Wearable technology in the sports medicine clinic to guide the return-to-play and performance protocols of athletes following a COVID-19 diagnosis.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has enabled the adoption of digital health platforms for self-monitoring and diagnosis. Notably, the pandemic has had profound effects on athletes and their ability to train and compete. Sporting organizations worldwide have reported a significant increase in injuries manifesting from changes in training regimens and match schedules resulting from extended quarantines. While current literature focuses on the use of wearable technology to monitor athlete workloads to guide training, there is a lack of literature suggesting how such technology can mediate the return to sport processes of athletes infected with COVID-19. This paper bridges this gap by providing recommendations to guide team physicians and athletic trainers on the utility of wearable technology for improving the well-being of athletes who may be asymptomatic, symptomatic, or tested negative but have had to quarantine due to a close exposure. We start by describing the physiologic changes that occur in athletes infected with COVID-19 with extended deconditioning from a musculoskeletal, psychological, cardiopulmonary, and thermoregulatory standpoint and review the evidence on how these athletes may safely return to play. We highlight opportunities for wearable technology to aid in the return-to-play process by offering a list of key parameters pertinent to the athlete affected by COVID-19. This paper provides the athletic community with a greater understanding of how wearable technology can be implemented in the rehabilitation process of these athletes and spurs opportunities for further innovations in wearables, digital health, and sports medicine to reduce injury burden in athletes of all ages.

Evaluating the role of graft integrity on outcomes: clinical and imaging results following superior capsular reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) addresses massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears in young patients. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate clinical outcomes and graft integrity in patients following SCR. METHODS: Thirty-four consecutive patients undergoing SCR by 2 surgeons with minimum 2-year follow-up were identified. Functional outcomes were obtained, including Simple Shoulder Test (SST), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES), visual analog scale (VAS), and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores. Graft integrity was evaluated on magnetic resonance images (MRIs). RESULTS: Thirty-five shoulders in 34 patients were identified. Four patients underwent subsequent surgery. The mean preoperative scores were SST 21.6 ± 17.6, ASES 28.3 ± 10.1, SANE 50.6 ± 22.1, and VAS 6.6 ± 1.7. The mean postoperative outcomes were SST 79.1 ± 19.6, ASES 79.9 ± 17.4, SANE 74.3 ± 18.7, and VAS 1.5 ± 2.2. There was statistically significant improvement in SST, ASES, and VAS following SCR. MRI revealed graft failure in 62% (n = 13 of 21) of shoulders. Radiographic evidence of graft healing did not have any effect on SST, ASES, SANE, or VAS scores. CONCLUSION: Given the high rate of graft failure without a significant difference in clinical outcomes, graft healing after SCR might not be an independent predictor of success. The improved clinical improvement in patients undergoing SCR may be due to other known beneficial aspects of the procedure, including partial rotator cuff repair, débridement, and biceps management.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: diagnosis and management.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common form of scoliosis, affecting approximately 2% to 4% of adolescents. The incidence of scoliosis is about the same in males and females; however, females have up to a 10-fold greater risk of curve progression. Although most youths with scoliosis will not develop clinical symptoms, scoliosis can progress to rib deformity and respiratory compromise, and can cause significant cosmetic problems and emotional distress for some patients. For decades, scoliosis screenings were a routine part of school physical examinations in adolescents. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Academy of Family Physicians recommend against routine scoliosis screening in asymptomatic adolescents, concluding that harm from screening outweighs the benefit because screenings expose many low-risk adolescents to unnecessary radiographs and referrals. In contrast, the Scoliosis Research Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Academy of Pediatrics, and Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America suggest that the potential benefit of detecting scoliosis early justifies screening programs, but greater care should be used in deciding which patients with positive screening results need further evaluation. The goal for primary care physicians is to identify patients who are at risk of developing problems from scoliosis, without overtesting or overreferring patients who are unlikely to have further problems. Physical examination with the Adam's forward bend test and a scoliometer measurement can guide judicious use of radiologic testing for Cobb angle measurement and orthopedic referrals. Treatment options include observation, braces, and surgery.

Humeral stress edema: an injury in overhead athletes quarterback with humeral "shin" splints-a case report.

Stress injury to the distal humerus has been reported as a cause of chronic arm pain among competitive tennis players. As the serve is technically similar to an overhead throwing motion, it is conceivable that this injury could occur in other overhead athletes. Overuse injuries, including rotator cuff tears, ulnar collateral ligament injuries, and joint sprains have routinely been reported in quarterbacks, but there are few reported cases of upper extremity bony stress injuries in these athletes. Magnetic resonance imaging aids in the diagnostic evaluation of an upper extremity injury as it can identify numerous structural injuries and early stress changes within bone. Accurately diagnosing stress reactions helps prevent progression toward stress fracture, which is possible if conservative measures are initiated early in the rehabilitation period. In this article, we report the case of an elite college quarterback who presented with localized elbow pain while throwing.

Hypopituitarism and sphenoid surgery.

A middle-aged white man underwent sphenoid and ethmoid surgery for rhinitis with polyposis. Within days, he developed severe fatigue, myalgias and arthralgias. Initial testing demonstrated central hypogonadism, followed by a low normal insulin-like growth factor-1 and an abnormal L-dopamine growth hormone stimulation test result. As years past, the patient would have such recurrent symptoms when ill with the addition of nausea and vomiting. Testing, 7 years after his initial surgery, confirmed inappropriate thyroid and cortisol responses. His clinical symptoms have resolved with appropriate medical therapy. A review of the literature demonstrated no descriptions of hypopituitarism from sphenoid surgery.