scholarly journals Effect of Fatigue Protocols on Upper Extremity Neuromuscular Function and Implications for Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injury Prevention

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 232596711988887 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toufic R. Jildeh ◽  
Kelechi R. Okoroha ◽  
Joseph S. Tramer ◽  
Jorge Chahla ◽  
Benedict U. Nwachukwu ◽  
...  

Background: As the incidence of overuse injuries to the medial elbow in overhead athletes continues to rise, recent evidence suggests a link between these injuries and alterations in biomechanics produced by athlete fatigue. Previous studies have evaluated the effect of fatigue on elbow injuries using a wide array of fatigue protocols/athletic tasks, and, as a consequence, the results have been heterogeneous. Purpose: To determine whether there is a uniform alteration in neuromuscular function or biomechanics as the overhead athlete fatigues. Furthermore, this study sought to determine whether player fatigue should be accounted for in ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injury prevention programs. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: A systematic review of the literature using PubMed and MEDLINE databases was performed. Keywords included fatigue, upper extremity, baseball, pitcher, throwing, and muscle activity. Inclusion criteria consisted of original research articles in the English language involving healthy athletes, use of fatigue protocols, and the evaluation of at least 1 upper limb biomechanical variable. Results: A total of 35 studies involving 644 athletes (90 females, 554 males; mean age, 20.2 years) met the inclusion criteria. General fatigue protocols were used in 2 investigations, peripheral protocols were used in all 35 studies, and 5 different athletic tasks were studied (simulated baseball game, overhead throwing, high-effort swimming, simulated tennis game, and overhead serving). There was a uniform decrease in muscle force production and proprioception in athletes after completing a fatigue protocol. However, there was no consistency among studies when evaluating other important upper limb biomechanical factors. The fatigue protocols did not consistently produce statistically significant changes in elbow torque, pitching biomechanics, or ball velocity. Conclusion: A uniform decrease in muscle force production and proprioception was found after fatigue protocols; however, a majority of fatigue protocols published in the current literature are inconsistently measured and produce heterogeneous results. Therefore, currently, no recommendations can be made for changes in UCL injury prevention training programs to account for potential effects of fatigue. The effect of muscle force production and proprioception on upper extremity injuries should be evaluated in future studies.

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 154-170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cody J. Mansfield ◽  
Lucas Vanetten ◽  
Richard Willy ◽  
Stephanie di Stasi ◽  
Robert Magnussen ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
pp. 036354652093477
Author(s):  
Christopher J. Hadley ◽  
David Edelman ◽  
Alfonso Arevalo ◽  
Nimit Patel ◽  
Michael G. Ciccotti ◽  
...  

Background: Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction is an established surgical technique to restore UCL deficiency, especially in the overhead throwing athlete. Over the past decade, the number of patients requiring UCL reconstruction has increased significantly, particularly in the adolescent patient population. Return-to-play rates after UCL reconstruction reported in the literature have ranged from 33% to 92%, and a recent systematic review noted a return-to-play rate of 89.40% in all high school athletes. Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes, particularly return-to-play rates and subjective outcome scores, of UCL reconstruction of the elbow in adolescent throwing athletes. Study Design: Systematic review. Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted via the electronic databases Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane. Studies that reported on outcomes, particularly return-to-play rates, in adolescent throwing athletes met the inclusion criteria and were included in our analysis. Studies that did not report on adolescent throwing athletes and studies that reported on adolescent throwing athletes but did not specify the return-to-play outcomes for these athletes were excluded from our analysis. Results: Nine studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in this review. There were 404 baseball players and 10 javelin throwers included in our analysis. A total of 349 of the 414 patients (84.30%) were successfully able to return to play at the same level of competition or higher. Successful rates of return to prior performance ranged from 66.67% to 91.49% in our analysis. Javelin throwers had a mean 80.00% rate of return to prior performance, while baseball players had a mean return-to-play rate of 84.40%. Complications were evaluated for 8 (88.9%) studies and 283 (68.4%) patients. There were 11 (3.9%) reported complications and 5 (1.8%) reoperations. Conclusion: The findings of this systematic review revealed that adolescent patients are generally able to return to their preinjury level of performance or higher with limited complications. Further investigation is necessary to determine long-term outcomes for return to play after UCL reconstruction of the elbow in adolescent throwing athletes.


2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 486-501 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben J. Edwards ◽  
Samuel A. Pullinger ◽  
Jonathan W. Kerry ◽  
William R. Robinson ◽  
Tom P. Reilly ◽  
...  

2000 ◽  
Vol 81 (7) ◽  
pp. 895-900 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diane L. Damiano ◽  
Tracy L. Martellotta ◽  
Daniel J. Sullivan ◽  
Kevin P. Granata ◽  
Mark F. Abel

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-128
Author(s):  
David O. Draper ◽  
Lucia Maloy ◽  
J. Ty Hopkins ◽  
A. Wayne Johnson ◽  
Dennis Eggett ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 49 (1) ◽  
pp. 236-248
Author(s):  
Austin M. Looney ◽  
David X. Wang ◽  
Christine M. Conroy ◽  
Jake E. Israel ◽  
Blake M. Bodendorfer ◽  
...  

Background: The modified Jobe and docking techniques are the most common techniques used for elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) reconstruction. Previous systematic reviews have suggested that the docking technique results in superior outcomes as compared with the Jobe (figure-of-8) technique. However, these included results from earlier studies in which the flexor-pronator mass (FPM) was detached and an obligatory submuscular ulnar nerve transposition was performed. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose was to compare the outcomes and return-to-play (RTP) time between the docking and figure-of-8 techniques for UCL reconstruction. We hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in the proportion of excellent outcomes between techniques when the FPM was preserved and no obligatory submuscular ulnar nerve transposition was performed. We also hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in RTP time between techniques. Study Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Methods: This study was performed in accordance with the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. In the primary analysis, techniques were compared in random effects models by using the restricted maximum likelihood method, with weighted effect sizes calculated as the Freeman-Tukey double-arcsine transformed proportion of excellent outcomes for variance stabilization and with summary effects estimated from the inverse double-arcsine transformation per the harmonic mean of the sample sizes. Mean RTP times for techniques were compared in a separate model. Results: There were 21 eligible articles identified, with results for 1842 UCL reconstructions (n = 320, docking; n = 1466, figure-of-8). Without controlling for the effects of flexor-pronator detachment and submuscular ulnar nerve transposition, a significantly larger proportion of excellent outcomes was observed with docking reconstruction (86.58%; 95% CI, 80.42%-91.85%) than with figure-of-8 reconstruction (76.76%; 95% CI, 69.65%-83.25%; P = .031); however, there was no significant difference between techniques when controlling for FPM preservation or detachment with submuscular nerve transposition ( P = .139). There was no significant difference between techniques in time to return to sports ( P = .729), although no reconstructions with FPM detachment and submuscular ulnar nerve transposition were available for RTP time analysis. Conclusion: There was no significant difference in the proportion of excellent Conway Scale outcomes or RTP time between the docking and modified Jobe techniques for UCL reconstruction when the FPM was preserved and routine submuscular ulnar nerve transposition was not performed.


Author(s):  
Ryan P Coughlin ◽  
Yung Lee ◽  
Nolan S Horner ◽  
Nicole Simunovic ◽  
Edwin R Cadet ◽  
...  

ImportanceUlnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries commonly occur in baseball players. Strategies for injury prevention have long been accepted without clinical data informing which risk factors lead to serious injury.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to systematically review the impact of various pitching-related risk factors for UCL injury in baseball players from all levels of play.Evidence reviewThe electronic databases MEDLINE, EMBASE and PubMed were systematically searched until 4 March 2018, and pertinent data were abstracted by two independent reviewers. Search terms included ‘ulnar collateral ligament’, ‘medial ulnar collateral ligament’, ‘Tommy John’, ‘risk’ and ‘association’. Inclusion criteria were English-language studies, level of evidence I–IV and studies reporting risk factors for UCL injury of the elbow in baseball players. Study quality was assessed using the methodological index for non-randomised studies (MINORS) criteria. The results are presented in a narrative summary.FindingsPitching practices (workload and pitch characteristics) were reported in 9/15 studies. Specifically, three of four studies (n=1810) reported increased pitch workload as a risk factor for native UCL injury (p<0.001 to 0.02). The most common pitch characteristic reported was pitch velocity with four of five studies showing increased velocity being significantly associated with native UCL injury (p<0.01 to 0.02). Biomechanical risk factors reported were increased humeral retrotorsion (two studies; n=324), poor lower extremity and trunk balance (one study; n=42) and loss of total arc of shoulder motion (two studies; n=118), all significantly associated with UCL injury (p<0.0001 to 0.05). One of three studies assessing pitch workload as a risk factor for re-rupture of UCL reconstruction found a significant association (p<0.01).Conclusions and relevancePitching practices, reflected by increased pitch workload and velocity, were most commonly associated with UCL injury; however, the definition of workload (number of pitches per game, inning or season) was inconsistently reported. Biomechanical risk factors were less commonly reported and lack sufficient evidence to recommend preventative strategies. More quality data is needed to refine the current recommendations for injury prevention in baseball players.Level of evidenceIII.


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