Beneficial effects of an investigational wristband containing Synsepalum dulcificum (miracle fruit) seed oil on the performance of hand and finger motor skills in healthy subjects: A randomized controlled preliminary study.

Miracle fruit (Synsepalum dulcificum) seed oil (MFSO) contains phytochemicals and nutrients reported to affect musculoskeletal performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the safety and efficacy of a compression wristband containing MFSO on its ability to measurably improve the hand and finger motor skills of participants. Healthy right-handed participants (n = 38) were randomized in this double-blind, placebo-controlled study of MFSO and vehicle wristbands. Subjects wore the wristband on their left hand 4-6 weeks and then only on their right hand 2-4 weeks; the contralateral untreated hand served as an additional control. Twelve hand/finger motor skills were measured using quantitative bio-instrumentation tests, and subject self-assessment questionnaires were conducted. With each hand, in 9/12 tests, the MFSO group showed a clinically meaningful average improvement compared with an average worsening in the vehicle group. Statistical superiority to the control treatment group was exhibited in 9/12 tests for each hand (p < .01). After discontinuing the MFSO wristband on the left hand, test values regressed toward baseline levels. Subjects favored the MFSO wristband over the control, rating it as effective in improving their motor skills. Use of the MFSO wristband may improve an individual's manual dexterity skills and ability to maintain this performance.

Glenohumeral rotational range of motion in collegiate overhead-throwing athletes during an athletic season.

CONTEXT: Repetitive throwing at high velocities leads to altered range of motion (ROM) in the dominant shoulder compared with the nondominant shoulder in overhead-throwing athletes. Loss of glenohumeral internal rotation (IR), or glenohumeral internal-rotation deficit (GIRD), is associated with shoulder injuries. Therefore, GIRD should be evaluated during the clinical examination of the thrower's shoulder. OBJECTIVE: To assess glenohumeral ROM in competitive baseball and softball athletes at 3 intervals over the course of an athletic season in order to (1) examine changes in ROM over time and (2) monitor the prevalence of GIRD. DESIGN: Observational, repeated-measures study. SETTING: Collegiate athletic training room. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Forty-eight healthy National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I or Division II athletes (age = 19 + or - 1 years, height = 174 + or - 14 cm, mass = 77.8 + or - 18.1 kg; 19 softball, 29 baseball players). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): We measured glenohumeral IR, external rotation (ER), total arc (ER + IR), and GIRD at 3 times: prefall, prespring, and postspring. We calculated GIRD in 2 ways: as the difference in IR between dominant and nondominant shoulders and as the percentage of the total arc. RESULTS: In the dominant shoulder, ER increased during the season (F(2,96) = 17.433, P < .001), but IR remained the same (F(2,96) = 1.839, P = .17). The total arc in the dominant shoulder increased between time intervals (F(2,96) = 14.030, P < .001); the mean difference between prefall and postspring measurements was 9.694 degrees (P < .001), and the mean difference between prefall and postspring measurements was 10.990 degrees (P < .001). In the nondominant shoulder, ER increased over the season (F(2,96) = 23.395, P < .001), but IR did not change over the season (F(2,96) = 0.087, P = .90). The total arc in the nondominant shoulder increased between prefall and prespring measurements and between prefall and postspring measurements (F(2,96) = 18.552, P < .001). No changes were noted in GIRD over time. However, more athletes with GIRD were identified with the GIRD (IR difference) calculation in prefall (n = 6) than in prespring (n = 1) and postspring (n = 4) (Cochran Q = 5.2, P = .07). In addition, more athletes with GIRD were identified with the GIRD (% total arc) calculation in postspring (n = 6) than in prefall (n = 5) or prespring (n = 4) (Cochran Q = 2.6, P = .27). CONCLUSIONS: Healthy NCAA Division I and Division II athletes did not display changes in glenohumeral IR over an athletic season. However, they gained in ER and total arc during the season in both shoulders. Future researchers should investigate changes over multiple seasons. The 2 methods of calculating GIRD identified different athletes as having GIRD, indicating that additional investigation is warranted to determine the clinical benefits of each method.

An anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament tear in a skeletally immature patient: a new technique to augment primary repair of the medial collateral ligament and an allograft reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament.

The goal of this case report is to fill a dual purpose. We describe a case involving a tear of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) in a skeletally immature athlete. At the same time, we describe a new technique with which we repaired the ACL with an allograft posterior tibialis tendon through intra-articular tunnels. A trial of conservative therapy for the MCL was performed. During surgery, its instability was assessed. No improvement was seen in stability, so a primary repair of the MCL was performed and augmented with an autograft gracilis tendon. The patient did well postoperatively, subsequently achieving equal stability and range of motion when compared with the opposite limb. He was back to competitive sports at 6 months.