Search

Musculoskeletal pain in athletes is common, but not always associated with injury (ie, tissue damage).1 Damage occurs when load exceeds tissue tolerance, such as ligament tear or a fracture. However, pain in athletes that occurs in the absence of trauma and tissue damage is still often labelled an ‘injury’ by clinicians, coaches and athletes themselves. This highlights a gap between knowledge (tissue damage is not necessary for pain) and practice (assuming that all pain arises from tissue damage) in our clinical community.1 2 This applies particularly in the area of acute non-traumatic pain (such as back and joint pain). To help bridge this gap, we outline eight principles to guide clinicians who manage musculoskeletal pain in sport (see infographic in figure 1). Figure 1 Infographic—principles to guide care of acute non-traumatic pain in sport. ### 1. In the absence of trauma, do not assume that pain indicates tissue damage

Stress fractures represent the end product of the failure of bone to adequately adapt to the mechanical loads experienced during physical activity. Limited epidemiological data suggest that these are common injuries in the sporting population, particularly in association with weight-bearing activities such as running and dancing. A number of factors may increase the risk of stress fracture, including female gender, genetic determinants, menstrual disturbances, low bone density, body composition, biomechanical variants, nutritional intake, and training errors. Diagnosis of a stress fracture is often made on clinical findings but appropriate imaging techniques may be needed in some cases. Although the majority of stress fractures will heal without complications in a relatively short time frame, there are a number of stress fractures that require specific additional treatment. These include fractures of the femoral neck, anterior tibial cortex, tarsal navicular, proximal fifth metatarsal, and sesamoids. This article reviews stress fractures in athletes concentrating on etiology, epidemiology, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment. Further details are provided for the difficult stress fractures.

Aims: Sudden death in cricketers is rare, with the most common causes being cardiac, neurological (head/neck trauma, mainly from ball impact) and environmental (e.g., lightning strike and heat stroke, the former which usually involves cardiac arrest). The aim of this study was to review possible prevention of sudden cardiac death and make recommendations. Materials and methods: A literature review of possible causes of sudden cardiac death (SCD) among cricketers was performed, along with evaluation of evidence for existing preventative measures. The method for evaluation was expert panel (cardiology and sports medicine) consensus recommendations based on the published evidence base. Results: Potential cardiac causes of sudden death while playing cricket can be divided into the following categories: (1) atraumatic-origin preexisting arrhythmias, cardiomyopathies and valve disorders (2) traumatic-origin arrhythmia (commotio cordis) (3) acquired coronary or valvular disease (4) viral myocarditis (5) Lightning strike. Preventive measures can be divided into pre-season (e.g., cardiovascular screening), prematch (e.g., assessment of viral illness), protective equipment (e.g., chest guards) and post-event (presence of first aid ORIGINAL RESEARCH 1,8Sports Physician, 2Senior Lecturer, 3Professor, 4Lecturer 5Registrar, 6Pathologist, 7Cardiologist, 9Honorary Professor 10Head 1Sports Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Sydney New South Wales, Australia 2Sydney Medicine School, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 3Agnes Ginges Centre for Molecular Cardiology, Centenary Institute, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 4Charles Perkins Centre, School of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 5Sports Medicine, University of Sydney, New South Wales Australia 6Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia 7Alfred Cardiology, New South Wales, Australia 8National Cricket Centre, Cricket Australia, Brisbane Queensland, Australia 9School of Allied Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia 10Cricket Australia, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Corresponding Author: John W Orchard, Sports Physician Sports Medicine, School of Public Health, University of Sydney New South Wales, Australia, Phone: +61293518118, e-mail: johnworchard@gmail.com 10.5005/jp-journals-10028-1193 response including defibrillators). Our panel agreed that there was strong evidence that (1) trained and planned emergency response particularly with a defibrillator is effective at preventing SCD and (2) ceasing play in the presence of lightning strikes prevents lightning-related death (3) players with symptoms, risk factors or history suggestive of possible cardiac disease should undertake specific individual workup. There are other potential methods to prevent SCD, with expert level recommendations made in the absence of strong evidence. Discussion and conclusion: The most controversial aspect of prevention of SCD is electrocardiogram (ECG) screening of asymptomatic players and this paper outlines the arguments both in favor and against without fully resolving the debate. The possible increase in early diagnosis of potentially life-threatening cases needs to be balanced against the risk of false positive results which may lead to discussion of exclusion from cricket. Cardiac workup is clearly of net benefit to symptomatic individuals (e.g. history of syncope, chest pain) or any player at higher than usual baseline risk (e.g., positive family history). Basic life support including access to defibrillators should be available with trained personnel wherever they can be afforded, which has strong evidence in favor of improving survival at the time of cardiac arrest.

Why do some hamstring and quadriceps strains take much longer to repair than others? Which injuries are more prone to recurrence? Intramuscular tendon injuries have received little attention as an element in ‘muscle strain’. In thigh muscles, such as rectus femoris and biceps femoris, the attached tendon extends for a significant distance within the muscle belly. While the pathology of most muscle injures occurs at a musculotendinous junction, at first glance the athlete appears to report pain within a muscle belly. In addition to the musculotendinous injury being a site of pathology, the intramuscular tendon itself is occasionally injured. These injuries have a variety of appearances on MRIs. There is some evidence that these injuries require a prolonged rehabilitation time and may have higher recurrence rates. Therefore, it is important to recognise the tendon component of a thigh ‘muscle strain’.

The high prevalence of injury amongst cricket fast bowlers exposes a great need for research into the risk factors associated with injury. Both extrinsic (environment-related) and intrinsic (person-related) risk factors are likely to be implicated within the high prevalence of non-contact injury amongst fast bowlers in cricket. Identifying and defining the relative importance of these risk factors is necessary in order to optimize injury prevention efforts. The objective of this review was to assess and summarize the scientific literature related to the extrinsic and intrinsic factors associated with non-contact injury inherent to adult cricket fast bowlers. A systematic review was performed in compliance with the PRISMA guidelines. This review considered both experimental and epidemiological study designs. Studies that included male cricket fast bowlers aged 18 years or above, from all levels of play, evaluating the association between extrinsic/intrinsic factors and injury in fast bowlers were considered for inclusion. The three-step search strategy aimed at finding both published and unpublished studies from all languages. The searched databases included MEDLINE via PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register in the Cochrane Library, Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), ProQuest 5000 International, ProQuest Health and Medical Complete, EBSCO MegaFile Premier, Science Direct, SPORTDiscus with Full Text and SCOPUS (prior to 28 April 2015). Initial keywords used were ‘cricket’, ‘pace’, ‘fast’, ‘bowler’, and ‘injury’. Papers which fitted the inclusion criteria were assessed by two independent reviewers for methodological validity prior to inclusion in the review using standardized critical appraisal instruments from the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (JBI-MAStARI). A total of 16 studies were determined to be suitable for inclusion in this systematic review. The mean critical appraisal score of the papers included in this study was 6.88 (SD 1.15) out of a maximum of 9. The following factors were found to be associated with injury: bowling shoulder internal rotation strength deficit, compromised dynamic balance and lumbar proprioception (joint position sense), the appearance of lumbar posterior element bone stress, degeneration of the lumbar disc on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and previous injury. Conflicting results were found for the association of quadratus lumborum (QL) muscle asymmetry with injury. Technique-related factors associated with injury included shoulder–pelvis flexion–extension angle, shoulder counter-rotation, knee angle, and the proportion of side-flexion during bowling. Bowling workload was the only extrinsic factor associated with injury in adult cricket fast bowlers. A high bowling workload (particularly if it represented a sudden upgrade from a lower workload) increased the subsequent risk to sustaining an injury 1, 3 or 4 weeks later. Identifying the factors associated with injury is a crucial step which should precede the development of, and research into, the effectiveness of injury prevention programs. Once identified, risk factors may be included in pre-participation screening tools and injury prevention programs, and may also be incorporated in future research projects. Overall, the current review highlights the clear lack of research on factors associated with non-contact injury, specifically in adult cricket fast bowlers. Systematic review registration number Johanna Briggs Institute Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports 1387 (Olivier et al., JBI Database Syst Rev Implement Rep 13(1):3–13. doi: 10.11124/jbisrir-2015-1387 , 2015).

Objectives This study examined whether high match fast bowling workloads in the short to medium term were associated with increased bowling injury rates. Design Prospective cohort study. Methods Over a 15 year period, workload patterns for 235 individual fast bowlers during time periods from 5 to 26 days were examined to consider whether there was an increased injury rate during the month (28 days) subsequent to the workload. Results Fast bowlers who bowled more than 50 match overs in a 5 day period had a significant increase in injury over the next month compared to bowlers who bowled 50 overs or less RR 1.54 (95% CI 1.04–2.29). For periods ranging from 12 to 26 days, there was no statistically-significant increase in injury over the next month from exceeding thresholds of certain amounts of overs, although bowlers who bowled more than 100 overs in 17 days had a non-significant increase in injury over the next month RR 1.78 (95% CI 0.90–3.50). Conclusion There were no statistically-significant increases in subsequent injury risk for high workloads for periods of 12–26 days, although exceeding 100 overs in 17 days (or less) was associated with higher injury rates. Compression of cricket fixtures is likely to have only a minimal contribution to increased fast bowling injury rates being seen in the T20 era (along with sudden workload increases due to transferring between forms of the game, which has been previously established as a major contributor).

ObjectiveThe aim of our study was to assess a group of patients with calf muscle tears and evaluate the integrity of the connective tissue boundaries and interfaces. Further, we propose a novel MRI grading system based on integrity of the connective tissue and assess any correlation between the grading score and time to return to play. We have also reviewed the anatomy of the calf muscles.Materials and methodsWe retrospectively evaluated 100 consecutive patients with clinical suspicion and MRI confirmation of calf muscle injury. We evaluated each calf muscle tear with MRI for the particular muscle injured, location of injury within the muscle and integrity of the connective tissue structure at the interface. The muscle tears were graded 0–3 depending on the degree of muscle and connective tissue injury. The time to return to play for each patient and each injury was found from the injury records and respective sports doctors.ResultsIn 100 patients, 114 injuries were detected. Connective tissue involvement was observed in 63 out of 100 patients and failure (grade 3 injury) in 18. Mean time to return to play with grade 0 injuries was 8 days, grade 1 tears was 17 days, grade 2 tears was 25 days and grade 3 tears was 48 days (pConclusionThe integrity of the connective tissue can be used to estimate and guide the time to return to play in calf muscle tears.

To undertake a historical review of direct trauma-related deaths in Australian cricket, both organised and informal.We conducted an extensive search of digitised print media (three databases) and traditional scientific literature (two databases) for on-field cricket incidents in Australia that resulted in deaths during the period 1858-2016. Main outcomes and measures: Numbers of cricket-related deaths by decade; type of cricket match (organised match or training, or informal play); site of fatal injury (eg, head, chest); activity at the time of the incident (eg, batting, fielding, watching).174 relevant deaths were identified. The number peaked in the 1930s (33 fatalities), with five deaths in the past 30 years. There were 83 deaths in organised settings, and 91 deaths in informal play (at school, 31; backyard, street or beach cricket, 60). Of the 72 deaths in organised settings for which the activity of the deceased was reported, 45 were batsmen, 11 were fielders, six were wicketkeepers, one a bowler, and three were umpires. Of the 45 batsmen, 26 died of injuries resulting from a blow by a ball to the head, 13 of blows to the chest, three of peritonitis, at least two of vertebral artery dissection, and one of tetanus. None of the five cricket-related deaths over the past 30 years were caused by head injuries.There appears to have been a substantial decline in the number of cricket-related deaths in recent years, probably linked with the widespread use of helmets by batsmen and close-in fielders.

The prevalence of seasonal variation in vitamin D status was examined in 20 FA Premier League soccer players residing at a latitude of 53°N. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels decreased (P < 0.001) between August (104.4 ± 21.1 nmol·L–1, range 68–151) and December (51.0 ± 19.0 nmol·L–1, range 22–86), such that levels for 65% of the sample were insufficient (–1) in winter. Strategies to augment vitamin D3 availability may therefore be advantageous for UK soccer players so as to maintain muscle function.

Background Evidence-based clinical data are required for safe return to play after concussion in sport. Purpose The objective of this study was to describe the natural history of concussion in sport and identify clinical features associated with more severe concussive injury, using return-to-sport decisions as a surrogate measure of injury severity. Study Design Cohort study (prognosis); Level of evidence, 3. Methods Male elite senior, elite junior, and community-based Australian Rules football players had preseason baseline cognitive testing (Digit Symbol Substitution Test, Trail-Making Test—Part B, and CogSport computerized test battery). Players were recruited into the study after a concussive injury sustained while playing football. Concussed players were tested serially until all clinical features of their injury had resolved. Results Of 1015 players, 88 concussions were observed in 78 players. Concussion-associated symptoms lasted an average of 48.6 hours (95% confidence interval, 39.5-57.7 hours) with delayed return to sport correlated with ≥4 symptoms, headache lasting ≥60 hours, or self-reported “fatigue/fogginess.” Cognitive deficits using the Digit Symbol Substitution Test and Trail-Making Test—part B recovered concomitantly with symptoms, but computerized test results recovered 2 to 3 days later and remained impaired in 35% of concussed players after symptom resolution. Conclusion Delayed return to sport was associated with initially greater symptom load, prolonged headache, or subjective concentration deficits. Cognitive testing recovery varied, taking 2 to 3 days longer for computerized tests, suggesting greater sensitivity to impairment. Therefore, symptom assessment alone may be predictive of but may underestimate time to complete recovery, which may be better estimated with computerized cognitive testing.

Purpose: Our purpose was to define the macroscopic anatomy of the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) when viewed at arthroscopy and to document the common variations. Methods: Ninety-six consecutive patients between 8 and 50 years of age with no previous knee surgery or fat pad pathology underwent arthroscopic examination of the knee. The fat pad of each patient was observed and described regarding size, color, consistency, and the presence of lobules, villous synovium, and lingulae. Results: The macroscopic arthroscopic anatomy of the IFP was defined. Male fat pads were larger than female fat pads. Two separate parts were described—medial and lateral—with medial dominence being most typical. The specific normal anatomic appearance of each section was defined regarding size, color, consistency, and attributes. Ligamentum mucosum, as the separation limit between the sections, was found in most knees. Conclusions: The macroscopic anatomy of the IFP is described at arthroscopy performed for internal pathology of the knee. Two distinct parts were defined—medial and lateral—with medial dominance. A typical fat pad was yellow and included an infrapatellar lingula (85%), lobulation (65%), and villous synovium (65%). We found a ligamentum mucosum in 79% of cases. Clinical Relevance: Knowledge of the macroscopic anatomy of the IFP and variations will allow the accurate diagnosis of pathology of the fat pad, rather than being a diagnosis of exclusion. Key Words: Arthroscopic anatomy—Infrapatellar fat pad—Ligamentum mucosum—Lingual—Synovium.

Background Decisions regarding safe return to play after concussion in sport remain difficult. Objective To determine whether a concussed player returned to play using an individual clinical management strategy is at risk of impaired performance or increased risk of injury or concussion. Study Design Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods All elite Australian football players were followed for 4 seasons. Players were recruited into the study after sustaining a concussive injury. Outcome measures included performance statistics (disposals per hour match-time), injury rates, and recurrence of concussion on return to play. A subset of players had brief screening cognitive tests performed at baseline and after their concussion. Noninjured players matched for team, position, age, and size were chosen as controls. Results A total of 199 concussive injuries were observed in 158 players. Sixty-one concussive injuries were excluded from analysis because of incomplete data (45 players) or presence of concurrent injury (16 players). Of the 138 concussive injuries assessed, 127 players returned to play without missing a game (92%). The remainder of concussed players returned to play after missing a single game (8%). Overall, there was no significant decline in disposal rates in concussed players on return to competition. Furthermore, there were no significant differences in injury rates between concussed and team, position, and game-matched controls. In the subset of players who had completed screening cognitive tests, all had returned to their individual baseline performance before being returned to play. Conclusion Return to play decisions based on individual clinical assessment of recovery allows safe and appropriate return to sport following a concussive injury.

Background Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has established its usefulness in diagnosing hamstring muscle strain and identifying features correlating with the duration of rehabilitation in athletes; however, data are currently lacking that may predict which imaging parameters may be predictive of a repeat strain. Purpose This study was conducted to identify whether any MR imaging-identifiable parameters are predictive of athletes at risk of sustaining a recurrent hamstring strain in the same playing season. Study Design Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods Forty-one players of the Australian Football League who sustained a hamstring injury underwent MR examination within 3 days of injury between February and August 2002. The imaging parameters measured were the length of injury, cross-sectional area, the specific muscle involved, and the location of the injury within the muscle-tendon unit. Players who suffered a repeat injury during the same season were reimaged, and baseline and repeat injury measurements were compared. Comparison was also made between this group and those who sustained a single strain. Results Forty-one players sustained hamstring strains that were positive on MR imaging, with 31 injured once and 10 suffering a second injury. The mean length of hamstring muscle injury for the isolated group was 83.4 mm, compared with 98.7 mm for the reinjury group (P = .35). In the reinjury group, the second strain was also of greater length than the original (mean, 107.5 mm; P = .07). Ninety percent of players sustaining a repeat injury demonstrated an injury length greater than 60 mm, compared with only 58% in the single strain group (P = .01). Only 7% of players (1 of 14) with a strain 60 mm, 33% (9 of 27) suffered a repeat injury. Of all the parameters assessed, only a history of anterior cruciate ligament sprain was a statistically significant predictor for suffering a second strain during the same season of competition. Conclusion A history of anterior cruciate ligament injury was the only statistically significant risk factor for a recurrent hamstring strain in our study. Of the imaging parameters, the MR length of a strain had the strongest correlation association with a repeat hamstring strain and therefore may assist in identifying which athletes are more likely to suffer further reinjury.

Review question: which extrinsic and intrinsic factors are associated with non-contact injury in adult cricket pace bowlers?Review objective: the objective of this review is to determine the extrinsic and intrinsic factors associated with non-contact injury in adult pace bowlers.Cricket is generally considered to be a sport of low injury risk compared to other sports. In cricket, the pace bowler strives towards the adoption of a bowling technique with a relatively low injury threat that will, at the same time, allow for a fast (120km/hr) and accurate delivery to the opposing batsman. However, of all the various roles of the cricket player, the pace bowler has the highest risk of injury, especially for low back and lower limb (lower quarter) injury. The reason for this high risk of injury is due to the inherent, high-load biomechanical nature of the pace bowling action. The high prevalence of injury amongst pace bowlers highlights the great need for research into factors associated with injury.Both extrinsic and intrinsic factors work in combination to predispose the bowler to injury. Extrinsic or environment-related factors include bowling workload (the numbers of overs a bowler bowls), player position (first, second or third change) and time of play (morning or afternoon). A high bowling workload has been linked with a higher risk of injury in pace bowlers. Foster et al. found in an observational study that bowling too many overs in a single spell or bowling too many spells may increase the pace bowler's risk of sustaining a low back injury. In another observational study, Dennis et al. found that an exceptionally high bowling workload as well as an uncommonly low bowling workload is associated with injury risk. The major extrinsic factors for bowling injury identified by Orchard et al. are a high number of match overs bowled in the previous week, number of days of play and bowling second (batting first) in a match. Extrinsic factors are known to make the bowler more susceptible to injury, especially in the presence of intrinsic factors.Intrinsic, or person-related, factors include muscle strength, flexibility, balance and biomechanics. Intrinsic, strength-related factors, such as shoulder depression, horizontal flexion strength for the preferred limb and quadriceps power in the non-preferred limb are also significantly related to back injuries in fast bowlers. Both upper limb and lower limb-related intrinsic factors are known to be associated with injury. A prospective study by Dennis et al. aimed to identify the risk factors for injury in adolescent cricket fast bowlers. Their findings concluded that bowlers with a hip internal rotation range of motion of ≤30° on the leg ipsilateral to the bowling arm were at a significantly reduced risk of injury compared with bowlers with40° of rotation. Moreover, bowlers with ankle dorsiflexion lunge of 12.1-14.0 cm on the leg contralateral to the bowling arm were at a significantly increased risk of injury compared to bowlers with a lunge of14 cm. Reduced hamstring flexibility was also associated with lumbar disc abnormalities. Bowling-related biomechanical risk factors for injury have been established such as trunk rotation of the shoulders by to a more side-on position during the delivery stride. Portus et al. also reported that shoulder counter-rotation was significantly higher in bowlers who reported lumbar spine stress fractures, while the non-trunk injured group displayed a more flexed knee at front foot contact and ball release. In addition to the above kinematic risk factors, there are high ground reaction forces associated with the power phase - between the front foot placement and ball release components of the pace bowling action. A combination of kinematic bowling related issues as described above and high ground reaction forces may predispose the bowler to injury.Morton et al. conducted a systematic review on pace bowlers between the ages of 13.7 and 22.5 years on risk factors and successful interventions for cricket-related low back pain. Young cricketers between the ages of 13 and 18 years are different to adults in terms of their physiology which impacts on their predisposition to injury and phases of healing. Young cricketers may differ from an adult population in that young pace bowlers who sustain injuries during their bowling career may have given up on the sport by the time they approach adulthood, and the composition of the adult pace bowler population group is therefore affected by natural selection which may cause this group to differ from the original population. Caution is thus advised when generalizing findings from this young population group to adult pace bowlers which emphasizes the need for studies amongst adult pace bowlers. Furthermore, the review by Morton et al. included articles that specifically investigated factors associated with low back pain. However, due to the interconnectedness between the spine and the lower limbs, kinematic variables affecting the spine will also affect the load placed on the lower limbs with subsequent risk of injury. The interdependent mechanical interactions in a linked segment system such as the system of motion of the low back can be caused by movement coordination patterns in other body segments. The systematic review by Morton et al. only included intrinsic factors while the proposed review will also look at extrinsic factors. Therefore, the primary objective of this review is to determine extrinsic and intrinsic factors associated with non-contact injury in adult pace bowlers.

Despite increased knowledge of hamstring muscle injuries, the incidence has not diminished. We now know that not all hamstring injuries are the same and that certain types of injuries require prolonged rehabilitation and return to play. The slow stretch type of injury and injuries involving the central tendon both require longer times to return to play. A number of factors have been proposed as being indicators of time taken to return to play, but the evidence for these is conflicting. Recurrence rates remain high and it is now thought that strength deficits may be an important factor. Strengthening exercise should be performed with the hamstrings in a lengthened position. There is conflicting evidence regarding the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma injection in the treatment of hamstring injuries so at this stage we cannot advise their use. Various tests have been proposed as predictors of hamstring injury and the use of the Nordboard is an interesting addition to the testing process. Prevention of these injuries is the ultimate aim and there is increasing evidence that Nordic hamstring exercises are effective in reducing the incidence.

Objective To assess workload-related risk factors for injuries to particular tissue types in cricket fast bowlers. Design 235 fast bowlers who bowled in 14600 player innings over a period of 15 years were followed in a prospective cohort risk factor study to compare overs bowled in each match (including preceding workload patterns) and injury risk in the 3–4 weeks subsequent to the match. Injuries were categorised according to the affected tissue type as either: bone stress, tendon injuries, muscle strain or joint injuries. Workload risk factors were examined using binomial logistic regression multivariate analysis, with a forward stepwise procedure requiring a significance of Results High acute match workload and high previous season workload were risk factors for tendon injuries, but high medium term (3-month workload) was protective. For bone stress injuries, high medium term workload and low career workload were risk factors. For joint injuries, high previous season and career workload were risk factors. There was little relationship between muscle injury and workload although high previous season workload was slightly protective. Conclusions The level of injury risk for some tissue types varies in response to preceding fast bowling workload, with tendon injuries most affected by workload patterns. Workload planning may need to be individualised, depending on individual susceptibility to various injury types. This study supports the theory that tendons are at lowest risk with consistent workloads and susceptible to injury with sudden upgrades in workload. Gradual upgrades are recommended, particularly at the start of a bowler9s career to reduce the risk of bone stress injury.

Background: Heterogeneous taxonomy of groin injuries in athletes adds confusion to this complicated area. Aim: The ‘Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes’ was convened to attempt to resolve this problem. Our aim was to agree on a standard terminology, along with accompanying definitions. Methods: A one-day agreement meeting was held on 4 November 2014. Twenty-four international experts from 14 different countries participated. Systematic reviews were performed to give an up-to-date synthesis of the current evidence on major topics concerning groin pain in athletes. All members participated in a Delphi questionnaire prior to the meeting. Results: Unanimous agreement was reached on the following terminology. The classification system has three major subheadings of groin pain in athletes: 1. Defined clinical entities for groin pain: Adductor-related, iliopsoas-related, inguinal-related and pubic-related groin pain. 2. Hip-related groin pain. 3. Other causes of groin pain in athletes. The definitions are included in this paper. Conclusions: The Doha agreement meeting on terminology and definitions in groin pain in athletes reached a consensus on a clinically based taxonomy using three major categories. These definitions and terminology are based on history and physical examination to categorise athletes, making it simple and suitable for both clinical practice and research.

Objective: To compare the long term outcomes of the two treatment options for navicular stress fractures: non-weightbearing cast immobilisation and surgical fixation. Design: Retrospective case study. Participants: Subjects aged 18 years and older who had been treated for a navicular stress fracture more than two years previously. Main outcome measures: Questionnaire based analogue pain score and function score; tenderness on palpation; abnormality detected on computed tomography (CT). Results: In all, 32 fractures in 26 subjects were investigated. No significant differences were found between surgical and conservative management for current pain (p = 0.984), current function (p = 0.170), or abnormality on CT (p = 0.173). However, surgically treated patients more often remained tender over the “N spot” (p = 0.005), even after returning to competition for two years or more. Conclusions: Surgical fixation of navicular stress fractures appears to be as effective as conservative management over the longer term. However, there remains a small but measurable degree of pain and loss of function over this period. The value of using “N spot” tenderness as the sole clinical predictor of treatment success requires further investigation, as some patients remained tender despite successful completion of treatment and return to competition.

Stress fractures are common overuse injuries of bone resulting from the repeated application of submaximal load. Factors that reduce bone strength or increase the load applied to bone can place an athlete at risk of developing a stress fracture. These factors include low bone density, menstrual disturbances, inadequate dietary intake and eating disorders, training errors, inadequate muscle function and biomechanical features. Identification of the at-risk athlete can allow prevention strategies to be implemented. Diagnosis of a stress fracture is generally made clinically but investigations such as bone scan, CT or MRI can be performed to confirm the diagnosis, grade the stage of the bone response and localize the site. Most stress fractures will heal with modified rest and permit return to sport around 8 weeks. However, there is a group of stress fractures that requires additional treatment and special consideration. Treatment of the typical stress fracture requires pain management, modification (or cessation) of the aggravating activity, muscle strengthening and maintenance of aerobic fitness, identification and subsequent modification of risk factors and gradual resumption of bone loading activities. The use of braces has been shown to reduce the time to return to full activity in some lower limb stress fractures. Similarly the use of electrical stimulation and ultrasound may be helpful. Recovery should be monitored clinically.

Physical activity can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some forms of cancer, osteoporosis, obesity, falls and fractures, and some mental health problems. While the benefits of physical activity are clear, there is a slightly increased risk of sudden death while exercising (compared with while sedentary), especially in untrained people undertaking unaccustomed vigorous activity. Routine exercise testing yields a significant number of false-positive results, and has not been shown to prevent exercise-related acute cardiac events. There is no convincing evidence that exercise is itself associated with osteoarthritis, but significant joint injury which occurs during sport is associated with an increased risk of subsequent development of osteoarthritis.

To use a randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial to establish the effect on straight leg raise, hip internal rotation, and muscle pain of dry needling treatment to the gluteal muscles in athletes with posterior thigh pain referred from gluteal trigger points.A randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial of 59 male runners was performed during the 2002 Australian Rules football season. Subjects were thoroughly screened and had magnetic resonance imaging of their hamstring muscles to exclude local pathology. The inclusion criterion was reproduction of recognisable posterior thigh pain with the application of digital pressure to the gluteal trigger points. Subjects randomly received either therapeutic or placebo needle treatment on one occasion at their gluteal trigger points. Range of motion and visual analogue scale data were collected immediately before, immediately after, 24 hours after, and 72 hours after the intervention. Range of motion was measured with passive straight leg raise and hip internal rotation. Visual analogue scales were completed for hamstring and gluteal pain and tightness at rest and during a running task.Magnetic resonance imaging scans revealed normal hamstring musculature in most subjects. Straight leg raise and hip internal rotation remained unchanged in both groups at all times. Visual analogue scale assessment of hamstring pain and tightness and gluteal tightness after running showed improvements immediately after the intervention in both groups (p = 0.001), which were maintained at 24 and 72 hours. The magnitude of this improvement was the same for therapeutic and placebo interventions. Resting muscle pain and tightness were unaffected.Neither dry needling nor placebo needling of the gluteal muscles resulted in any change in straight leg raise or hip internal rotation. Both interventions resulted in subjective improvement in activity related muscle pain and tightness. Despite being commonly used clinical tests in this situation, straight leg raise and hip internal rotation are not likely to help the therapist assess response to treatment. Patient reports of response to such treatment are better indicators of its success. The mechanisms by which these responses occur and the reasons for the success of the placebo needling treatment are areas for further investigation.

Long-standing groin pain is a persistent problem that is commonly difficult to rehabilitate. Theoretical rationale indicates a relationship between the motor control of the pelvis and long-standing groin pain; however, this link has not been investigated.The current experiment aimed to evaluate motor control of the abdominal muscles in a group of Australian football players with and without long-standing groin pain.Ten participants with long-standing groin pain and 12 asymptomatic controls were recruited for the study. Participants were elite or subelite Australian football players. Fine-wire and surface electromyography electrodes were used to record the activity of the selected abdominal and leg muscles during a visual choice reaction-time task (active straight leg raising).When the asymptomatic controls completed the active straight leg raise (ASLR) task, the transversus abdominus contracted in a feed-forward manner. However, when individuals with long-standing groin pain completed the ASLR task, the onset of transversus abdominus was delayed (P0.05) compared with the control group. There were no differences between groups for the onset of activity of internal oblique, external oblique, and rectus abdominus (all P0.05).The finding that the onset of transversus abdominus is delayed in individuals with long-standing groin pain is important, as it demonstrates an association between long-standing groin pain and transversus abdominus activation.

Objective: To describe the histological features of the fascial-periosteal interface at the medial tibial border of patients surgically treated for chronic deep posterior compartment syndrome and to make statistical comparisons with control tissue. Methods: Nineteen subjects and 11 controls were recruited. Subject tissue was obtained at operation, and control tissue from autopsy cases. Tissue samples underwent histological preparation and then examination by an independent pathologist. Samples were analysed with regard to six histological variables: fibroblastic activity, chronic inflammatory cells, vascularity, collagen regularity, mononuclear cells, and ground substance. Collagen regularity was measured with respect to collagen density, fibre arrangement, orientation, and spacing. The observed changes were graded from 1 to 4 in terms of abnormality. Mann-Whitney U test, Spearman correlation coefficients, and intraobserver reliability scores were used. Results: With regard to collagen arrangement, control tissue showed greater degrees of irregularity than subject tissue (p = 0.01). Subjects with a symptom duration of greater than 12 months (as opposed to less than 12 months) showed greater degrees of collagen irregularity (p = 0.043). Vascular changes approached significance (p = 0.077). With regard to the amount of fibrocyte activity, chronic inflammatory cell activity, mononuclear cells, or ground substance, there were no significant differences between controls and subjects. Good correlation was seen in scores measuring chronic inflammatory cell activity and mononuclear cells (r = 0.649), and moderate correlation was seen between fibrocyte activity and vascular changes (r = 0.574). Intraobserver reliability scores were good for chronic inflammatory cell activity and moderate for vascular changes, but were poor for collagen and fibrocyte variables. Individual cases showed varying degrees of fibrocyte activity, chronic inflammatory cellular infiltration, vascular abnormalities, and collagen fibre disruption. Conclusions: Statistical analysis showed no histological differences at the fascial-periosteal interface in cases of chronic deep posterior compartment syndrome, except for collagen, which showed less irregularity in subject samples. The latter may indicate a remodelling process, and this is supported by greater collagen irregularity in subjects with longer duration of symptoms.

Plantar fasciitis is a degenerative condition affecting many active people. Anatomic and biomechanical factors can contribute to its genesis, as can overuse. Clinicians can recommend correcting gait disorders, modifying footwear, using tension night splints, and stretching tight calf and plantar tissues to bring about lasting relief. Anti-inflammatory modalities, such as medications, iontophoresis, and corticosteroid injection generally provide temporary improvement. Recent studies on the efficacy of extracorporeal shock wave therapy are conflicting. A small percentage of patients who have refractory symptoms may benefit from surgical division of the plantar fascia.

Exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is a common, yet often unrecognized condition occurring in both known asthmatics and otherwise healthy individuals. Misdiagnosis, both over- and underdiagnosis, is not uncommon. In order to accurately diagnose EIA, a bronchoprovocation challenge test must be performed; the current recommended test is a eucapnic hyperventilation (EVH) challenge test. Although there are a number of treatment options available, both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic, in most cases medications are required. A range of medications are currently available to either treat or prevent EIA. It is important that the medications used are individualized to the patients needs and monitored to ensure efficacy.

Stress fractures, were first described in military recruits but in recent years have increasingly been described in runners. In most surveys they comprise between 10 and 20% of all running injuries. The tibia is the most common site of all stress fractures although recent studies involving track and field athletes show an increased incidence of navicular stress fractures. The diagnosis is based on the clinical findings of a history of exercise-related bone pain with local bony tenderness on examination. The diagnosis is often confirmed by a typical appearance on an isotope bone scan or plain radiograph. In general, treatment consists of relative rest from the aggravating activity until symptom-free and then graduated resumption of activity. Attention also needs to be paid to correction of possible causative factors. These include excessive training, low bone density, low calcium intake, menstrual abnormalities in females and biomechanical features such as excessive sub-talar pronation. Certain stress fractures, such as those in the navicular, require specific management, e.g. six weeks non-weight bearing cast immobilization.

Most stress fractures of the tibia, when treated appropriately, heal without sequelae. A stress fracture of the anterior part of the cortex of the tibia, an uncommon variant, is associated with atypical clinical and radiographic findings, has a propensity for nonunion, and can result in a complete fracture. We report the case of a patient who had chronic, bilateral stress fractures of the anterior part of the tibial cortex. A twenty-one-year-old male college football player who was in his junior year was first seen by us because of a five-year history of recurrent pain in both shins. The pain had worsened in September 1996, during the early part of the football season, when practices were held twice a day. Typically, the pain was most severe when the patient began running but would subside within a few minutes and then return on cessation of weight-bearing activity. The patient had not missed any games or practice sessions. Clinical examination revealed moderate tenderness along the medial border of the distal and middle thirds of the right tibia, extending for a distance of twelve centimeters, and mild tenderness in the corresponding area of the left tibia. The patient had marked bilateral pes planus and rigidity of the midfoot and forefoot. The subtalar and ankle joints had a normal range of motion. Radiographs had been made at regular intervals during the five years before the patient was evaluated in our office, and all had revealed normal findings. A triple-phase isotope bone scan was performed to confirm the provisional diagnosis of a stress fracture. The blood-pool images demonstrated mildly increased radionuclide uptake in the right as compared with the left tibia. The delayed-phase images showed four small, discrete areas of moderately increased uptake along the anterior border of the middle third of the right tibia and …

Preventing stress fractures requires knowledge of the risk factors that predispose to this injury. The aetiology of stress fractures is multifactorial, but methodological limitations and expediency often lead to research study designs that evaluate individual risk factors. Intrinsic risk factors include mechanical factors such as bone density, skeletal alignment and body size and composition, physiological factors such as bone turnover rate, flexibility, and muscular strength and endurance, as well as hormonal and nutritional factors. Extrinsic risk factors include mechanical factors such as surface, footwear and external loading as well as physical training parameters. Psychological traits may also play a role in increasing stress fracture risk. Equally important to these types of analyses of individual risk factors is the integration of information to produce a composite picture of risk. The purpose of this paper is to critically appraise the existing literature by evaluating study design and quality, in order to provide a current synopsis of the known scientific information related to stress fracture risk factors. The literature is not fully complete with well conducted studies on this topic, but a great deal of information has accumulated over the past 20 years. Although stress fractures result from repeated loading, the exact contribution of training factors (volume, intensity, surface) has not been clearly established. From what we do know, menstrual disturbances, caloric restriction, lower bone density, muscle weakness and leg length differences are risk factors for stress fracture. Other time-honoured risk factors such as lower extremity alignment have not been shown to be causative even though anecdotal evidence indicates they are likely to play an important role in stress fracture pathogenesis.

Stress fractures are commonly found in the lower limb, but also occur in the upper limb, and are particularly associated with upper limb-dominated sports such as tennis and swimming and those involving throwing activities. Stress fractures of the clavicle and scapula are rare but have been reported, whereas those of the humerus are more frequent and have been described mainly in adolescent baseball pitchers. Olecranon stress fractures occur in throwers and gymnasts. Stress fractures of the ulna and radius have also been reported in a number of different upper limb-dominated sports. In all cases, these fractures heal with conservative management. The physician should consider stress fracture as a possible diagnosis in cases of upper limb pain of bony origin where the pain is associated with overuse.

Posterior sternoclavicular joint dislocation is a rare but potentially serious injury. It is most commonly seen in teenagers or young adults involved in major trauma and can be difficult to diagnose clinically and radiologically. It is our experience that this injury is frequently associated with a delay in diagnosis and may be clinically insignificant initially. Despite this benign early clinical path it has recognized morbidity and mortality due to the close proximity of vital structures to the joint and up to 30% of patients have complications involving these structures. We describe a 20-year-old elite hockey player with posterior sternoclavicular joint dislocation with brachiocephalic vein compression and discuss the issues of management and return to sport.

Strain magnitude may be more important than the number of loading cycles in controlling bone adaptation to loading. To test this hypothesis, we performed a 12 month longitudinal cohort study comparing bone mass and bone turnover in elite and subelite track and field athletes and less active controls. The cohort comprised 50 power athletes (sprinters, jumpers, hurdlers, multievent athletes; 23 women, 27 men), 61 endurance athletes (middle-distance runners, distance runners; 30 women, 31 men), and 55 nonathlete controls (28 women, 27 men) aged 17-26 years. Total bone mineral content (BMC), regional bone mineral density (BMD), and soft tissue composition were measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Bone turnover was assessed by serum osteocalcin (human immunoradiometric assay) indicative of bone formation, and urinary pyridinium crosslinks (high-performance liquid chromatography) indicative of bone resorption. Questionnaires quantified menstrual, dietary and physical activity characteristics. Baseline results showed that power athletes had higher regional BMD at lower limb, lumbar spine, and upper limb sites compared with controls (p < 0.05). Endurance athletes had higher BMD than controls in lower limb sites only (p < 0.05). Maximal differences in BMD between athletes and controls were noted at sites loaded by exercise. Male and female power athletes had greater bone density at the lumbar spine than endurance athletes. Over the 12 months, both athletes and controls showed modest but significant increases in total body BMC and femur BMD (p < 0.001). Changes in bone density were independent of exercise status except at the lumbar spine. At this site, power athletes gained significantly more bone density than the other groups. Levels of bone formation were not elevated in athletes and levels of bone turnover were not predictive of subsequent changes in bone mass. Our results provide further support for the concept that bone response to mechanical loading depends upon the bone site and the mode of exercise.

Clinically, stress fractures appear to be a common overuse injury among athletes and in military recruits undertaking basic training; however, there is a lack of sound epidemiologic studies describing stress fracture occurrence in athletes. Few have directly compared stress fracture rates between sports to establish which poses the greatest risk for this injury. Furthermore, incidence rates, expressed in terms of exposure, have rarely been reported for stress fractures in athletes. Nevertheless, available data suggest that runners and ballet dancers are at relatively high risk for stress fractures. Although a gender difference in rates is clearly evident in military populations, this is less apparent in athletes. Other participant characteristics, such as age and race, may also influence stress fracture risk. The most common site of stress fracture in athletes is the tibia, although the site reflects the nature of the load applied to the skeleton. Stress fracture morbidity, expressed as the time until return to sport or activity, varies depending on the site. Generally, a period of 6 to 8 weeks is needed for healing; however, stress fractures at certain sites, such as the navicular and anterior tibial cortex, are often associated with protracted recovery and, in some cases, termination of sporting pursuits.

I realised the other day that it was 30 years since I did my first overseas tour as a team doctor (World University Games, Edmonton, Canada, 1983). Since then I have lost count of the number of trips that I have with a succession of Australian national sporting teams (swimming, athletics, field hockey, soccer and cricket). It has taken me to Olympic, Commonwealth and World University games, World Championships and World Cups. It has always seemed pretty straight forward, you travel with the team, you just do your job as conscientiously and enthusiastically as you can, you contribute to the team in as many ways as possible, and you get a lot of satisfaction and enjoyment. You get to work with some amazing athletes and at times make a small contribution to their success. And yet what seems a fairly simple task does not go well for many sports medicine professionals. I have heard many stories of doctors who have ‘failed’ on tour and their …

Recurrent hamstring injuries are a major problem in sports such as football. The aim of this paper was to use a clinical example to describe a treatment strategy for the management of recurrent hamstring injuries and examine the evidence for each intervention. A professional footballer sustained five hamstring injuries in a relatively short period of time. The injury was managed successfully with a seven-point programme—biomechanical assessment and correction, neurodynamics, core stability, eccentric strengthening, an overload running programme, injection therapies and stretching/relaxation. The evidence for each of these treatment options is reviewed. It is impossible to be definite about which aspects of the programme contributed to a successful outcome. Only limited evidence is available in most cases; therefore, decisions regarding the use of different treatment modalities must be made by using a combination of clinical experience and research evidence.

The aim of this 12-month prospective study was to investigate risk factors for stress fractures in a cohort of 53 female and 58 male track and field athletes, aged 17 to 26 years. Total bone mineral content, regional bone density, and soft tissue composition were meas ured using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry and an thropometric techniques. Menstrual characteristics, current dietary intake, and training were assessed us ing questionnaires. A clinical biomechanical assess ment was performed by a physical therapist. The inci dence of stress fractures during the study was 21.1%, with most injuries located in the tibia. Of the risk factors evaluated, none was able to predict the occurrence of stress fractures in men. However, in female athletes, significant risk factors included lower bone density, a history of menstrual disturbance, less lean mass in the lower limb, a discrepancy in leg length, and a lower fat diet. Multiple logistic regression revealed that age of menarche and calf girth were the best independent predictors of stress fractures in women. This bivariate model correctly assigned 80% of the female athletes into their respective stress fracture or nonstress frac ture groups. These results suggest that it may be pos sible to identify female athletes most at risk for this overuse bone injury.

It would seem that the development of a stress fracture results from unsuccessful adaptation of bone to a change in its mechanical environment caused by repetitive loading. It involves the physiological processes of microdamage production and remodelling. Whether the initiating factor is microdamage production or activation of remodelling through direct effects of strain is unclear. The remodelling process involves both the removal of bone which has become fatigue damaged or is extraneous to the requirements of the new loading environment, and the addition of new bone in an manner that is best suited to withstand the new mechanical strain. Normally this process is well modulated and does not cause symptoms. If the amount of bone removed is not sufficient to unduly weaken bone structure and the addition of new bone occurs sufficiently rapidly to correct any weakness before failure occurs or to repair microdamage, the process will successfully lead to a bone with appropriate material strength and geometry to withstand the new strain environment. However, if there is imbalance between bone removal and replacement, together with accumulation of microdamage, signs and symptoms of a stress fracture may result. Any factors which influence bone load, bone strength, or remodelling have the potential to result in a stress fracture. Attention should be paid to the identification of these factors in an attempt to prevent this overuse injury in athletes.