Quantifying head impact exposure, mechanisms and kinematics using instrumented mouthguards in female high school lacrosse.

Current debate exists regarding the need for protective headwear in female lacrosse. To inform this issue, the current study quantified head impact exposure, mechanisms and kinematics in female lacrosse using instrumented mouthguards. A female high school varsity lacrosse team of 17 players wore the Stanford Instrumented Mouthguard (MiG) during 14 competitive games. Video footage was reviewed to remove false-positive recordings and verify head impacts, which resulted in a rate of 0.32 head impacts per athlete-exposure. Of the 31 video-confirmed head impacts, 54.8% were identified as stick contacts, 38.7% were player contacts and 6.5% were falls. Stick contacts had the greatest peak head kinematics. The most common impact site was the side of the head (35.5%), followed by the face/jaw (25.8%), forehead (6.5%), and crown (6.5%). Impacts to the face/jaw region of the head had significantly (p < 0.05) greater peak kinematics compared to other regions of the head, which may have resulted from the interaction of the impacting surface, or the lower jaw, and the sensor. The current study provides initial data regarding the frequency, magnitude and site of impacts sustained in female high school lacrosse. A larger sample size of high quality head impact data in female lacrosse is required to confirm these findings.

Long-term National Trends of Arthroscopic Meniscal Repair and Debridement.

BACKGROUND: Optimal treatment of meniscal pathology continues to evolve in orthopaedic surgery, with a growing understanding of which patients benefit from which procedure and which patients might be best treated nonsurgically. In 2002, Moseley et al found no difference between arthroscopic procedures, including meniscal debridement and sham surgery, in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee. This called into question the role of routine arthroscopic debridement in these patients. Additionally, an increased interest in understanding and maintaining the function of the meniscus has more recently resulted in a greater focus on meniscal preservation procedures. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. PURPOSE/HYPOTHESIS: The purpose was to evaluate the trends of arthroscopic meniscal debridement and repair and the characteristics of the patients receiving these treatments, compare the differences in practice between newly trained orthopaedic sports medicine specialists and those of other specialties, and analyze if there are differences in practice by region. It was hypothesized that the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) database would evaluate practice patterns of recent graduates as a surrogate for current treatment and training and, consequently, demonstrate a decreased rate of meniscal debridement. METHODS: Data from ABOS Part II examinees from 2001 to 2017 were obtained from the ABOS Case List. Current Procedure Terminology (CPT) codes related to arthroscopic meniscal treatment were selected. The examination year, age of the patient, practice region, and examinee subspecialty were analyzed. Patient age was stratified into 4 groups: <30, 30 to 50, 51 to 65, and >65 years. Examinee subspecialty was stratified into sports medicine and non-sports medicine. Statistical regression analysis was performed. RESULTS: Between 2001 and 2017, ABOS Part II examinees submitted 131,047 cases with CPT codes 29880 to 29883. Meniscal debridement volume decreased for all age groups during the study period, while repair increased. Sports medicine subspecialists were more likely than their counterparts to perform repair over debridement in patients aged younger than 30 years (P = .0004) and between 30 and 50 years (P = .0005). CONCLUSION: This study provides insights into arthroscopic meniscal debridement and repair practice trends among ABOS Part II examinees. Meniscal debridement is decreasing and meniscal repair is increasing. Younger patient age and treatment by a sports medicine subspecialty examinee are associated with a higher likelihood of repair over debridement.

Head Impact Sensor Studies In Sports: A Systematic Review Of Exposure Confirmation Methods.

To further the understanding of long-term sequelae as a result of repetitive head impacts in sports, in vivo head impact exposure data are critical to expand on existing evidence from animal model and laboratory studies. Recent technological advances have enabled the development of head impact sensors to estimate the head impact exposure of human subjects in vivo. Previous research has identified the limitations of filtering algorithms to process sensor data. In addition, observer and/or video confirmation of sensor-recorded events is crucial to remove false positives. The purpose of the current study was to conduct a systematic review to determine the proportion of published head impact sensor data studies that used filtering algorithms, observer confirmation and/or video confirmation of sensor-recorded events to remove false positives. Articles were eligible for inclusion if collection of head impact sensor data during live sport was reported in the methods section. Descriptive data, confirmation methods and algorithm use for included articles were coded. The primary objective of each study was reviewed to identify the primary measure of exposure, primary outcome and any additional covariates. A total of 168 articles met the inclusion criteria, the publication of which has increased in recent years. The majority used filtering algorithms (74%). The majority did not use observer and/or video confirmation for all sensor-recorded events (64%), which suggests estimates of head impact exposure from these studies may be imprecise.

Injuries and musculoskeletal pain among Norwegian group fitness instructors.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence and factors associated with instruction-related injuries and musculoskeletal pain among group fitness instructors. DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. SETTINGS: Online survey. PARTICIPANTS: Group fitness instructors from three fitness centre companies in Norway (n = 1473). Assessment of independent variables: questions regarding duration of working as a group fitness instructor, weekly instruction and exercise loading and modality, instruction-related injuries, musculoskeletal pain, use of alcohol, tobacco, snuff, menstrual dysfunction and disordered eating (Eating Disorder Inventory, EDI). The respondents were divided into high instruction loading (HIL), ≥5 h/w with instruction; and low instruction loading (LIL), <5 h/w with instruction). RESULTS: The response rate was 57% (n = 837). Mean total loading (instruction and exercise) was 11.8 h/w and 6.3 h/w in the HIL and LIL groups (p < .001), respectively. The prevalence of acute (9% vs. 6%, p < .05), overuse (38% vs. 24%, p < .001) and both acute and overuse injuries (25% vs. 10%, p < .001) was higher in the HIL than in the LIL group (OR: 3.9, CI: 2.7, 5.5). The most prevalent injury locations were ankle and lower leg. The most frequent location for musculoskeletal pain was the shoulder/neck region. Factors associated with injury were instruction loading (h/w), years working as an instructor and EDI score. A high total EDI score predicted musculoskeletal pain. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of injuries and musculoskeletal pain suggests a need for prevention strategies in the fitness industry. There is a need for limits regarding weekly instruction loading, especially for classes with high metabolic and/or mechanical loading.