High-energy dose of therapeutic ultrasound in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy: protocol of a randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: Patellar tendinopathy is an extremely debilitating condition and its treatment usually requires a combination of clinical approaches. Therapeutic ultrasound (TUS) is one of the most available electrophysical agent in rehabilitation settings; however, there is also a lack of high-quality studies that test different dosimetric aspects of TUS. Thus, the purpose of this study is to evaluate the short-, medium-, and long-term effects of the combination of high-energy TUS with a rehabilitation program for patellar tendinopathy. METHODS: This will be a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with blinding of patients, assessors, and therapist. The setting is an outpatient physical therapy clinic. We will recruit 66 participants (male and female) aged between 18 and 40 years and presenting with patellar tendinopathy. A treatment combining high-energy dose TUS and a rehabilitation program for patellar tendinopathy will be delivered twice a week for 8 weeks. The control group will receive the same treatment, but with a placebo TUS. The effectiveness of the intervention will be measured at the beginning (baseline), midpoint (4 weeks), and end of treatment (8 weeks), as well as at 3- and 6-months post-treatment. Primary outcomes will be pain intensity (visual analogue scale, VAS), and VISA-P questionnaire and primary time points will be baseline (T0) and the end of the program (T2). Also, IPAQ-short form questionnaire, muscle strength (manual dynamometry), 2D kinematics, pain pressure threshold (PPT) algometry, thermography, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will be collected. DISCUSSION: TUS will be applied in an attempt to enhance the results obtained with the rehabilitation program proposed in this study, as well as stimulate some repair responses in individuals undergoing treatment for patellar tendinopathy, which in turn may optimize and improve treatment programs for patellar tendinopathy as well as to establish new guidelines for the application of TUS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study was prospectively registered at April-3rd-2018 and updated at September-1st-2019 in the Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (REBEC) under the registration number: RBR-658n6w.

Surgical treatment of rectus femoris injury in soccer playing athletes: report of two cases.

Muscle injury is the most common injury during sport practice. It represents 31% of all lesions in soccer, 16% in track and field, 10.4% in rugby, 17.7% in basketball, and between 22% and 46% in American football. The cicatrization with the formation of fibrotic tissue can compromise the muscle function, resulting in a challenging problem for orthopedics. Although conservative treatment presents adequate functional results in the majority of the athletes who have muscle injury, the consequences of treatment failure can be dramatic, possibly compromising the return to sport practice. The biarticular muscles with prevalence of type II muscle fibers, which are submitted to excentric contraction, present higher lesion risk. The quadriceps femoris is one example. The femoris rectus is the quadriceps femoris muscle most frequently involved in stretching injuries. The rupture occurs in the acceleration phase of running, jump, ball kicking, or in contraction against resistance. Although the conservative treatment shows good results, it is common that the patient has lower muscle strength, difficulty in return to sports, and a permanent and visible gap. Surgical treatment can be an option for a more efficient return to sports.

As lesões musculares são uma das mais comuns ocorridas por traumas nos esportes. Elas constituem 31% de todas as lesões no futebol, 16% no atletismo, 10.4% no rugby, 17.7% no basquete e de 22% a 46% no futebol americano. Representam um problema desafiador na traumatologia, já que os músculos lesados se curam vagarosamente e com eventual recuperação incompleta da função. Embora o tratamento conservador resulte em bons resultados funcionais na maioria dos atletas com lesão muscular, as consequências da falha do tratamento podem ser dramáticas, possivelmente atrasando o retorno ao esporte.Os músculos mais frequentemente envolvidos são os bi-articulares ou aqueles com maior complexidade estrutural (por exemplo, adutor longo), que são submetidos a contração excêntrica e contêm principalmente fibras de contração rápida (tipo 2). Um representante desse grupo é o quadríceps femoral, que constitui-se pelos músculos reto femoral, vasto medial, vasto intermédio e vasto lateral. O reto femoral é o músculo do quadríceps mais envolvido nas lesões por estiramento. É mais lesado nas fases de aceleração do "tiro", salto de explosão, chute da bola ou quando há uma contração contra resistência. Mesmo que o tratamento conservador apresente bons resultados, é comum que o paciente tenha diminuição da força muscular, dificuldade de retorno ao esporte e gap permanente e visível. O tratamento cirúrgico pode ser uma opção para um retorno mais eficiente ao esporte.

Surgical treatment of rectus femoris injury in soccer playing athletes: report of two cases / Tratamento cirúrgico da lesão do reto femoral em jogadores de futebol: um relato de dois casos

ABSTRACT Muscle injury is the most common injury during sport practice. It represents 31% of all lesions in soccer, 16% in track and field, 10.4% in rugby, 17.7% in basketball, and between 22% and 46% in American football. The cicatrization with the formation of fibrotic tissue can compromise the muscle function, resulting in a challenging problem for orthopedics. Although conservative treatment presents adequate functional results in the majority of the athletes who have muscle injury, the consequences of treatment failure can be dramatic, possibly compromising the return to sport practice. The biarticular muscles with prevalence of type II muscle fibers, which are submitted to excentric contraction, present higher lesion risk. The quadriceps femoris is one example. The femoris rectus is the quadriceps femoris muscle most frequently involved in stretching injuries. The rupture occurs in the acceleration phase of running, jump, ball kicking, or in contraction against resistance. Although the conservative treatment shows good results, it is common that the patient has lower muscle strength, difficulty in return to sports, and a permanent and visible gap. Surgical treatment can be an option for a more efficient return to sports.

RESUMO As lesões musculares são uma das mais comuns ocorridas por traumas nos esportes. Elas constituem 31% de todas as lesões no futebol, 16% no atletismo, 10,4% no rúgbi, 17,7% no basquete e de 22% a 46% no futebol americano. Representam um problema desafiador na traumatologia, já que os músculos lesados se curam vagarosamente e com eventual recuperação incompleta da função. Embora o tratamento conservador resulte em bons resultados funcionais na maioria dos atletas com lesão muscular, as consequências da falha do tratamento podem ser dramáticas, possivelmente atrasam o retorno ao esporte. Os músculos mais frequentemente envolvidos são os biarticulares ou aqueles com maior complexidade estrutural (por exemplo, adutor longo), que são submetidos a contração excêntrica e contêm principalmente fibras de contração rápida (tipo 2). Um representante desse grupo é o quadríceps femoral, que se constitui pelos músculos reto femoral, vasto medial, vasto intermédio e vasto lateral. O reto femoral é o músculo do quadríceps mais envolvido nas lesões por estiramento. É mais lesado nas fases de aceleração do "tiro", salto de explosão, chute da bola ou quando há uma contração contra resistência. Mesmo que o tratamento conservador apresente bons resultados, é comum que o paciente tenha diminuição da força muscular, dificuldade de retorno ao esporte e gap permanente e visível. O tratamento cirúrgico pode ser uma opção para um retorno mais eficiente ao esporte.

The influence of femoral tunnel length on graft rupture after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: For ACL reconstruction, the minimum length of the femoral tunnel and the flexor tendon graft length needed within the tunnel for proper integration have not been defined. The aim of this study was to assess whether a short tunnel is a risk factor for poor prognosis and re-rupture by comparing the outcomes of patients with short femoral tunnels to those of patients with longer tunnels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study of 80 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction using flexor tendons via the medial transportal or transtibial technique was performed. Patients were categorized according to the amount of graft within the tunnel: ≤1.5 versus >1.5 cm; ≤2 versus >2 cm; ≤2.5 versus >2.5 cm; and ≤1.5 versus >2.5 cm. Patients were evaluated 2 years after surgery by performing a physical examination (Lachman, pivot shift and anterior drawer tests), using a KT1000 arthrometer, calculating objective and subjective International Knee Documentation Committee scores, conducting the Lysholm score, and recording re-ruptures. RESULTS: Of the 80 operated patients, nine were lost to follow-up. Comparative assessment of the patients with different amounts of graft within the tunnel indicated no significant differences in the evaluated outcomes, except for positive Lachman test results, which were more frequent in patients with tunnels with ≤2 cm of graft than in those with tunnels with >2 cm of graft. CONCLUSION: The amount of graft within the femoral tunnel does not appear to be a risk factor for clinical instability of the knee or re-rupture of the graft. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: case series, level IV. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Case series, level IV.

Turco's injury: diagnosis and treatment.

The aim of this study was to alert doctors to the existence of Turco's injury and discus the existing treatments that have been described in the worldwide literature. A bibliographic survey of Lisfranc's injury and Turco's injury covering from 1985 to 2013 was conducted in the SciELO and PubMed databases. Among the 193 articles, those relating to bone-ligament injuries of the Lisfranc joint and high-energy trauma were excluded, as were the case reports. The patients selected were professional or amateur athletes who solely presented a ligament injury to the Lisfranc joint (Turco's injury), which was diagnosed from the history, physical examination, radiographs and magnetic resonance images. Non-athletic patients and those with associated bone injuries were excluded (10). According to the injury classification, the patients were treated by means of either an open or a closed procedure and then a standard rehabilitation protocol. Out of the 10 patients, five underwent conservative treatment and five underwent surgical treatment using different techniques and synthesis materials. We obtained two poor results, one satisfactory, five good and two excellent. We conclude that the correct diagnosis has a direct influence on the treatment and on the final result obtained, and that lack of knowledge of this injury is the main factor responsible for underdiagnosing Turco's injury. There is a need for randomized prospective studies comparing the types of synthesis and evolution of treated cases, in order to define the best treatment for this injury.

Este trabalho tem por objetivos alertar os médicos sobre a existência da lesão de Turco e discorrer sobre os tratamentos existentes descritos na literatura mundial. Foi feito levantamento bibliográfico da lesão de Lisfranc e da lesão de Turco de 1985 a 2013 nas bases de dados Scielo e Pubmed. Dos 193 artigos, foram excluídos os com lesão osteoligamentar da articulação de Lisfranc, os por traumas de alta energia, os relatos de caso. Foram selecionados pacientes atletas profissionais ou amadores, com lesão ligamentar exclusiva da articulação de Lisfranc (lesão de Turco), a qual foi diagnosticada pela história, pelo exame físico, pelas radiografias e pela ressonância magnética. Como fatores de exclusão, pacientes não atletas e com lesões ósseas associadas (10). De acordo com a classificação da lesão, os pacientes foram tratados cruenta ou incruentamente e submetidos a um protocolo-padrão de reabilitação. Dos 10 pacientes, cinco foram submetidos a tratamento conservador e cinco a tratamento cirúrgico, por diferentes técnicas e materiais de síntese. Obtiveram-se dois resultados ruins, um satisfatório, cinco bons e dois excelentes. Concluímos que o diagnóstico correto influencia diretamente no tratamento e no resultado final obtido e que o desconhecimento da lesão é o principal responsável pelo subdiagnóstico da lesão de Turco. Há necessidade de estudos prospectivos randomizados que comparem os tipos de síntese e a evolução dos casos tratados para uma definição do melhor tratamento para tal lesão.