Value of evoke functional electroencephalography in diagnosis and management of mild to moderate brain injury: case series of 150 professional football players with multiple concussions

Neuromuscular warm-up has been shown to decrease the risk of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury improving muscular firing patterns. All preventive training programs described in the literature have a duration of several weeks. To date, no studies have explored the immediate effect of a neuromuscular warm-up exercise on pre-activation time of the knee stabilizer muscles. Thus, this proof-of-principle study aimed at evaluating the acute effects of a neuromuscular warm-up exercises on the electromyographic activation of knee stabilizer muscles’ activation pattern. We included 11 professional football players, mean aged 23.2 ± 4.5 years, from a Southern Italy football team. All of them underwent a standard warm-up exercise protocol at the first day of the evaluation. At 1 week, they underwent a structured neuromuscular warm-up exercise protocol. We assessed as outcome measure the pre-activation time (ms) of rectus femoris (RF), vastus medialis (VM), biceps femoris (BF), and medial hamstrings (MH) upon landing. Outcomes were assessed before and after the standard warm-up and neuromuscular warm-up. Pre-activation time of RF, VM, BF and MH significantly improved only after neuromuscular warm-up (p < 0.05); moreover, there was a significant (p < 0.05) between-group difference in pre-activation time of all muscles after the neuromuscular warm-up compared with the standard warm-up. These findings suggested that physical exercise consisting of a structured injury prevention neuromuscular warm-up might have an immediate effect in improving the activation time of the knee stabilizer muscles, thus potentially reducing the risk of ACL injury.

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Resuming professional football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates: a prospective cohort study

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2020-103724 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. bjsports-2020-103724

Author(s):

Yorck Olaf Schumacher ◽

Montassar Tabben ◽

Khalid Hassoun ◽

Asmaa Al Marwani ◽

Ibrahim Al Hussein ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Prospective Cohort Study ◽

Prospective Cohort ◽

Preventive Measures ◽

Clinical Symptoms ◽

Severe Illness ◽

Football Players ◽

Professional Football ◽

Infection Rates ◽

High Infection

ObjectivesThe risk of viral transmission associated with contact sports such as football (soccer) during the COVID-19 pandemic is unknown. The aim of this study was to describe the infective and immune status of professional football players, team staff and league officials over a truncated football season resumed at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in a country with high infection rates and to investigate the clinical symptoms related to COVID-19 infection in professional football players.MethodsProspective cohort study of 1337 football players, staff and officials during a truncated football season (9 weeks) with a tailored infection control programme based on preventive measures and regular SARS-CoV-2 PCR swab testing (every 3–5 days) combined with serology testing for immunity (every 4 weeks). Clinical symptoms in positive participants were recorded using a 26-item, Likert-Scale-based scoring system.ResultsDuring the study period, 85 subjects returned positive (cycle threshold (cT) ≤30) or reactive (30<cT<40) PCR tests, of which 36 were players. The infection rate was consistent with that of the general population during the same time period. More than half of infected subjects were asymptomatic, and the remaining had only mild symptoms with no one requiring hospitalisation. Symptom severity was associated with lower cT values. Social contacts and family were the most common sources of infection, and no infection could be traced to training or matches. Of the 36 infected players, 15 presented positive serology during the study period.ConclusionFootball played outdoors involving close contact between athletes represents a limited risk for SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe illness when preventive measures are in place.

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Diagnosis and management of hook of hamate fractures

Journal of Hand Surgery (European Volume) ◽

10.1177/1753193417729603 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 43 (5) ◽

pp. 539-545 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Assaf Kadar ◽

Allen T. Bishop ◽

Marissa A. Suchyta ◽

Steven L. Moran

Keyword(s):

Case Series ◽

Clinical Results ◽

Clinical Findings ◽

Advanced Imaging ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Historical Case ◽

Treatment Groups ◽

Diagnosis And Management ◽

Time To Diagnosis ◽

Hook Of Hamate

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the time to diagnosis and management of hook of hamate fractures in an era of advanced imaging. We performed a retrospective study of 51 patients treated for hook of hamate fractures. Patients were sent a quickDASH questionnaire regarding the outcomes of their treatment. Hook of hamate fractures were diagnosed with advanced imaging at a median of 27 days. Clinical findings of hook of hamate tenderness had better sensitivity than carpal tunnel-view radiographs. Nonunion occurred in 24% of patients with non-operative treatment and did not occur in the operative group. Both treatment groups achieved good clinical results, with a grip strength of 80% compared with the non-injured hand and a median quickDASH score of 2. Advanced imaging improved the time to diagnosis and treatment compared to historical case series. Nonunion is common in patients treated non-operatively. Level of evidence: IV

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Feasibility of a home-based environmental enrichment paradigm to enhance purposeful activities in adults with traumatic brain injury: a case series

Disability and Rehabilitation ◽

10.1080/09638288.2020.1868583 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-7

Author(s):

Devina S. Kumar ◽

James C. Galloway

Keyword(s):

Traumatic Brain Injury ◽

Brain Injury ◽

Environmental Enrichment ◽

Case Series ◽

Home Based

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Injury rates decreased in men’s professional football: an 18-year prospective cohort study of almost 12 000 injuries sustained during 1.8 million hours of play

British Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1136/bjsports-2020-103159 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. bjsports-2020-103159

Author(s):

Jan Ekstrand ◽

Armin Spreco ◽

Håkan Bengtsson ◽

Roald Bahr

Keyword(s):

Ligament Injury ◽

Football Players ◽

Injury Incidence ◽

Professional Football ◽

Muscle Injuries ◽

Time Loss ◽

Match Play ◽

Injury Rates ◽

Surveillance Programme ◽

Individual Player

BackgroundThe UEFA Elite Club Injury Study is the largest and longest running injury surveillance programme in football.ObjectiveTo analyse the 18-season time trends in injury rates among male professional football players.Methods3302 players comprising 49 teams (19 countries) were followed from 2000–2001 through 2018–2019. Team medical staff recorded individual player exposure and time-loss injuries.ResultsA total of 11 820 time-loss injuries were recorded during 1 784 281 hours of exposure. Injury incidence fell gradually during the 18-year study period, 3% per season for both training injuries (95% CI 1% to 4% decrease, p=0.002) and match injuries (95% CI 2% to 3% decrease, p<0.001). Ligament injury incidence decreased 5% per season during training (95% CI 3% to 7% decrease, p<0.001) and 4% per season during match play (95% CI 3% to 6% decrease, p<0.001), while the rate of muscle injuries remained constant. The incidence of reinjuries decreased by 5% per season during both training (95% CI 2% to 8% decrease, p=0.001) and matches (95% CI 3% to 7% decrease, p<0.001). Squad availability increased by 0.7% per season for training sessions (95% CI 0.5% to 0.8% increase, p<0.001) and 0.2% per season for matches (95% CI 0.1% to 0.3% increase, p=0.001).ConclusionsOver 18 years: (1) injury incidence decreased in training and matches, (2) reinjury rates decreased, and (3) player availability for training and match play increased.

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