Traumatic Mid-substance Isolated Vastus Medialis Rupture in a Young Athlete: A Case Report.

CASE: This is the first documented case of an isolated traumatic vastus medialis rupture that occurred in a 14-year-old athlete after direct impact during play. Imaging confirmed a rare mid-substance rupture. The patient underwent conservative management with physical therapy augmented by blood flow restriction therapy (BFRT) and platelet-poor plasma (PPP) injection to regain full function. CONCLUSION: Isolated quadriceps mid-substance tears are rare. Determining an appropriate treatment technique for mid-substance tears is complex. This case documents the use of nonoperative management with BFRT and PPP to achieve full recovery and early return to play in a young athlete.

Exercise medicine and physical activity promotion: core curricula for US medical schools, residencies and sports medicine fellowships: developed by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and endorsed by the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine.

Regular physical activity provides a variety of health benefits and is proven to treat and prevent several non-communicable diseases. Specifically, physical activity enhances muscular and osseous strength, improves cardiorespiratory fitness, and reduces the risk of hypertension, coronary heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, mental health disorders, cognitive decline and several cancers. Despite these well-known benefits, physical activity promotion in clinical practice is underused due to insufficient training during medical education. Medical trainees in the USA receive relatively few hours of instruction in sports and exercise medicine (SEM). One reason for this shortage of instruction is a lack of curricular resources at each level of medical education. To address this need, the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) assembled a group of SEM experts to develop curricular guidance for exercise medicine and physical activity promotion at the medical school, residency and sports medicine fellowship levels of training. After an evidence review of existing curricular examples, we performed a modified Delphi process to create curricula for medical students, residents and sports medicine fellows. Three training level-specific curricula emerged, each containing Domains, General Learning Areas, and Specific Learning Areas; options for additional training and suggestions for assessment and evaluation were also provided. Review and comment on the initial curricula were conducted by three groups: a second set of experts in exercise medicine and physical activity promotion, sports medicine fellowship directors representing a variety of fellowship settings and the AMSSM Board of Directors. The final curricula for each training level were prepared based on input from the review groups. We believe enhanced medical education will enable clinicians to better integrate exercise medicine and physical activity promotion in their clinical practice and result in healthier, more physically active patients.

The primary care sports medicine fellowship: American Medical Society for Sports Medicine proposed standards of excellence.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine recognises a need to provide direction and continually enhance the quality of sports medicine fellowship training programmes. This document was developed to be an educational resource for sports medicine physicians who teach in a 1-year primary care sports medicine fellowship training programme. It is meant to provide high standards and targets for fellowship training programmes that choose to re-assess their curriculum and seek to make improvements.

Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship: AMSSM Proposed Standards of Excellence.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) recognizes a need to provide direction and continually enhance the quality of sports medicine fellowship training programs. This document was developed to be an educational resource for sports medicine physicians who teach in a 1-year primary care sports medicine fellowship training program. It is meant to provide high standards and targets for fellowship training programs that choose to reassess their curriculum and seek to make improvements.

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine recommended sports ultrasound curriculum for sports medicine fellowships.

The following sports ultrasound (SPORTS US) curriculum is a revision of the curriculum developed by the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) in 2010. Several changes have been made to the curriculum with the primary aim of providing a pathway by which a sports medicine fellow can obtain sufficient SPORTS US training to become proficient in the core competencies of SPORTS US. The core competencies of SPORTS US are outlined in the learning objectives section of this document. The term "SPORTS US" was purposefully chosen rather than "musculoskeletal ultrasound" (MSK US) because it was recognized by the panel that the evolving field of SPORTS US encompasses non-MSK applications of ultrasound such as the FAST examination (focused assessment with sonography for trauma). Although the SPORTS US core competencies in this curriculum are all MSK in nature, they represent the minimum SPORTS US knowledge a sports medicine fellow should acquire during fellowship. However, additional training in more advanced MSK and non-MSK applications of ultrasound can be provided at the fellowship director's discretion. Completion of this SPORTS US curriculum fulfills the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine's (AIUM) requirements to perform an MSK US examination and the prerequisites for the American Registry for Diagnostic Medical Sonography's (ARDMS) MSK sonography certification examination.

American Medical Society for Sports Medicine recommended sports ultrasound curriculum for sports medicine fellowships.

The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) developed a musculoskeletal ultrasound curriculum for sports medicine fellowships in 2010. As the use of diagnostic and interventional ultrasound in sports medicine has evolved, it became clear that the curriculum needed to be updated. Furthermore, the name 'musculoskeletal ultrasound' was changed to 'sports ultrasound' (SPORTS US) to reflect the broad range of diagnostic and interventional applications of ultrasound in sports medicine. This document was created to outline the core competencies of SPORTS US and to provide sports medicine fellowship directors and others interested in SPORTS US education with a guide to create a SPORTS US curriculum. By completing this SPORTS US curriculum, sports medicine fellows and physicians can attain proficiency in the core competencies of SPORTS US required for the practice of sports medicine.

Baseball and softball sliding injuries: incidence and correlates during one high school league varsity season.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate injury rates associated with sliding in high school baseball and softball. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. SETTING: Community high school athletic events. PARTICIPANTS: Ten high school varsity baseball and softball teams over 1 season. ASSESSMENT OF RISK FACTORS: All sliding attempts were recorded during each game and recorded as headfirst, feetfirst, or diveback. Base type, playing surface, and field conditions were also noted. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Injury exposure rates by game exposures and sliding/diveback exposures. RESULTS: Data were collected from 153 baseball games and 166 softball games. A greater proportion of slides were associated with injury in softball than in baseball (42.0 and 4.9 per 1000 slides; P < 0.05). Headfirst slides led to more injuries than feetfirst slides in baseball (16.8 vs 0 per 1000 slides; P < 0.05) but not in softball (55 vs 35 per 1000 slides; P = 0.74). CONCLUSIONS: More powerful studies are required to determine whether efforts to prevent baseball sliding injuries at the high school level should focus on better education in sliding technique or changes in equipment. Softball players are vulnerable to injury when wearing inadequate protective sliding apparel.

Femoroacetabular impingement in a high school female athlete.

The patient was a 17-year-old female who was referred to a physical therapist by her primary-care physician with a chief complaint of bilateral hip and groin pain. The patient was treated by the physical therapist for 8 weeks, but she was unable to successfully return to playing soccer. The patient was subsequently referred to an orthopaedic surgeon, who ordered a magnetic resonance arthrogram that did not reveal intra-articular pathology. To further evaluate bony morphology, computed tomography with 3-dimensional reconstructions was ordered, which demonstrated findings consistent with cam-type femoroacetabular impingement.

Elbow joint active replication in college pitchers following simulated game throwing: an exploratory study.

BACKGROUND: Elbow injuries are common in college baseball players. Pitching creates stress and fatigue in and around the elbow. Lack of joint proprioception can contribute to nonphysiological joint loading and injury. HYPOTHESIS: There will be no difference in elbow joint active reproduction sense following a simulated 3-inning pitching sequence. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. METHODS: Seventeen collegiate pitchers participated. Each pitcher was bilaterally tested for active elbow range of motion using goniometric technique. Percentages of motion determined positions for further study of elbow joint active replication sense (20%, 35%, 50%, 80%). The elbow was passively taken to a position and held for 10 seconds, then returned to full extension. Pitchers were asked to actively reproduce the angle. The opposite elbow was tested in the same manner. One week later, prethrowing joint position reproduction was tested; then a simulated 3-inning game was thrown. Immediately afterward, elbow joint active replication testing was performed. A repeated-measures analysis of variance analyzed differences. RESULTS: No change in active joint reproduction occurred in the nondominant elbow at any angle tested. Dominant elbows demonstrated significant losses of active joint reproduction following throwing. Significant differences occurred at the 35% and 80% angles (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Active elbow joint replication sense may be compromised following 3 innings of throwing. Because joint proprioception is thought to be an important component of joint stabilization, an alteration in joint position sense may increase the risk of elbow injury during throwing. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Pitching may cause a loss of active elbow joint replication.

Direct versus indirect supervision of fellows covering football events: a survey of fellows and program directors.

BACKGROUND: The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) program requirements mandate "adequate supervision," of residents, but there is little guidance for sports medicine fellowship directors regarding the transition from direct to indirect supervision of fellows covering football games. OBJECTIVE: We sought to gather evidence of current supervision practices in the context of injury outcomes. METHODS: Fellows and program directors of ACGME-accredited sports medicine fellowship programs were invited to complete an online survey regarding their experience and current supervision practice at football games. Criteria for transition to autonomy and desired changes in supervision practice were elicited. Player safety was quantified by noting the number of field-side emergencies, whether an attending was present, and whether better outcomes might have resulted from the presence of an attending. RESULTS: A total of 80 fellows and 50 program directors completed the online survey. Direct supervision was lacking in about 50% of high school games and 20% of college games. A resulting cost in terms of player safety was estimated to apply to 5% of serious injuries by fellows' report but less than 0.5% by directors' report. Written criteria for transitioning from direct supervision to autonomy were the exception rather than the rule. The majority of fellows and directors expressed satisfaction with the current level of supervision, but 20% of fellows would prefer more supervision through postgame review. CONCLUSIONS: Football games covered by fellows are often not directly supervised. Absence of an attending affected the outcomes of 5% or less of serious injuries. Transition to autonomy does not usually require meeting written criteria. Fellows might benefit from additional off-site supervision.

Nonoperative and operative management of snapping scapula.

Snapping scapula is a painful crepitus of the scapulothoracic articulation. This crepitus is a grinding or snapping noise with scapulothoracic motion that may or may not accompany pain. This condition is commonly seen in overhead-throwing athletes. Treatment of patients with this syndrome begins with nonoperative methods; when nonoperative treatment fails, several surgical options exist. This article will discuss both nonoperative and operative management of this common shoulder condition.