Read more about the article Tennis and golf elbow

Tennis and golf elbow

“Tennis and golfer’s elbow” are common pathologies due to overload of forearm extensors and flexors, and actually occur mostly outside tennis and golf sports. Several differential diagnoses of medial and lateral epicondylitis have to be excluded as there are a number of other conditions with similar clinical symptoms. The high rate of spontaneous recovery has to be considered in treatment. Evidence based conservative treatment comprises excentric physiotherapy, local injections, and physical methods. Surgery is reserved for patients with persistence of symptoms for more than one year despite non-surgical treatment.

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Read more about the article Tendon problems around the knee

Tendon problems around the knee

The knee joint is affected in up to 30% of all sport injuries. A minor precentage of it are tendon injuries. For acute tendon injuries, quadriceps tendon rupture and patellar tendon rupture are most frequent. Beside that, ruptures of distal hamstring tendons or the popliteus tendon may occur. For chronic tendon injuries in sports, the jumpers knee and the runners knee are most frequent. Also insertional enthesopathy of the quadriceps tendon, of the iliotibial band, of the hamstring tendons may occur, furthermore a tendinitis or bursitis at the pes anserinus. These injuries are explained in this article focussing on symptoms, diagnostics and therapy.

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Read more about the article Rare tendon pathologies at the foot level

Rare tendon pathologies at the foot level

While lesions of the achilles tendon and posterior tibial tendon are common and well known, lesions of other ankle bridging tendons are rare and literature is sparse. However, many of these lesions are equally relevant in terms of maintaining the complex functionality of the foot. Such pathologies include tendinitis, tenosynovitis as well as partial and complete tears. If the continuity of the affected tendon is maintained, conservative treatment is appropriate. In cases of ruptures, operative therapy is often needed. Depending on the defect size and retraction of the tendon, auto- or allograft have to be used.

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Read more about the article Tendons – Morphology, biology and biomechanics

Tendons – Morphology, biology and biomechanics

The tendon has to be seen functionally within the muscle-tendon-unit. The tendon has to transmit the force that is produced by the muscle, but acts also as a spring that stores energy. The tendon itself consists of three parts: the tendon-bone insertion, the mid-portion area, and the muscle-tendon junction. The biomechanical properties belong primarily on type I collagen, that degenerates in case of tendinopathy.

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Read more about the article High relevance of difference in trail characteristics for average running times in orienteering

High relevance of difference in trail characteristics for average running times in orienteering

Background Orienteering takes place in a range of different areas including mountains and woodlands, whereby motoric and coordinative requirements on the orienteers differ strongly de­pending on the respective terrain. The aim of this study was to investigate differences in average speed of orienteers in three terrain types in Switzerland: Alps, Jura and Mittelland.

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Read more about the article Validity of a 5-RM strength test for health and fitness

Validity of a 5-RM strength test for health and fitness

Appropriate alternatives to the 1-RM strength test are multiple repetition maximum strength tests, particularly considering recreational sports. In contrast to the 1-RM strength test, limited research of multiple repetition maximum strength tests has been conducted and thus causes a shortage of standardized and evaluated test protocols. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of a 5-repetition maximum strength test, which excellent reliability was already confirmed, for the purposes of performance assessment and training control in recreational sports. Twenty-six healthy recreational athletes (25.9 ± 3.4 years;181.2 ± 5.1 cm;79.4 ± 8.7 kg) with at least one year experience of strength training completed two examinations, which implied a bench press exercise. In examination one, the 5-RM and the 1-RM was determined.

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Read more about the article Performance analysis in orienteering with consideration of both cognitive and physical aspects

Performance analysis in orienteering with consideration of both cognitive and physical aspects

The diagnostic protocol presented here allows orienteers to compare themselves to others in the sample and to analyse the proportion of physical and technical skills in their overall performance. In order to test the protocol 3 female and ­ 11 male leisure athletes completed two short orienteering courses, one with four control points (distance 0.80 km, al­titude 5 m) and one with eight (distance 1.95 km, alti­tude 40 m). The average running time was 6 min and 40 sec (± 2 min 18 sec) on the short and 17 min 36 sec (5 min ± 1 sec) on the long course when orienteering. After courses were marked with the optimum route running times decreased, as expected, to 3 min 45 sec (± 48 sec) on the short and 9 min 21 sec (± 1 min 19 sec) on the long course.

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Read more about the article Analysis of exercise training for treating obesity in children and adolescents: a review of recent programs

Analysis of exercise training for treating obesity in children and adolescents: a review of recent programs

Physical activity is recognized as a basic component of the management of the obese child, but it is not clear which kind of intervention is the most efficient. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of prescribed exercise training in obese children. We reviewed 19 studies, 10 RCT and 9 observational studies, published in the last 5 years. In the majority of these studies obese children were treated as ambulatory patient, in tertiary centers. Only 2 studies described a community based program. In half of the studies, drop-out was not reported and the rate of attendance was rarely described. On the other hand, the content of each session was well described, but exercise training intensity was below international recommendations.

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Read more about the article Sports, adolescence and eating disorders

Sports, adolescence and eating disorders

Adolescence is triggered by puberty and corresponds to a time of great changes in many fields including biological, psychological, cognitive and social. Participation to a sport activity improves self-esteem, socialisation with peers and physical condition. Yet, it sometimes is associated with suffering, restrictive behaviours and eating disorders when performed at an intensive level. Intensive sport activity during adolescence should take into account young people’s developmental stages as well as their fundamental needs in order to promote a harmonious training. One way to promote such training is to train parents and medical health providers to recognise these specific developmental needs and take them into account.

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Read more about the article Concussion in youth athletes: key aspects

Concussion in youth athletes: key aspects

Sports-related concussion in young athletes is a major issue in sports medicine. Although it attracts a lot of media attention, at the same time it suffers from insufficient spread of the knowledge regarding its identification and the adequate protocols to be implemented in the return to sport sequence. Underreporting and trivialization of potential concussions is too frequent, although it can have serious consequences, ranging from an increase in repeat concussion or second impact syndrome, to academic difficulties and persistence of cognitive or physical symptoms.

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Read more about the article Epidemiology and prevention of injuries in young sportsmen. A 35 year observational study of the sport and art classes in the Canton of Geneva

Epidemiology and prevention of injuries in young sportsmen. A 35 year observational study of the sport and art classes in the Canton of Geneva

Injury prevention is a priority in the field of sports medicine and in physical activity promotion, in particular for youth. Injuries can lead to long term handicaps and disengagement from physical activity. The follow up of young sportsmen in the canton of Geneva over the last 35 years has permitted to get an idea of the prevalence of injuries in young sportsmen and allows a comparison with the general population. It has also permitted to get an idea of the influence prevention has had on injuries.

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Read more about the article Movement despite medical certificate – activdispens.ch

Movement despite medical certificate – activdispens.ch

Objective: The objective of the project is to actively integrate students partially dispensed from school sport through an adapted form of sports dispensation as well as a customized selection of exercises. Method: By means of two online questionnaires, both structured similarly with respect to questions and main themes, a needs assessment was carried out. The questionnaires were sent by e-mail to 2600 members of three Swiss medical associations, doctors of the University Children’s hospital of Basel as well as to approximately 4000 sports teachers of the Swiss organization for sports at school.

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Read more about the article Annual preparticipation examination in youth athletes

Annual preparticipation examination in youth athletes

Ein junger Athlet sollte seine sportliche Tätigkeit über die gesamte Zeit von Wachstum und Entwicklung möglichst erfolgreich und mit Freuden durchführen können. Gerade sind von einem Expertenteam unter dem Hut des IOC lesenswerte Empfehlungen lanciert worden, wie gesunde, belastbare und fähige junge Athleten entstehen und wie diese optimal betreut werden sollen, jeder auf seinem sportlichen Niveau und mit seinen eigenen Erfolgsvorstellungen.

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Read more about the article Responsiveness of the Star Excursion Balance Test on Firm and Unstable Underground

Responsiveness of the Star Excursion Balance Test on Firm and Unstable Underground

Objectives: To evaluate the responsiveness of the classic Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT) and of a modified version performed on a soft surface (Airex Balance-Pad). The classic Star Excursion Balance Test is widely used in persons with chronic ankle instability. For the use in healthy athletes, the test can be made more difficult by performing it on a soft surface. Design: Pre-post study with balance assessment before and after a five-week intervention. Setting and participants: A convenience sample of 28 healthy adults performed both SEBT variants at baseline and after five weeks (9 sessions) of sensorimotor and strength training.

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Read more about the article Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Hamstring Tendon autograft versus Bone Patellar Tendon Bone autograft: what about muscular and functional capacities?

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: Hamstring Tendon autograft versus Bone Patellar Tendon Bone autograft: what about muscular and functional capacities?

Purpose: Comparison of surgical techniques by evaluating functional capacities: power, strength, velocity and dynamic stability of knee extensor and flexor muscles after ACL reconstruction. Material and Methods: a prospective study with a retrospective comparative cohort of 111 patients (mean age 30 years (14.4 - 49.7). Outcomes: 18 outcomes were considered. Objective outcomes were the difference of power, strength, velocity and dynamic stability. Subjective outcomes included Tegner activity scale, Lysholm score, KOS, KOS-SAS (Knee Outcome Survey-Sport Activities Score), Tampa scale-Q.

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Read more about the article Femoroacetabular impingement in sports medicine: a narrative review

Femoroacetabular impingement in sports medicine: a narrative review

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a pathomechanical process of the hip, which can occur in every individual but has a higher prevalence in physically active subjects such as athletes. It is mainly due to bony deformities at the proximal femur and/or acetabulum in conjunction with rigorous or supraphysiological hip ranges of motion. FAI may lead to chondrolabral lesions, hip pain and development of early hip osteoarthritis. Symptomatic FAI patients may present functional limitations during daily activities and sports, reduced hip muscle strength as well as hip joint kinematic and kinetic alterations during weight-bearing activities.

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