Posttraumatic nuchal pseudolipoma in a high school athlete after weight training

Pseudolipomas are an uncommon clinical manifestation appearing as a non-encapsulated prominence of subcutaneous fat on MRI. Post-traumatic pseudolipomas (PTLs) are thought to arise from neoadipogenesis following acute or chronic trauma. These are most commonly located on the lower extremities, gluteal, and trochanteric regions. Here, we report a case of PTL in a high school athlete, arising in the posterior neck after weight training with performing barbell squats without neck padding. To our knowledge, this case represents a novel association between PTLs and weight training exercises.

SARS-CoV-2 Myocarditis in a High School Athlete after COVID-19 and Its Implications for Clearance for Sports

This case report describes a high school athlete with palpitation, myalgia, fatigue, and dyspnea on exertion after SARS-CoV-2 infection with evidence of myocarditis by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR), but echocardiography and troponin were normal. This case is unusual as the standard cardiac tests recommended by the American Heart Association for sports clearance, including ECG, echocardiography, and cardiac biomarkers, were normal. Still, she continued to be symptomatic after mild COVID-19. The CMR was performed to evaluate her unexplained palpitation and showed patchy myocardial edema two months after her initial SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this case, the diagnosis of myocardial involvement would be missed by normal echocardiograms and cardiac bio-markers without CMR. Because acute myocarditis is a risk factor for sudden death in competitive athletes, pediatric cardiologists should consider performing additional tests such as cardiac MRI in symptomatic COVID-19 patients, even if cardiac biomarkers and echocardiograms are normal.

Restoring Full Squat Range of Motion by Applying OMT to Superior Innominate Shear: A Case Report

Hamstring injuries in sports are common and often require rest or more active rehabilitative efforts before returning to sport-specific participation. This case report provides a potential framework of osteopathic manipulative treatment (OMT) for an acute traumatic superior innominate shear where traditional medical treatment, including physical therapy sessions, failed to provide significant and/or complete resolution. In the present case report, a 17-year-old male high-school athlete presented with hamstring strain and proximal hamstring and low back pain, following a hurdle injury with fall on extended knee. He was found to have significant somatic dysfunctions related to his condition. An OMT approach was utilized to provide relief, restore his full squat range of motion, and ultimately return to non-restricted football and basketball participation.

Return to Sport as an Outcome Measure for Shoulder Instability: Surprising Findings in Nonoperative Management in a High School Athlete Population

Background: Young age and contact sports have been postulated as risk factors for anterior shoulder instability. Management after shoulder instability is controversial, with studies suggesting that nonoperative management increases the risk of recurrence. Several studies examined return to play after an in-season instability episode, and few followed these patients to determine if they were able to successfully compete in a subsequent season. No study has evaluated this question in a high school athlete population. Purpose: To compare the likelihood of return to scholastic sport and complete the next full season without an additional time-loss injury among athletes with anterior shoulder instability in terms of treatment, instability type, and sport classification. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2 Methods: Athletes were included in this study as identified by a scholastic athletic trainer as experiencing a traumatic time-loss anterior shoulder instability injury related to school-sponsored participation. The cohort was predominantly male (n = 108, 84%) and consisted mostly of contact athletes (n = 101, 78%). All athletes had dislocation or subluxation diagnosed by a board-certified physician who determined the athlete’s course of care (nonoperative vs operative). Successful treatment was defined as completion of care and return to the athlete’s index sport, with full participation for the following season. Chi-square and relative risk analyses were completed to compare success of treatment (nonoperative vs operative care) and instability type. Separate logistic regressions were used to compare the effect of sex and sport classification on the athletes’ ability to return to sport. Statistical significance was set a priori as α = .05. Results: Scholastic athletes (N = 129) received nonoperative (n = 97) or operative (n = 32) care. Nonoperatively treated (85%) and operatively treated (72%) athletes successfully returned to the same sport without injury for at least 1 full season ( P = .11). Players sustaining a dislocation were significantly more likely to fail to return when compared with those sustaining a subluxation (26% vs 89%, P = .013). Sex ( P = .85) and sport classification ( P = .74) did not influence the athlete’s ability to return to sport, regardless of treatment type. Conclusion: A high percentage of athletes with shoulder instability achieved successful return to sport without missing any additional time for shoulder injury. Those with subluxations were at almost 3 times the odds of a successful return compared with those sustaining a dislocation.