Current sports medicine reports
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Patellar tendinopathy is a painful knee injury due to overuse common among jumping athletes. Because rest from sport is neither a feasible nor an effective treatment for patellar tendinopathy in elite athletes, active treatment options are needed. Treatment may be conservative, injection-based, or surgical. ⋯ Steroid injections are inferior to exercise interventions and are not recommended. Injections of autologous blood, platelet-rich plasma, and hyperosmolar dextrose are unproven and experimental. Clinicians need to have a comprehensive knowledge of the evidence in the literature, as well as training and experience, when treating patellar tendinopathy.
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Self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) diving is an ever-growing sport, and despite a myriad of technological advances to improve safety, it remains dangerous. Providers of medical care for SCUBA divers must have an understanding of diving physiology and potential medical problems that can occur. SCUBA diving also can take participants to remote areas, so being properly prepared for potential emergencies can make a significant difference. The following is a review of diving physiology and the medical problems that can occur in SCUBA divers, along with some suggestions as to how to prepare for a SCUBA excursion.
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The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) is proud to feature Elizabeth A. Joy, MD, MPH, FACSM, for this issue's Clinician Profile. Dr. ⋯ Dr. Joy has served on ACSM's Board of Trustees and is currently the Vice-President for Medicine, serves on ACSM's 'Exercise is Medicine' Task Force, and is an associate editor for Current Sports Medicine Reports (CSMR). Her research interests include physical activity assessment and promotion, practice-based research in primary care, the Female Athlete Triad, exercise during pregnancy, and injury prevention.
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Curr Sports Med Rep · Mar 2011
Case ReportsUltrasound-guided percutaneous neuroplasty of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve for the treatment of meralgia paresthetica: a case report and description of a new ultrasound-guided technique.
The lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) can be visualized with ultrasound imaging using a high frequency linear transducer. The entrapment of the LFCN, often near the lateral aspect of the inguinal ligament, is accepted as an etiology of meralgia paresthetica (MP). ⋯ This procedure resulted in immediate, long-term relief of pain associated with severe, chronic MP. This procedure may potentially represent an alternate treatment for patients with contraindications or partial contraindications to surgical neurolysis, nerve transection (usually described as being performed under general anesthesia), or corticosteroid injection, or in patients not responding to conservative treatment measures.
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Curr Sports Med Rep · Jan 2011
ReviewA critical review of neuroimaging applications in sports concussion.
While abnormalities related to concussion are typically not identified on traditional clinical neuroimaging (i.e., computed tomography [CT] or magnetic resonance imaging [MRI]), more sophisticated neuroimaging techniques have the potential to reveal the complex neurometabolic processes related to concussion and its recovery. Clinically, these techniques may one day provide useful information to guide clinicians in the management and treatment of sports concussion. This article critically reviews the current state of the literature regarding neuroimaging and sports concussion, identifies challenges in the application of these techniques, and identifies areas for future research.