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Physicians have long been closely allied with competitive sports. In 157 AD, Galen served as a physician to Greek gladiators.(1) Severe musculoskeletal trauma certainly shortened the careers of ancient pugilists who survived their matches. However, modern gladiators-from pick-up basketball players to football professionals-often get to "play another day" because of advances in orthopedic surgery, particularly those of the last 30 years.

A major thrust of the Healthy People 2010 initiative, introduced in 2000, was to increase physical activity. As we move nearly a third of the way toward the deadline, is there any progress to report? "I don't think we're doing very well," says Ross Andersen, PhD, who edited a special issue on Healthy People 2010 for The Physician and Sportsmedicine. Andersen is an associate professor in the division of geriatric medicine and gerontology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore "Activity levels have been stagnant over the past 10 years," he says.