Sports health
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Stress fractures of the foot and ankle are a common problem encountered by athletes of all levels and ages. These injuries can be difficult to diagnose and may be initially evaluated by all levels of medical personnel. Clinical suspicion should be raised with certain history and physical examination findings. ⋯ A high index of suspicion for stress fractures is appropriate in many high-risk groups of athletes with lower extremity pain. Proper and timely work-up and treatment is successful in returning these athletes to sport in many cases. Low-risk stress fracture generally requires only activity modification while high-risk stress fracture necessitates more aggressive intervention. The specific treatment of these injuries varies with the location of the stress fracture and the goals of the patient.
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Neuropathology and surveys of retired National Football League (NFL) players suggest that chronic brain damage is a frequent result of a career in football. There is limited information on the neurological statuses of living retired players. This study aimed to fill the gap in knowledge by conducting in-depth neurological examinations of 30- to 60-year-old retired NFL players. ⋯ These results need to be reconciled with the prevailing view that a career in football frequently results in chronic brain damage.
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Athletic trainers (ATs) play an important role in the evaluation, management, and referral of student-athletes after sport-related concussion. Understanding factors that influence ATs' patient care decisions is important to ensure best practices are followed. ⋯ Of the ATs surveyed, most were engaged in baseline and follow-up testing, primarily with neurocognitive tests. Most ATs refer patients to physicians after concussion. While state regulation and personal preference were primary factors influencing referral decisions, it is unclear at what point of care the referral occurs.
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There has been increased interest in the number of concussions occurring in college football over the past year. In April 2010, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) published new guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of concussions in student athletes. ⋯ The combined incidence rate of concussions for the 2010-2011 season doubled from the previous season after the implementation of new NCAA policies on concussion management. While the institution of a more formalized concussion plan on the part of medical staff is one possible factor, another may have been the increased recognition and reporting on the part of players and coaches after the rule change.
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Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a rare progressive neurologic disorder that can manifest as a combination of cognitive, mood and behavioral, and neurologic symptoms. Despite clinically apparent symptoms, there is no imaging or other diagnostic test that can confirm diagnosis in living subjects. Diagnosis can only be confirmed postmortem by specific histopathologic features within the brain tissue identified on autopsy. CTE represents a unique tauopathy that is distinct from other neurodegenerative diseases. ⋯ When counseling athletes and families about the potential association of recurrent concussions and the development of CTE, discussion of proper management of concussion is cornerstone. Unfortunately, to date, there is no equipment that can prevent concussions; however, rule changes and legislation may decrease the risk. It is imperative that return to play is medically supervised by a provider trained in the management of concussion and begins only once symptoms have resolved. In addition, athletes with permanent symptoms should be retired from contact sport.