The Physician and sportsmedicine
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Shock-wave therapy versus corticosteroid injection on lateral epicondylitis: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Background: Shock-wave (SW) therapy has been widely promoted and proven to be effective in ameliorating symptoms of lateral epicondylitis (LE) during recent years. Corticosteroid (CS) injection is another common treatment of LE, and several researches have documented its significant effect in the treatment of LE. Despite this, few studies have focused on comparing the use of SW and CS in the treatment of LE. ⋯ A significant difference in VAS score (SMD = 1.13, Cl 0.72-1.55 P < 0.00001, I2 = 0) was noted between the SW group and the CS group. Furthermore, Significant difference was also seen in the term of grip strength (including HGS and GSS scoring system) (SMD = -1.42, Cl -1.85--0.98 P < 0.00001, I2 = 0). Conclusions: In light of the better improvement in the terms of VAS and grip strength with follow-up more than 12 weeks, we assume that SW may be a superior alternative for the treatment of LE.
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Background: Although football is one of the most popular collegiate sports, the epidemiology of and risk factors for shoulder and elbow injuries in this population not been recently described. We aimed to characterize this incidence in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) football players, determine risk factors, and establish outcomes after injury. Methods: All shoulder and elbow injuries in men's football occurring during the 2009-2010 through 2013-2014 academic years were retrospectively identified in the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program database. ⋯ Competition had an eight times higher incidence than did practice. Tackling and blocking were the most common mechanisms, while AC separation and shoulder instability were the most common injuries. This epidemiology may help players, coaches, trainers, and governing bodies target injury-prevention programs and assess improvement over time.
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Objectives: This study sought to determine whether shortened recovery periods between regularly scheduled Sunday NFL games and Thursday Night Football games significantly increased the incidence of injury in NFL players. Methods: NFL injury reports and injury reserve data were collected for every NFL player, on all 32 NFL teams, for each week during the regular season, for the 2012-2013, 2013-2014, 2014-2015, 2015-2016, and 2016-2017 NFL seasons. Injuries were defined as any reported injury, not previously documented in an injury report prior to said injury. ⋯ The relative risk of injury during Thursday Night Football games was calculated to be 0.97 compared to Sunday and Monday night games. Therefore, the rate of injury during Thursday Night Football games was significantly less than the rate of injury during Sunday and Monday night games, despite the lack of additional recovery time. Conclusion: This study suggests that eliminating Thursday Night Football is unlikely to improve the statistical injury rate among NFL players.
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Objectives: Certificates of Need (CON) laws were introduced to improve resource utilization and reduce unnecessary health-care expansion. While many states have repealed their use, the debate continues as to their efficacy in achieving these goals. As such, we asked: 1) Are there differences in TSA incidence in CON/non-CON states? 2) Are there differences in procedural charges or reimbursement between CON/non-CON states? 3) Are there differences in the proportion of cases treated in high-, mid- or low-volume facilities between groups? 4) Are there differences in complications and length-of-stay (LOS) between high-volume and low-volume facilities? Methods: The 100% Medicare Standard Analytic files were queried for all TSA between 2005 and 2013, with minimum 1-year follow-up. ⋯ Finally, 30-day and 1-year complications, and length-of-stay, were significantly lower in high-volume facilities versus low-volume facilities (p ≤ 0.016). Conclusions: Where upheld, CON regulations contributed to a notable increase in the percentage of procedures performed in high-volume facilities, which in turn lead to a significant reduction in post-operative complications and LOS. Further study is necessary to definitely establish this relationship and the utility of CON regulations for the delivery of TSA care, particularly as it relates to clinical outcomes.