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Objective: Stretching is performed with numerous purposes in multiple settings such as prevention, rehabilitation, fitness training and sports. Its patterns of use substantially depend on the education and beliefs of health care and exercise professionals as they represent the multiplicators recommending and prescribing interventions to clients, patients and athletes. This study investigated movement experts' knowledge about the scientific evidence on stretching effects. Design: Survey study. Participants: A total of 117 exercise and health professionals (physiotherapists, sports scientists, coaches) attending a training convention in Austria (male: n = 44, female: n = 73, 36±11 years) completed a digital survey. With its 22 items, the questionnaire addressed the movement experts' awareness of the evidence on stretching effects regarding a variety of related topics selected based on the findings of topical systematic reviews. Results: The majority of the individuals (57–88%) assumed positive effects of stretching on recovery, prevention of muscle injury, range of motion, muscular imbalance and artery elasticity. No or adverse effects were mostly claimed on bone injury prevention, maximal/explosive strength, and delayed-onset muscle soreness. In only 10 of 22 items, participants' classifications were in accord with the scientific evidence. Conclusions: The awareness of research findings on stretching effects among exercise and health professionals is alarmingly low. Future studies may hence be geared to improve implementation and science communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe injury patterns of skateboard-associated injuries (SAIs) and to assess the frequency and severity of SAIs depending on an athlete''s skateboarding experience. Design: Cross-sectional observation. Setting: Skating areas. Participants: A total of 100 Viennese skateboarders. Interventions: No intervention. Main Outcome Measures: The participants filled in a questionnaire that was used to assess selected sociodemographic data; duration and frequency of skateboarding; “stance”; and localization, rate, as well as the severity of SAIs during the past 24 months. Skating behavior and sociodemographic data were compared with frequency and severity of SAIs. Results: Response rate of questionnaires was 75% (n = 75) of the participants. Duration of skateboarding was 8 ± 5 years, and training time was 18 ± 11 hours/week. A total of 97% (73) of the respondents reported at least one injury: in 52% (39) of the respondents the most serious injury was mild to moderate (laceration, contusion, strain/sprain, and bruise), whereas in 45% (34) it was severe (ligament rupture, fracture). A total of 33% (13) of participants experiencing only mild-to-moderate injuries consulted a physician compared with 94% (32) with at least one serious injury. The most severely affected regions were lower leg/ankle/foot in 32% (24) of all respondents who experienced at least one severe injury and forearm/wrist/hand in 16% (12) who experienced at least one severe injury. Only 13% (10) used protective equipment. Multivariate logistic regression for the occurrence of at least one severe injury with all socioeconomic and sport-relevant data investigated revealed significant positive correlations with weekly training time (P = .037) and years of experience (P = .021). However, after correcting for multiple testing (Bonferroni adjustment for 8 tests), no significances remained. Conclusion: More experienced skateboarders seem to have a greater risk of incurring severe SAIs, but sociodemographic factors seem to have no influence on injury risk in this population. Only a minority of skateboarders used protective equipment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents the case of a 70-year-old male who was trapped in a crevasse in the Austrian Alps for six days, in which he fed on a few biscuits and chocolates. He was diagnosed with fractures in his maxillofacial bones, ribs, vertebral column and one greater trochanter. After six weeks, his big toes were amputated at the interphalangeal joint due to necrosis.