Return to Activity After Arthroscopically Assisted Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Repair: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate patients' ability to return to preinjury activity level after arthroscopically assisted triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) repair. DATA SOURCES: The PubMed electronic library was systematically searched from inception to August 2021 for any eligible articles using a combination of the phrases "TFCC," "return to sport," "return to work," and "athlete." RESULTS: Studies that evaluated patients who had undergone arthroscopic repair of isolated TFCC injury and reported objective or patient-reported outcome measures were included. Fifteen studies representing 478 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. An average of 84% of patients were able to fully return to their previous work or sport activities. Most studies reported that range of motion (ROM) and grip strength (GS) both returned to >90% of the contralateral side, and every study that evaluated pain levels found a significant reduction in pain postoperatively. Mayo Modified Wrist Score was reported as excellent or good in 83% of patients, and the average Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score was 13.8 postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Patients were able to return to their previous work or sport activities at a high rate after TFCC repair, even those participating in more strenuous activities. Measurable functional outcomes of ROM and GS were also reliably restored to near preinjury levels. Patient-reported outcomes of pain and disability were similarly improved after TFCC repair. Current literature has established the long-term success of TFCC repair but is lacking in evaluation of the time points at which patients can expect functional status to be restored.

Orthopedic manifestations of child abuse.

Child abuse is common in the United States but is often undetected. The incidence of this form of abuse is difficult to quantify, but children with a history of abuse are at risk of chronic health conditions. Medical providers are in the unique position of triaging trauma patients and differentiating unintentional from abusive trauma, as well as having the important position of being a mandated reporter of abuse in all states. Obtaining a detailed history and screening for risk factors can help identify children at risk of abuse. Certain orthopedic injuries may be related to abuse, which may trigger clinical suspicion and lead to further workup or intervention. By increasing awareness, through medical provider education and increased screening, earlier detection of abuse may prevent more serious injuries and consequences. This review evaluates current literature regarding the orthopedic manifestations of child abuse in hopes of increasing medical provider awareness. IMPACT: Child abuse is common in the United States but often remains undetected. Medical professionals are in the unique position of evaluating trauma patients and identifying concerns for abusive injuries. Certain orthopedic injuries may raise concern for abuse triggering clinical suspicion and further workup or intervention.

Defining the contemporary epidemiology and return to play for high ankle sprains in the National Football League.

BACKGROUND: High ankle sprains and syndesmotic injuries are commonly sustained by National Football League players, yet there is apaucity of literature reporting the incidence, risk factors and return to play (RTP) rates for these injuries. The purpose of this study is to examine the epidemiology and trends in incidence of high ankle sprains across 11 NFL seasons. METHODS: Publicly available data from the 2009-2010 through 2019-20 seasons were reviewed to identify injuries and collect player characteristics and return to play. Incidence of high ankle injuries was calculated per 10,000 athlete-exposures. Linear regression was performed for incidence of injuries. Risk factors for failure to RTP were identified through multivariate logistic regression, controlling foryear of injury, player position, body mass index (BMI), age at injury, and years of experience before injury. RESULTS: A total of 533 high ankle sprains were identified in 498 players at an average age of 25.8 ± 3.1 and average BMI of 31.8 ± 4.6. The annual incidence of high ankle sprains in the NFL increased at alinear rate of 0.067per 10,000 player exposures (R2 = 0.3357) in 2009, to 1.75per 10,000 player exposures to 2.49 in 2019-20. Most injuries were in offensive players (304/533 injuries, 57.0%). Overall, 89.7% (478/533) of players returned to play; average RTP time was 80.5 ± 132.9 days. Defensive players had afaster RTP (68.1 ± 114.6 days) compared to offensive players (90.1 ± 144.8 days) (p = 0.084). Higher age at injury was found to increase the risk of failure to RTP (p = 0.0088). CONCLUSION: RTP rate was high following high ankle sprain aamongNFL players at 90%, with an average recovery period of 11 weeks. Defensive players experience RTP faster than offensive players. Future studies are needed to determine performance outcomes following RTP, along with which patients might benefit from surgery.