Medicine and Sport Science

Knowledge regarding epidemiology of injury is of benefit to injury prevention of activities associated with high risk. As relatively 'young' activities, the investigation of injuries and deaths related in extreme sports such as bungee jumping and BASE jumping is relatively sparse. Studies evaluating risk in civilian and military skydiving activities have been reported over the past decades, but technique and equipment has changed. Risk with bungee jumping is only sporadically reported in the literature, most often in connection with eye injuries, but also rare events of serious, life-threatening injuries and even death...

The aquatic environment is a complex mix of waterways with varying uses and hazards. It is the intersection of the use of the water and the hazards which provides enjoyment to those who use them as well as risk to a person's health. Canoeing, kayaking and rafting have and continue to be popular recreation sports in aquatic environments. This chapter explores participation in, risks associated with and prevention strategies for keeping canoeists, kayakers and rafters safe and healthy. There is a dearth of good quality descriptive studies exploring these issues, particularly around the risks involved and the effectiveness of proposed prevention strategies...

The objective of this review was to summarize the epidemiological literature for surfboard riding (surfing), kite surfing and personal watercraft (PWC) riding injuries and describe the incidence and nature of these injuries, common risk factors, and strategies for prevention. The databases searched for relevant publications included Medline, ScienceDirect, ProQuest International, PubMed, Academic Search Premier as well as Google Scholar to identify additional, non-indexed studies. Overall, there was a lack of good quality descriptive studies for these three sports and many of the studies reviewed involved the use of administrative datasets or case-series designs...

The epidemiology of injury associated with recreational scuba diving is reviewed. A search of electronic databases and reference lists identified pertinent research. Barotrauma, decompression sickness and drowning-related injuries were the most common morbidities associated with recreational scuba diving. The prevalence of incidents ranged from 7 to 35 injuries per 10,000 divers and from 5 to 152 injuries per 100,000 dives. Recreational scuba diving fatalities account for 0.013% of all-cause mortality aged ≥ 15 years...

Para- and hang-gliding are modern air sports that developed in the 20th century. Performers should possess technical skills and manage certified equipment for successful flight. Injuries may happen during the take-off, flight and landing. PubMed was searched using the search terms 'paragliding' and/or 'hang-gliding'. The reference lists of articles identified in the search strategy were also searched for relevant articles. The most common injuries are fractures, dislocations or sprains in the extremities, followed by spinal and head traumas...

Climbing and mountaineering sports are gaining more and more public interest. This chapter reviews scientific studies on injuries and accidents in climbing and mountaineering sports to evaluate the danger of these sports and their specific injuries and preventive measures. An initial PubMed query was performed using the key words 'rock climbing', 'sport climbing', 'mountaineering', 'alpine injuries' and 'climbing injuries'. More than 500 extracted papers were analyzed which gave information on injury, mortality/fatality, prevention and risk factors...

The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the current knowledge related to the epidemiology of injury in selected adventure and extreme sports. PubMed and Google Scholar were searched using the terms 'epidemiology', 'injury,' 'adventure sports' and 'extreme sports'. Publications from the past 10 years were largely selected, but commonly referenced or highly regarded older publications were also included. References lists of articles identified in the search strategy were also searched and articles selected that were judged to be relevant...

No abstract text is available yet for this article.

Repair of rotator cuff tears is a common procedure. Prior to approaching this surgery, it should be realized that each surgical step can lead to complications, including those related to positioning and anaesthesia. Stiffness, infection and failure of repair are the more frequent complications reported.

Massive rotator cuff tears represent a great challenge in orthopaedic. They are associated with persistent defects, weakness, and poor outcomes and can cause an uncoupling of forces across the glenohumeral joint, with unstable shoulder kinematics. In the last few years, a notable interest has emerged to develop new treatment strategies that provide effective mechanical reinforcement of rotator cuff repair and stimulate and enhance the patient's intrinsic healing potential. Tissue engineering techniques using novel scaffold materials offer potential alternatives for managing massive irreparable rotator cuff tears...

Degenerative, retracted, massive rotator cuff tears present surgeons with distinct challenges. Patient selection is key to a successful outcome. Treatment strategies range from non-operative to progressively more complex surgical options, including debridement, partial repair, complete repair utilizing margin convergence and interval slides, tendon transfers, arthrodesis, and arthroplasty. The rationale behind each of these options and more are discussed along with guidance for selecting the appropriate treatment strategy for individual patients...

The arthroscopic approach for rotator cuff repair is extensively used worldwide. Different repairing procedures have evolved with the aim of restoring anatomy and function of rotator cuff tendon. Several studies have analyzed biomechanical factors to understand their influence on tendon to bone healing and improve repair configurations. From a biomechanical point of view, single-row anchor techniques are not able to restore all of the original footprint of the rotator cuff, and result in circumferential tension around the tendon...

OBJECTIVES: We critically review the existing studies comparing the features of single- and double-row repair, and discuss suggestions about the surgical indications for the two repair techniques. DATA SOURCES: All currently available studies comparing the biomechanical, clinical and the biological features of single and double row. MAIN RESULTS: Biomechanically, the double-row repair has greater performances in terms of higher initial fixation strength, greater footprint coverage, improved contact area and pressure, decreased gap formation, and higher load to failure...

The subscapularis muscle is the largest and strongest muscle of the rotator cuff. It plays an essential role in the stability and function of the shoulder. Tears of the subscapularis tendon are more frequent than previously estimated. The worldwide use of arthroscopy in rotator cuff surgery has allowed to recognize the true prevalence of subscapularis lesions, as it permits to visualize the articular side where partial tears are usually localized. Subscapularis tears are generally non-traumatic, arising from intrinsic degeneration, subcoracoid and/or anterosuperior impingement...

Repair of rotator cuff tears (RCT) is challenging. In RC tears, a partial (PTRCTs) or full (RCTs) discontinuation of one or more of the muscles or tendons and may occur as a result of traumatic injury or degeneration over a period of years. Many factors seem to contribute to the final outcome and a considerable number of variations during the decision-making process of patients with RCTs exist. Accurate diagnosis is fundamental to guide correct management, and the tear pattern should be carefully evaluated to plan the appropriate repair...

There is no definite consensus on the best management for patients with rotator cuff tears. No randomized controlled studies have compared the outcome of surgical versus conservative treatment. The described successful rate of conservative treatment varies widely, from 33 to 92%. Even though current evidence is not sufficient to allow definitive conclusions on conservative treatment of rotator cuff tears, non-operative management is often recommended in such patients. Prognostic factors seem to be clinical presentation, duration of symptoms and tear size...

Tendinopathy of the long head of the biceps is a common cause of anterior shoulder pain. As such, the anatomy and function of the tendon as well as its pathophysiology and different treatment methods have been studied extensively. The pathophysiology is a spectrum beginning with inflammation and leading to tendon degeneration. Different clinical tests and imaging modalities may all be employed to help aid in diagnosis. Conservative management is the first-line treatment, but surgical intervention may be warranted...

We review the management of rotator cuff tears, the mechanism of action of autologous blood products, principally platelet-rich plasma, and the current evidence for effective use of platelet-rich plasma, particularly in relation to the shoulder and chronic rotator cuff tears, for biological augmentation of rotator cuff repair.

Recent attention has focused on the biological pathways by which tendons heal leading to the identification of some growth factors (GFs) with involvement in this process. No studies have been published on the time course of the various GFs during the tendon healing process in vivo in humans. We review what is known about these GFs and their role in tendon healing.

Prevalence of rotator cuff tears after traumatic dislocation increases with advancing age, as a consequence of the age-associated deterioration of structures and mechanical properties of the tendons of the rotator cuff. These act as effective stabilizers of the joint, compressing the humeral head in the three-dimensional concavity of the glenoid. It is impossible to establish whether a lesion of the capsulo-labrum complex or of the rotator cuff causes or follows a dislocation, regardless of whether it is anterior or posterior...