Recognition and rehabilitation of the female athlete triad/tetrad: a multidisciplinary approach.

While the benefits of physical activity are numerous, the female athlete triad poses a significant health risk to young athletes. Emerging research links the triad to endothelial dysfunction--a sentinel event in cardiovascular disease--suggesting that this complex interplay of metabolic and endocrine factors may be described more accurately as a tetrad. Effective treatment of the triad/tetrad requires a multidisciplinary approach. Emphasis must be placed on prevention, recognition, and treatment of triad for the promotion of healthy nutritional and activity profiles in female athletes across their lifespans.

Menstrual Irregularity, Hormonal Contraceptive Use, and Bone Stress Injuries in Collegiate Female Athletes in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Menstrual irregularity (MI) is common in female athletes and is a component of the Female Athlete Triad (Triad). Many athletes with the Triad are started on hormonal contraceptives (HC) for MI, but this interferes with the ability to monitor menstrual cycle regularity and can mask other causes of MI. There are limited studies investigating the relationship between MI, HC use, and injury in female collegiate athletes. OBJECTIVE: To examine the prevalence of and relationship between HC use, MI, and bone stress injuries in female collegiate athletes in the United States. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Online survey. PARTICIPANTS: 1020 U.S. female collegiate athletes (age ≥ 18 years). METHODS OR INTERVENTIONS: Assessment of risk factors for menstrual irregularity and bone stress injuries was conducted via a one-time survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: HC use, MI, history of stress fractures. RESULTS: Current HC use prevalence was 65% (95% confidence interval [CI], 61.9%, 67.8%). Of all athletes, 47% reported past MI. Of the athletes who were not currently using HCs, 32% had current MI. Compared with athletes without past MI, more athletes with past MI reported current HC use (73% vs. 57%) and indicated menstrual cycle consistency as the primary reason for use (24% vs. 4%) (P < .001). Additionally, 25% of athletes reported a history of stress fractures, which was associated with lean/aesthetic sports participation (odds ratio [95% CI]: 1.9 [1.4, 2.5]; P < .001) and less oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use (0.7 [0.5, 1.0]; P = .043). Compared with OCPs, injectable HCs were associated with greater odds of a history of stress fractures (4.5[1.6, 12.3]; P = .004). CONCLUSIONS: HC use was prevalent among this cohort of female collegiate athletes, and almost half of the athletes reported past MI. A goal of menstrual cycle regularity was cited by 24% of athletes as a primary reason to use HCs, which shows that more athlete education is needed to avoid masking MI and the Triad with HCs. Further studies elucidating the relationship between HC use, MI, and sports-related injury are warranted.

Pelvic floor muscle function and urinary incontinence in the female athlete.

Urinary incontinence, defined as involuntary leakage of urine, is often considered a disorder of post-partum and post-menopausal women. However, this disorder is not exclusive to older women, as recent research has demonstrated a high prevalence of urinary incontinence among young, nulliparous female athletes. In fact, females participating in repetitive, high-impact sports are at the highest risk for urinary incontinence. In these athletes, the absence of sufficient pelvic floor strength and coordination to withstand sport related increases in intra-abdominal pressure results in physical activity related urinary incontinence, and may be a predictor of urinary incontinence in later adulthood. Pelvic floor dysfunction and urinary incontinence in this population is under-reported and consequently under-diagnosed and under-treated. Therefore, the prevalence is higher than one might expect, and the effects can include decreased performance, change in sport and avoidance of physical activity all together. This manuscript highlights the prevalence of pelvic floor dysfunction and outlines its pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. We discuss how greater recognition of this disorder by health care providers and routinely querying active females is a critical step in addressing this issue. Identification, education and appropriate rehabilitation can positively affect outcomes in regards to urinary incontinence symptoms and maintain physical activity participation in these athletes.

Musculoskeletal Approach to Pelvic Pain.

Visceral and somatic causes of pelvic pain are often inter-related, and a musculoskeletal examination should always be considered for the successful diagnosis and treatment of pelvic pain. For the diverse etiologies of hip pain, there are many unique considerations for the diagnosis and treatment of these various disorders. Pelvic pain is often multidimensional due to the overlap between lumbo-hip-pelvic diagnoses and may require a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and management.

Comparison of Pain Score Reduction Using Triamcinolone vs. Betamethasone in Transforaminal Epidural Steroid Injections for Lumbosacral Radicular Pain.

OBJECTIVE: Although the comparative efficacy of particulate vs. nonparticulate steroids for the treatment of radicular pain with transforaminal epidural steroid injection has been investigated, there is minimal literature comparing particulate steroids. The authors aimed to determine whether transforaminal epidural steroid injection with triamcinolone or betamethasone, two particulate corticosteroids, more effectively reduces lumbosacral radicular pain. DESIGN: This is a longitudinal cohort study of 1021 patients (1568 transforaminal epidural steroid injections) who received betamethasone or triamcinolone between January 2006 and October 2007 in an academic spine center. The frequency of greater than 50% pain reduction was compared between groups. RESULTS: This study included 42.4% (433) male and 57.6% (588) female patients, with a mean (SD) age of 54.1 (16.7) yrs. Betamethasone and triamcinolone were used in 78.8% (1235) and 21.2% (333) of subjects, respectively. Significantly more patients who received triamcinolone (44.4% [95% confidence interval, 36.2%-52.8%]) experienced greater than 50% pain reduction at short-term follow-up (1-4 wks) compared with patients who received betamethasone (26.8% [95% confidence interval, 22.7%-31.4%]). CONCLUSIONS: Patients who received transforaminal epidural steroid injection with triamcinolone reported more frequent pain relief of greater than 50% at short-term follow-up compared with those who received betamethasone. These findings further develop the literature on comparative effectiveness in epidural steroid injections. However, given the exploratory and retrospective nature of this investigation, further study is needed.

Concordant pain provocation during transforaminal epidural steroid injection for lumbosacral radiculopathy: effect on pain outcome and predictive factors.

BACKGROUND: Anecdotal report suggests that provocation of pain during epidural steroid injection (ESI) that is concordant with typical radicular symptoms predicts pain outcome following injection. However, limited evidence exists that substantiates this theory. Additionally, there is a paucity of literature investigating factors associated with the provocation of pain during ESI. OBJECTIVES: The goal of this study was to determine whether provocation of concordant radicular pain during transforaminal ESI predicts pain relief immediately after injection and at short-term follow-up. Demographic, radiologic, and procedural factors associated with the pain provocation and pain outcomes at immediate and short-term follow-up were also investigated. STUDY DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. SETTING: Urban academic outpatient interventional spine clinics. METHODS: Adults who underwent a fluoroscopically guided transforaminal ESI without sedation between January 1, 2006, and October 29, 2007, for the treatment of lumbosacral radicular pain were included in this study. The relationships between provocation of concordant pain, immediate post-injection, and follow-up visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores, as well as with demographic, radiologic, and procedural factors were determined using chi-square/Fisher's exact tests for categorical variables and t-tests or ANOVA for numerical variables. RESULTS: One thousand twenty one patients, 42.4% (433) male/57.6% (588) female, with a mean (SD) age of 54.1 (16.7) years were included in the study. Concordant pain provocation did not predict the magnitude of pain reduction (P = 0.9255) or the frequency of achieving > 50% pain relief (P = 0.7449) at short-term follow-up. Radiologic evidence of foraminal stenosis or nerve root impingement (P < 0.0001) and the lack of a medial-superior contrast flow pattern (P = 0.0199) were associated with a greater frequency of pain provocation during transforaminal ESI. LIMITATIONS: This study is primarily limited by possible selection bias given that patients who did not follow-up in the clinic could not be studied, and an incomplete follow-up rate (66%). Conclusions regarding subacute and long-term pain outcomes cannot be determined from this study as only short-term data were available. CONCLUSIONS: Provocation of concordant radicular pain does not predict pain relief at short-term follow-up after a transforaminal ESI. Foraminal stenosis, nerve root impingement, and lack of a medial-superior contrast flow pattern are associated with pain during the transforaminal ESI. Thus, clinicians should be aware of these radiologic and procedural risk factors for inciting pain during transforaminal ESI.

The effect of protein and calorie intake on prealbumin, complications, length of stay, and function in the acute rehabilitation inpatient with stroke.

BACKGROUND: Nutrition's impact on stroke rehabilitation outcomes is controversial. Existing studies utilize albumin without correcting for inflammation in nutritional assessments. Here, prealbumin was used and inflammation assessed to determine if nutrition impacts rehabilitation outcomes. OBJECTIVE: Determine the effect of dietary intake on prealbumin level, number of complications, length of stay, and Functional Independence Measure (FIM) efficiency in rehabilitation stroke inpatients. METHODS: Patients had admission and discharge prealbumin and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels drawn; and, weekly protein and calorie counts obtained. Patients were followed for number of complications, length of stay, and FIM efficiency. RESULTS: Mean protein and calorie intake was 57.6 ± 16.2 g/d and 1452.2 ± 435.8 kcal/d, respectively. 77.6% of patients had normal prealbumin on admission with 94.9% on discharge. Prealbumin increased significantly from admission to discharge (22.3 ± 6.2 mg/dL vs. 24.6 mg/dL ± 5.1 mg/dL, P = 0.007). Number of complications and length of stay were predicted by CRP in regression models. Total, motor, and cognitive FIM efficiencies were not universally affected by prealbumin levels, protein intake, or calorie intake. CONCLUSIONS: Nearly all hypoprealbuminemic stroke rehabilitation inpatients correct their levels eating a non-supplemented diet. Number of complications, length of stay, and functional outcomes in this patient are not affected by prealbumin levels, protein intake, or calorie intake.