A ninety-minute football match increases hamstring flexibility in professional players.

Flexibility is an integral component in any conditioning program. Flexibility has been defined as the ability of a muscle to lengthen and allow one or more joints in a kinetic chain to move through a range of motion. The lack of flexibility of the hamstring muscle group has been associated with a higher risk of non-contact muscle injury, and for several other conditions, such as changes in lumbopelvic rhythm, greater thoracic kyphosis and lumbar flexion, and lower back pain. The present study explored the effects of a 90-minute soccer match on hamstring group flexibility. Our study shows that a 90-minute football match favorably impacts the flexibility of the hamstring muscle group. Flexibility is a modifiable risk factor for muscle strain injury. It remains to be ascertained how long this effect lasts, and whether it may be associated with the risk of developing or avoiding noncontact injury to the hamstring muscle group.

[Extracorporeal shock wave therapy for patients suffering from recalcitrant Osgood-Schlatter disease]. / Einsatz der extrakorporalen Stoßwellentherapie bei therapieresistentem M. Schlatter.

BACKGROUND: Intensive physical load can damage epi-/apophyseal growth. Osgood-Schlatter disease is a well-known and sport-associated overuse injury of the tibial tuberosity apophysis. Long-lasting load-associated pain and a reduced ability to play sports can be the consequence. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to analyse the safety and effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) for recalcitrant Osgood-Schlatter disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 14 adolescent patients, median age 14 (13.2-14.7) years, suffering from recalcitrant Osgood-Schlatter disease (16 symptomatic knees) were treated with radial extracorporeal shock waves. The nine boys, median age 14 (13.5-15.0) years and the five girls, median age 12 (10.8-15.2) were retrospectively followed up 5.6 (3.4 - 6.7) years later using the disease specific VISA-P-G questionnaire which is validated for jumper's knee. RESULTS: At follow up the median VISA-P-G score was 100 (82.9-100.9). Twelve of 16 knees (75%) reached 100 out of 100 VISA-P-G points. Four patients changed their sports activity due to persisting problems at the distal patellar tendon insertion. Four knees had persisting tibial tuberosity pain when playing sport. Pain induced by activities of daily living (stair climbing) was stated in two cases. No side effects or long-term complications were reported. CONCLUSIONS: This pilot study demonstrates that radial ESWT is a safe and promising treatment for adolescent athletes with recalcitrant Osgood-Schlatter disease.

Validation of Ottawa ankle rules protocol in Greek athletes: study in the emergency departments of a district general hospital and a sports injuries clinic.

OBJECTIVE: To validate the Ottawa ankle rules protocol for predicting ankle and midfoot fractures in Greek athletes. METHOD: A prospective survey in the emergency departments of a district general hospital and a sports injury clinic in Greece over nine months. A clinical evaluation was made of 122 patients with acute ankle and/or midfoot injury, and then radiographs were taken. RESULTS: Nine ankle and eight midfoot fractures were detected. The sensitivity of the Ottawa ankle rules protocol in predicting fractures in both the malleolar and midfoot zones was 100%. The negative predictive value for each of these areas was also 1.0. Specificity was estimated to be 0.3 for ankle fractures and 0.4 for midfoot fractures. Positive predictive values were 0.16 and 0.28 respectively. A possible reduction of up to 28.7% was found in the need for radiography. CONCLUSIONS: Use of the Ottawa ankle rules protocol in evaluating injured Greek athletes resulted in 100% sensitivity when performed by orthopaedic residents or sports medicine doctors, and had the potential to reduce the use of radiography.

Abdominoscrotal hydrocele.

Hydrocele is among the commonest inguinal anomalies in children. One of its most unusual variants is the abdominoscrotal hydrocele, of which no more than 22 cases have been reported in the world literature. The present case is the first one in our country. In this patient the coexistence of small bilateral scrotal hydrocele and cystic abdominal mass at the right side is described. Abdominoscrotal hydrocele is an unusual cause of lower abdominal cystic tumour in association with an inguinoscrotal hydrocele in infancy.