Noninvasive Interactive Neurostimulation Therapy for the Treatment of Low-Grade Lateral Ankle Sprain in the Professional Contact Sport Athlete Improves the Short-Term Recovery and Return to Sport: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Ankle injuries are very common between professional athletes and recreational sports. Lateral stable ligaments injury can be treated conservatively. Noninvasive interactive neurostimulation (NIN) is a form of electric therapy that works by locating areas of lower skin impedance. The objective of this prospective, double-blinded, randomized controlled trial was to compare the results in terms of improvement of a foot functional score, lower level of reported pain, and return to sports in 2 groups of contact sport athlete affected by a grade I or II lateral ankle sprain. Patients were randomized using random blocks to the NIN program (group I) or a sham device (group II). The outcome measurements were the use of a self-reported Inability Walking Scale, patient-reported subjective assessment of the level of pain using a standard visual analogue scale, and daily intake of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (etoricoxib 60 mg). Patients were also reached by telephone at 2 and 4 months of follow-up to register their return to sport activity. Beyond baseline evaluation, follow-ups were done after 5 (1 week) and 10 sessions (2 weeks) of treatment, and then at 30 days after the end of therapy. Of the 70 athletes admitted to the study, 61 eligible patients were randomized using random blocks to group I (n = 32) and group II (n = 29). Group I patients showed better improvement in terms of functional impairment (Inability Walking Scale), reported pain (visual analogue scale), and daily intake of etoricoxib 60 mg. Athletes of group I registered a faster resuming of sport activities. This prospective, randomized trial showed NIN can improve short-term outcomes in athletes with acute grade I or II ankle sprain and that it can hasten resuming of sport activities.

Reliability of the Cervical Spine Device for the Assessment of Cervical Spine Range of Motion in Asymptomatic Participants.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the inter- and intra-assessor reliability of the cervical spine device (Formetric, DIERS International GmbH, Schlangenbad, Germany) in measuring cervical range of motion. METHODS: The cervical spine device was used to measure the cervical range of motion of 65 asymptomatic participants. Flexion-extension, right and left rotation, and right and left lateral flexion were analyzed. Two different assessors performed the measurements on the same day to estimate inter-assessor reliability and 2 days later to examine intra-assessor reliability. Intra-assessor and inter-assessor reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The standard error of measurement (SEM) and the smallest detectable difference (SDD) were also estimated. RESULTS: Inter-assessor reliability ICCs for flexion + extension and total lateral flexion movements were >0.90. The ICCs for rotation movements and for left lateral flexion were >0.70. The ICCs for flexion (0.64), extension (0.58), and right lateral flexion (0.56) indicated moderate correlation. Mean SEMs ranged from 2.28° (SDD = 6.31°) for left rotation to 8.08° (SDD = 22.38°) for total rotation. As for intra-assessor test-retest reliability, all ICCs were >0.70. Mean SEMs ranged from 3.14° (SDD = 8.70°) for total lateral flexion to 7.50° (SDD = 20.77°) for extension. CONCLUSION: Both inter- and intra-observer reproducibility correlation values are moderate to high for measurements obtained using the cervical spine device.

Treatment of Chronic Plantar Fasciitis with Noninvasive Interactive Neurostimulation: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Study.

The initial treatment of plantar fasciitis should be conservative, with most cases responding to standard physiotherapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), heel pads, and stretching. In cases of chronic refractory symptoms, more invasive treatment could be necessary. Noninvasive interactive neurostimulation (NIN) is a form of electric therapy that works by locating areas of lower skin impedance. The objective of the present prospective randomized controlled study was to evaluate whether the use of NIN for chronic plantar fasciitis could result in greater improvement in a foot functional score, lower levels of reported pain, reduced patient consumption of NSAIDs, and greater patient satisfaction compared with electric shockwave therapy in patients without a response to standard conservative treatment. The patients were randomized using random blocks to the NIN program (group 1) or electric shockwave therapy (group 2). The outcome measurements were the pain subscale of the validated Foot Function Index (PS-FFI), patient-reported subjective assessment of the level of pain using a standard visual analog scale, and daily intake of NSAID tablets (etoricoxib 60 mg). The study group was evaluated at baseline (time 0), week 4 (time 1), and week 12 (final follow-up point). Group 1 (55 patients) experienced significantly better results compared with group 2 (49 patients) in term of the PS-FFI score, visual analog scale score, and daily intake of etoricoxib 60 mg. NIN was an effective treatment of chronic resistant plantar fasciitis, with full patient satisfaction in >90% of cases. The present prospective randomized controlled study showed superior results for noninvasive neurostimulation compared with electric shockwave therapy, in terms of the functional score, pain improvement, and use of NSAIDs.

A new prognostic pelvic injury outcome score.

Aim To propose a new prognostic classification system for pelvic injuries based on a new detailed and all-encompassing evaluation of the injury pelvic outcome score and to check the prognostic value of this classification and evaluate its reliability and reproducibility. Methods From January 2017 to June 2020 from 156 pelvic fractures treated at our hospitals, 98 patients with pelvic fractures were recruited according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. All patients compiled three scores (New Score System, Majeed Score, SF-12) sessions two times during the hospital stay to evaluate the endpoint before the trauma and two years after the trauma. All patients carried out three tests independently. The evaluation of three scores included a pelvic and general complication after the surgery, the times needed to compile three score system. For reliability of the new score systems we evaluated the inter-observer or intraobserver agreement, the prediction strength of each score, and a prognostic value. Results A total of 98 patients were enrolled (74 were males and 24 females) with mean age of 43.6 (±18.6) (range 16-75) years. Tau B Kendall value was 0.827 for the new score system, 0.673 for the Majeed score, 0.746 for SF-12, there was p<0.05 for the new score system. Conclusion The new score system is prognostic, reliable, reproducible and can become a useful instrument to adequately correlate the long-term outcomes of pelvic injury fractures. Also, it provides a better evaluation of pain, work, sexual possibilities and satisfaction, balance-sitting-walking and psychological status.

Epidemiology of injuries connected with dance: a critical review on epidemiology.

The aim of this review was to identify all types of injuries connected to the gestures of dancers and understand the associated biomechanical patterns. This is the first step in the definition of a prevention program that lacks in this kind of athletic activity. A search of Medline/PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane database from 1990 to 2019 using the search terms ''dance and injuries'' and ''dance and injuries and epidemiology'' initially resulted in 601 citations. A total of 16 articles were eligible for a review. All health problems that lead to stop the activity of a dancer are classified as "dancer's injuries". They were divided in acute and overuse injuries, the first being traumatic and the latter ones microtraumatic. The anatomical region most affected by injuries in dance was clearly the ankle and foot. It can be inferred that professional and pre-professional dancers had a higher prevalence of back injuries in comparison to amateur dancers, while amateurs suffered more frequently from hip/groin/thigh injuries. Doctors, teachers, sport trainers and dancers themselves, all those who contribute to the dancer's performance, should know the most prevalent dancers' injuries. Moreover, they should know the prevention procedures, in order to minimize the risk of injury and recurrences.