries were the most common. Despite the generally low quality of the studies considered, the evidence suggests that musculoskeletal injuries, especially to the lower limb, most commonly affect badminton players of all levels.

Correlation between the foot pressure index and the prevalence of plantar hyperkeratosis.

BACKGROUND: Plantar hyperkeratosis (HK) is a very prevalent foot lesion formed due to an alteration in the keratinisation process, thereby increasing keratynocites and accumulating multiple layers of the stratum corneum that leads to plantar pain. As foot shape and plantar pressures is related with their appearance, the aim of this study is to examine how foot posture and plantar pressure influence the appearance of this keratopathy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: On a sample of 400 subjects (201 men and 199 women), the plantar pressures were evaluated by the Footscan® platform in 10 zones. The clinical exploration consisted in the valuation of the Foot Posture Index (FPI), and the assessment of the appeerance (and location) or not of plantar calluses or hyperkeratosis. RESULTS: 6.3% of the feet presented a highly supinated FPI, 15.5% were supinated, 57.3% corresponded to neutral, 17.3% were pronated and 3.8% were highly pronated. The participants with HK on the hallux, on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd or 5th MTH or on the lateral heel had a significantly higher pressure index (p < 0.001), ranging from 24.3 to 44% higher than those with no such alteration. Of the highly pronated feet, 66.7% presented HK in the hallux, while 32.3% of the supinated feet and 60% of the highly supinated feet presented it beneath the first MTH. CONCLUSION: Foot posture influences the appearance of HK, though its association with plantar pressures. The participants with HK presented a mean foot pressure that was 32.3% higher than in those with no such condition. These values can be considered predictive for the appearance of HK and should be indicative of the need for preventive treatment.

Effect of Spatiotemporal Parameters on the Gait of Children Aged from 6 to 12 Years in Podiatric Tests: A Cross Sectional Study.

The use of lower limb tests in the paediatric population is of great importance for diagnostic evaluations. The aim of this study is to understand the relationship between the tests performed on the feet and ankles, covering all of its planes, and the spatiotemporal parameters of children's gait. METHODS: It is a cross-sectional observational study. Children aged between 6 and 12 years participated. Measurements were carried out in 2022. An analysis of three tests used to assess the feet and ankles (FPI, the ankle lunge test, and the lunge test), as well as a kinematic analysis of gait using OptoGait as a measurement tool, was performed. RESULTS: The spatiotemporal parameters show how Jack's Test is significant in the propulsion phase in its % parameter, with a p-value of 0.05 and a mean difference of 0.67%. Additionally, in the lunge test, we studied the % of midstance in the left foot, with a mean difference between the positive test and the 10 cm test of 10.76 (p value of 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: The diagnostic analysis of the functional limitation of the first toe (Jack's test) is correlated with the spaciotemporal parameter of propulsion, as well as the lunge test, which is also correlated with the midstance phase of gait.

Effectiveness of hyaluronic acid in post-surgical cures following partial matricectomies with the phenol/alcohol technique: A randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Post-operative cures with hyaluronic acid (HA) could potentially shorten the period recovery involved in the phenol technique for ingrown toenail. The aim of this study was therefore to compare a standard healing protocol with the experimental one based on hyaluronic acid cream. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 70 patients who had undergone phenol technique surgery for ingrown toenail were divided into two groups - control (n = 35) who received post-operative cures following the standard protocol with povidone iodine gel, and experimental (n = 35) who received cures with HA in the first 3 visits. Bleeding, total healing time, and perceived pain were assessed. RESULTS: Patients in the control group recovered from the intervention in a total of 26.17 ± 7.75 days, while those in the HA group recovered in a significantly shorter time - 22.42 ± 2.41 days (p = 0.007, effect size 0.653). However, there were no between-group statistical differences in bleeding or perceived pain over the course of the post-surgery visits. CONCLUSIONS: The use of low molecular weight hyaluronic acid is effective in reducing the phenol-technique healing time by 4 days compared with the standard cure. However, no extra effects such as reductions in bleeding or perceived pain can be expected in choosing this healing protocol.

Impact of in shoe and barefoot placed frontal wedges on plantar loading: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: The main aim of this review is to report the effect of different types of in-shoe and barefoot wedges on the distribution of the plantar loading of the human foot. We hypothesise that frontal plane wedges modify this parameter. METHODS: A systematic review was performed, using the PubMed, CINAHL, Prospero and Scopus databases, consulted from their date of first publication to May 2020. Only observational (cross-over studies), randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-experimental studies addressing the effects of in-shoe and barefoot frontal plane wedges on plantar loading were included. All articles were subjected to quality assessment, using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for the observational (cross-over) studies, TREND for quasi-experimental studies and the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for the RCTs. RESULTS: Eleven papers were included in the final review. Four were cross-over studies, other four were quasi-experimental studies and three were RCTs. These eleven studies included 320 patients, with ages ranging from 20 to 60 years. Regarding the risk of bias, most of the observational studies and RCTs had a moderate level of quality. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that lateral wedges are more effective, producing a lateral shift of the centre of pressure and increasing the pressure. Regarding the impact on the peak impact force there seems to be less consensus among the published data.

Surgical Treatment for the Ankle and Foot in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Systematic Review.

The aim was to identify effective surgical treatments for patients with rheumatoid arthritis in the foot and/or ankle. A systematic review of the literature was conducted via a data search of the PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and PROSPERO databases, from their inception until June 2019. Only non-randomized controlled trials and cohort studies were included in this review. Two of the present authors independently assessed the quality of each study and extracted the relevant data. A quality assessment of all articles was performed using the methodological index for non-randomized studies criteria. In addition, the Newcastle Ottawa scale was used for cohort studies. Thirteen studies met the inclusion criteria (five cohort studies and eight NRCTs). The total population considered was 923 patients (570 patients had RA), with a mean age of 58.8 years. Regarding the risk of bias, both the NRCTs and the cohort studies had a moderate level of quality. Despite the relatively low quality of these studies, surgical treatment for the foot and/or ankle is shown to reduce pain and improve functionality in patients with RA, in the short term (6-12 months).