Preventive interventions for throwing injuries in baseball players: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder and elbow pain are the common complaints associated with throwing injuries in baseball players. Prospective studies evaluating the effectiveness of stretching in increasing posterior shoulder flexibility or strengthening the external rotator muscles as preventive strategies for throwing injuries in baseball players have been published. However, there are limited reviews highlighting the role of preventive interventions for throwing injuries in baseball players. Therefore, this scoping review aimed to summarize the existing literature on preventive interventions for throwing injuries in baseball players. METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, MEDLINE, and Scopus databases on 3 March 2023. Two independent reviewers screened the studies based on the eligibility criteria. We extracted existing literature on preventive interventions and effectiveness for throwing injuries in baseball players, and participants' characteristics and results were extracted from the studies. This scoping review was performed in accordance with the Extended Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement for Scoping Reviews. RESULTS: The initial database search yielded 1170 articles, four of which met the eligibility criteria. Of the included studies, two were randomized controlled trials, and the remaining two were prospective cohort studies. Eligible studies targeted youth-to high school-level players and focused on preventive programs for throwing injuries that manifest in the upper extremities of baseball players. The outcome measure most commonly used to quantify the effectiveness of prevention programs was the incidence of shoulder and elbow injuries, although the definitions vary among studies. The prevention program included sleeper stretching, shoulder external rotation strengthening exercises, and comprehensive prevention programs (focusing on improving the elbow, shoulder, and hip range of motion; rotator cuff and periscapular muscle strength; posture; and lower extremity balance). Each prevention program was reported to have the potential to reduce the incidence of throwing injuries in baseball players, and two studies suggested that high compliance with the program led to a lower injury risk. CONCLUSION: This scoping review confirmed the presence of studies that examined preventive interventions for throwing injuries in baseball players. Preventive interventions that may reduce throwing injuries in baseball players include sleeper stretching, shoulder external rotation strengthening exercises, and comprehensive prevention programs. However, the characteristics of participants (eg, age, sports level, and position) and the definition of injury varied among previous studies. Injury profiles and prevention strategies may differ according to age, sport level, and position of players, and more studies are needed to prove this issue.

Factors Influencing Interbody Cage Subsidence Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion.

STUDY DESIGN: This is a prospective study. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to analyze the factors influencing subsidence following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using a stand-alone cage. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The relationship between cage subsidence and cage height and material has been reported in previous studies. METHODS: Clinical and radiologic data from 78 patients, 105 levels, undergoing single-level and 2-level ACDF without plates from 2007 to 2015 were collected prospectively. Patients were followed for at least 12 months after surgery. Radiographs were obtained preoperatively, at 1 week, and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively to determine the presence of fusion and cage subsidence. RESULTS: There was a correlation in cage height and subsidence (Spearman P<0.05). Cage subsidence was significantly shorter in the polyetheretherketone cages than in titanium cages (P<0.05). However, when cage height was <5 mm, the difference between the 2 groups was not significant. Large subsidence (>3 mm) was observed in 17 patients, 20 levels, many of whom exhibited sinking in the first month after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The greater the cage height, the greater the risk of cage subsidence in ACDF. Polyetheretherketone cages are superior to titanium cages for the maintenance of intervertebral height in cases where cage height is >5.5 mm. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.

Compensatory mechanism of the spine after corrective surgery without lumbar-sacral fixation for traumatic thoracolumbar kyphotic spine deformity.

BACKGROUND: It remains unclear whether long fusion including lumbar-sacral fixation is needed in corrective surgery to obtain good global sagittal balance (GSB) for the treatment of traumatic thoracolumbar kyphotic spine deformity. The purposes of this study were to evaluate compensatory mechanism of the spine after corrective surgery without lumbar-sacral fixation and to evaluate the parameters affecting the achievement of good GSB post-operatively. METHODS: Twenty (20) subjects requiring corrective surgery (distal end of fixation was L3) were included in this study. The radiographic parameters were measured pre-operatively and at one month after surgery. Sagittal Vertical Axis (SVA), Lumber Lordosis angle altered by fracture (fLL), Thoracic Kyphosis angle altered by fracture (fTK), Pelvic Tilt (PT), Sacral Slope (SS), Pelvic Incidence (PI), Segmental Lumbar Lordosis (sLL: L3-S/L4-S), and local kyphotic angle were measured. The correlation between correction of local kyphotic angle (CLA) and the change in radiographic parameters was evaluated. Post-operatively, subjects with SVA<50 mm and PI-fLL<10°were regarded as the "good GSB group (G group). The radiographic parameters affecting the achievement of G group were statistically evaluated. RESULTS: fLL, sLL:L3-S and sLL:L4-S were decreased indirectly because the local kyphosis was corrected directly (CLA: 26.5 ± 8.6°) (P < 0.001). CLA and the change in fLL showed significant correlation (r = 0.821), the regression equation being: Y = -0.63X+3.31 (Y: The change in fLL, X: CLA). The radiographic parameters significantly affecting the achievement of G group were: SVA, PT, PI-fLL, sLL: L3-S, and sLL: L4-S (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The main compensatory mechanism was the decrease of lordosis in the lumbar spine. fLL was decreased to approximately 60% of CLA after surgery. SVA was not corrected by the compensatory mechanism.

Upper Extremity Range of Motion and Pitching Profile of Baseball Pitchers in Japan.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder range of motion and pitch count in baseball pitchers have been linked to pitching-related upper extremity injury. PURPOSE: To investigate upper extremity range of motion and pitching profiles in baseball pitchers in Japan as well as to make a comparison between injured and noninjured pitchers. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Forty-one Little League to college-level baseball pitchers were measured for bilateral shoulder and elbow range of motion, including shoulder internal rotation (IR), external rotation (ER), shoulder horizontal adduction (HAD), and elbow extension (EXT). They were also asked to answer a simple questionnaire regarding their past pitching-related medical history and pitching profile. Additionally, 28 participants with baseball-related upper extremity injuries (injury group) were compared with 13 participants without injury (no-injury group) for the same parameters. Collected data were analyzed using analysis of variance. RESULTS: Significant limb differences (dominant vs nondominant side) were noted for ER (117.2° vs 109.8°, P = .02), IR (53.5° vs 61.9°, P = .007), HAD (28.3° vs 32.8°, P = .03), and EXT (1.0° vs 4.6°, P = .01). A significant between-group difference (injury vs no-injury group) was observed for IR in both the dominant (55.4° vs 45.6°, P = .03) and nondominant shoulder (65.3° vs 55.0°, P = .01). Participants in the injury group pitched more games in a season and more innings per game started. CONCLUSION: Japanese baseball pitchers displayed adaptive changes in upper extremity range of motion similar to American pitchers when compared bilaterally. Injured pitchers exhibited greater IR range of motion in their pitching arm compared with noninjured pitchers.

Prevalence and risk factors of deep vein thrombosis in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery.

BACKGROUND: Spinal surgery is classified as a moderate risk for DVT. The occurrence of DVT after various spinal surgical procedures was reviewed retrospectively, and the perioperative risk factors in the high-risk group were identified. In addition, the administration of the factor Xa inhibitor to DVT subjects with unstable thrombosis was evaluated to reveal its effectiveness in the prevention of PTE and postoperative complications. METHODS: This study included 588 subjects who underwent lumbar spine surgery. The patient population consisted of the following four groups: the fracture group (F group), the laminectomy group (La group), the TLIF group (T group), and the long fusion group (Lo group). Bilateral lower limb venous ultrasonography was performed on the day before surgery, the day after surgery, and one week after surgery. The incidence of DVT was determined for each group and potential risk factors were evaluated in the group with the highest incidence of DVT. Subjects with DVT who had unstable thrombosis received anticoagulant therapy (factor Xa inhibitor) and their treatment results were assessed. RESULTS: The overall incidence of DVT was 32.3% (190/588). A significantly high incidence of DVT was observed in the Lo group (54.3%; 75/138). Logistic regression and ROC analysis of potential risk factors in the Lo group identified a D-dimer value of 19.5 ug/ml at one week postoperatively as a risk factor of DVT (p = 0.02; odds ratio, 4.09; 95% CI, 2.82-7.88). Overall, 15.8% of subjects (30/190) received anticoagulant therapy. These subjects experienced neither PTE nor epidural hematoma. A follow-up ultrasonography performed at three weeks postoperatively detected the disappearance/resolution of DVT in 86.7% of these subjects (26/30). CONCLUSION: The incidence of DVT varied according to the invasiveness of the procedure. Successful management of DVT hinges on preoperative risk management involving prophylactic treatment and early diagnosis, in order to avoid PTE and other complications.

Risk Factors of Adjacent Segment Disease After Transforaminal Inter-Body Fusion for Degenerative Lumbar Disease.

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors of adjacent segment disease (ASD) after transforaminal inter-body fusion (TLIF) for degenerative lumbar disease. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: ASD is a major complication after spinal fusion. Many reports have been published concerning the risk factors for ASD after TLIF. A number of quantitative relationships to spino-pelvic parameters have been established. A retrospective cohort study was carried out to investigate spino-pelvic alignment in patients with ASD after TLIF. METHODS: This study evaluated 263 subjects (150 subjects undergoing floating fusion (FF group), and 113 patients undergoing lumbosacral fusion (LF group)) who underwent TLIF from 2009 to 2012. The mean follow-up period was 37.6 months. Several parameters were measured using pre- and postoperative full-length free-standing radiographs, including lumbar lordosis (LL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic incidence (PI), pelvic tilt (PT), and PI-LL. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate these parameters as potential risk factors of early onset radiographic ASD. RESULTS: Radiographic ASD was found in 65 cases (43.3%) in the FF group, and 49 cases (43.3%) in the LF group. LL improved by 7.5° and 3.9° in each group respectively after TLIF. However, PT worsened by 6.4° in the LF group. When comparing with ASD positive cases and ASD negative cases, a significant difference in preoperative PT was observed in both FF (P = 0.001) and LF groups (P = 0.0001). Logistic regression analysis and receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that preoperative PT of more than 22.5° was a significant risk factor of the incidence of ASD after TLIF (P = 0.02; odds ratio: 5.1, 95% CI: 1.62-9.03). CONCLUSION: Patients with preoperative sagittal imbalance have a statistically significant increased risk of ASD. The risk of ASD incidence was 5.1 times greater in subjects with preoperative PT of more than 22.5°.

[Docetaxel-based chemotherapy for hormone-refractory prostate cancer in Japanese patients : experience in a single institute].

Between April 2007 and November 2010, we treated 21 cases of hormone-refractory prostate cancer with docetaxel-based chemotherapy. The administered dose of docetaxel was from 40 to 75 mg/m2, and the treatments were repeated every 3 to 4 weeks. The patients were from 61 to 88 years old (median 78). Fourteen patients were alive, and seven had died. According to the prostate specific antigen response, the complete response rate was 30%, partial response was 10%, no change was 25%, and progressive disease was 25%, respectively. Median time to progression was 7.0 months (from 1 to 43 months), and median overall survival time after chemotherapy was 11.5 months (from 3 to 44 months). One patient died of adverse events. However, in most cases, hematological toxicities were tolerable and manageable, although neutropenia of grade 3 to 4 was observed. On the other hand, non-hematological toxicities that led to discontinuation of the therapy were observed in a few cases. Docetaxel-based chemotherapy was feasible and effective even for patients over 80 years old. In responding cases, it is important to maintain the chemotherapy as long as possible, by modifying the treatment procedures, while paying attention to the adverse events.

[Case of primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the kidney].

A 28-year-old woman presented with right flank pain. A large, firm, fixed mass was palpable in the right side of the abdomen. Computed tomography revealed a solid mass of the right kidney with extension into the renal vein and inferior vena cava. The patient underwent right radical nephrectomy with en bloc resection of the inferior vena cava containing tumor thrombus and right adrenalectomy. Histologically the tumor consisted of small tumor cells with rosette formation. Immunohistochemical staining was positive for CD99 and NSE. Analysis with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) demonstrated the EWS/FLI1 fusion products resulting from a chromosomal translocation. These findings were consistent with primary renal primitive neuroectodermal tumor (PNET). Two months after surgery, multiple lung, liver and lymph node metastases were found. The patient received 2 cycles of chemotherapy with cisplatin, ifosfamide, etoposide, resulting in a partial remission. She subsequently received 1 cycle chemotherapy with paclitaxel and carboplatin, resulting in no response. The metastatic lung and liver diseases progressed and she died 5 months after diagnosis.

[Renal solitary fibrous tumor with hemangiopericytoma-like pattern--a case report].

A 67-year-old man was referred to our clinic with a complaint of macroscopic hematuria. He had been treated for schizophrenia in a psychology ward. Computed tomography (CT) scan revealed a left renal tumor 7 cm in size, well enhanced in early phase. Doppler ultrasonography indicated hypervascular left renal tumor. Laparoscopic radical left nephrectomy was performed under the diagnosis ofrenal cancer. Histopathlogical results showed a renal solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) with a hemangiopericytoma-like pattern. Renal SFT is an uncommon tumor. The present case is the 11th reported case of SFT with hemangiopericytoma-like pattern in the Japanese literature.

Mucosa-associated lymphoma of the bladder with relapse in the stomach after successful local treatment.

A 64-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for management of an ovarian tumor. Abdominal computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a dermatoid cyst of the ovary and a bladder tumor. Transurethral resection of the bladder tumor was performed. Histopathological examination of the tumor revealed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue MALT type. The patient received radiotherapy for the bladder and had a complete response. Nineteen months later, gastrointestinal endosopy revealed the presence of a mass lesion in the stomach. Histopathological examination of biopsy specimens from this tumor indicated the same tumor as that in the bladder as they showed identical IgH gene rearrangement. Because of the detection of evidence of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in the gastric mucosal biopsy specimens, the patient was administered HP eradication therapy, but, the tumor persisted. After radiotherapy, the stomach tumor disappeared. Since then she remains without evidence of local recurrence or relapse.

Preparation and O2 binding study of myoglobin having a cobalt porphycene.

Sperm whale myoglobin, an oxygen-storage hemoprotein, was reconstituted with 2,7-diethyl-3,6,12,17-tetramethyl-13,16-bis(carboxyethyl)porphycenatocobalt(II) in order to investigate the reactivities of a cobalt porphycene in a protein matrix. Similar to the previously reported finding for the myoglobin with the iron porphycene, the reconstituted myoglobin with the cobalt porphycene was also found to have an O2 affinity 2 orders of magnitude greater than that of the myoglobin possessing cobalt protoporphyrin IX. The EPR spectra of the deoxy and oxy myoglobins having the cobalt porphycene at 77 K also have features similar to those of the myoglobin with cobalt protoporphyrin IX. These spectra suggest that the porphycene cobalt in the deoxy form is coordinated by one nitrogenous ligand postulated to be the imidazole ring of His93, and that the bond configuration of CoII-O2 is regarded as the CoIII-Omicron2*- species.

[Small cell carcinoma of the prostate: a case report].

An 80-year-old man visited our hospital because of dysuria and pollakisuria. He had undergone anti-androgen therapy for prostate cancer for 8 months at another hospital. His serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) level was 14.4 ng/ml. We performed a prostate biopsy and identified poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma with Gleason score 4 + 5. After 4 months, his serum PSA level increased to 24.8 ng/ml, and we started maximum androgen blockade therapy using additional luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LH-RH) analogue. Subsequently, although his serum PSA level declined favorably, his condition worsened rapidly and he died at 16 months after the diagnosis. The autopsy pathology of his prostate revealed small cell carcinoma. We reviewed the initial biopsy specimens and found both small cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma histologic types of prostate cancer.