Background:
Pitch counts are only one measure of the true workload of baseball pitchers. Newer research indicates that workload measurement and prevention of injury must include additional factors. ...Thus, current monitoring systems gauging pitcher workload may be considered inadequate.
Purpose/Hypothesis:
The purpose of this study was to develop a novel method to determine workload in baseball pitchers and improve processes for prevention of throwing-related injuries. It was hypothesized that our pitching workload model would better predict throwing-related injuries occurring throughout the baseball season than a standard pitch count model.
Study Design:
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
Methods:
This prospective observational study was conducted at an academic medical center and community baseball fields during the 2019 to 2023 seasons. Pitchers aged 13 to 18 years were monitored for pitching-related injuries and workload (which included pitching velocity; intensity, using preseason and in-season velocity as a marker of effort; and pitch counts).
Results:
A total of 71 pitchers had 313 recorded pitcher outings, 11 pitching-related injuries, and 24,228 pitches thrown. Gameday pitch counts for all pitchers ranged from 19 to 219 (mean, 77.5 ± 41.0). Velocity ranged from 46.8 to 85.7 mph (mean, 71.3 ± 5.8 mph). Intensity ranged from 0.7 to 1.3 (mean, 1.0 ± 0.08). The mean workload was 74.7 ± 40.1 for all pitchers. Risk factors significant for injury included throwing at a higher velocity in game (P = .001), increased intensity (eg, an increase in mean velocity thrown from preseason to in-season; P < .001), and being an older pitcher (P = .014). No differences were found for workload between injured and noninjured pitchers because the analysis was underpowered.
Conclusion:
Our workload model indicated that throwing at a higher velocity, throwing at a higher intensity, and older age were risk factors for injury. Thus, this novel workload model should be considered as a means to identify pitchers who may be at greater risk for injury.
Orthopaedic trauma patients frequently experience mobility impairment, fear-related issues, self-care difficulties, and work-related disability . Recovery from trauma-related injuries is dependent ...upon injury severity as well as psychosocial factors . However, traditional treatments do not integrate psychosocial and early mobilization to promote improved function, and they fail to provide a satisfying patient experience.
We sought to determine (1) whether an early psychosocial intervention (integrative care with movement) among patients with orthopaedic trauma improved objective physical function outcomes during recovery compared with usual care, and (2) whether an integrative care approach with orthopaedic trauma patients improved patient-reported physical function outcomes during recovery compared with usual care.
Between November 2015 and February 2017, 1133 patients were admitted to one hospital as orthopaedic trauma alerts to the care of the three orthopaedic trauma surgeons involved in the study. Patients with severe or multiple orthopaedic trauma requiring one or more surgical procedures were identified by our orthopaedic trauma surgeons and approached by study staff for enrollment in the study. Patients were between 18 years and 85 years of age. We excluded individuals outside of the age range; those with diagnosis of a traumatic brain injury ; those who were unable to communicate effectively (for example, at a level where self-report measures could not be answered completely); patients currently using psychotropic medications; or those who had psychotic, suicidal, or homicidal ideations at time of study enrollment. A total of 112 orthopaedic trauma patients were randomized to treatment groups (integrative and usual care), with 13 withdrawn (n = 99; 58% men; mean age 44 years ± 17 years). Data was collected at the following time points: baseline (acute hospitalization), 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and at 1 year. By 1-year follow-up, we had a 75% loss to follow-up. Because our data showed no difference in the trajectories of these outcomes during the first few months of recovery, it is highly unlikely that any differences would appear months after 6 months. Therefore, analyses are presented for the 6-month follow-up time window. Integrative care consisted of usual trauma care plus additional resources, connections to services, as well as psychosocial and movement strategies to help patients recover. Physical function was measured objectively (handgrip strength, active joint ROM, and Lower Extremity Gain Scale) and subjectively (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-Physical Function PROMIS®-PF and Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia). Higher values for hand grip, Lower Extremity Gain Scale (score range 0-27), and PROMIS®-PF (population norm = 50) are indicative of higher functional ability. Lower Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia (score range 11-44) scores indicate less fear of movement. Trajectories of these measures were determined across time points.
We found no differences at 6 months follow-up between usual care and integrative care in terms of handgrip strength (right handgrip strength β = -0.0792 95% confidence interval -0.292 to 0.133; p = 0.46; left handgrip strength β = -0.133 95% CI -0.384 to 0.119; p = 0.30), or Lower Extremity Gain Scale score (β = -0.0303 95% CI -0.191 to 0.131; p = 0.71). The only differences between usual care and integrative care in active ROM achieved by final follow-up within the involved extremity was noted in elbow flexion, with usual care group 20° ± 10° less than integrative care (t 27 = -2.06; p = 0.05). Patients treated with usual care and integrative care showed the same Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia score trajectories (β = 0.0155 95% CI -0.123 to 0.154; p = 0.83).
Our early psychosocial intervention did not change the trajectory of physical function recovery compared with usual care. Although this specific intervention did not alter recovery trajectories, these interventions should not be abandoned because the greatest gains in function occur early in recovery after trauma, which is the key time in transition to home. More work is needed to identify ways to capitalize on improvements earlier within the recovery process to facilitate functional gains and combat psychosocial barriers to recovery.
Level II, therapeutic study.
Background Hemiarthroplasty was the treatment of choice for rotator cuff tear arthropathy (CTA) before the introduction of the reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). The purpose of this study ...was to compare our outcomes for hemiarthroplasty with those for RTSA. Methods The records of patients with the diagnosis of CTA who had received either a hemiarthroplasty or RTSA from 1997 to 2007 were reviewed. A minimum of 2 years’ follow-up was required. Active shoulder elevation, external rotation, internal rotation, and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) scores were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed comparing function, pain, and range of motion of hemiarthroplasty patients with RTSA patients. Results We identified 56 shoulder arthroplasties in 50 patients with a minimum of 2 years’ follow-up. There were 20 hemiarthroplasties and 36 RTSAs performed. The mean follow-up was 4.4 years (range, 2-12 years) in the hemiarthroplasty group and 3 years (range, 2-5 years) in the RTSA group. The mean age in the hemiarthroplasty group was 64 years versus 72 years in the RTSA group ( P < .05). SPADI scores improved in both groups. However, after follow-up of 2 years or greater, the mean SPADI scores were significantly better (lower) in the RTSA group (34) than in the hemiarthroplasty group (58) ( P = .005). Active elevation was significantly better in the RTSA group at all postoperative time periods. The complication rate for both groups was 25%. Conclusions RTSA performs better than hemiarthroplasty in terms of pain relief, function, and active elevation at 2-year follow-up.
Abstract Orthopedic trauma is an unforeseen life-changing event. Serious injuries include multiple fractures and amputation. Physical rehabilitation has traditionally focused on addressing functional ...deficits after traumatic injury, but important psychological factors also can dramatically affect acute and long-term recovery. This review presents the effects of orthopedic trauma on psychological distress, potential interventions for distress reduction after trauma, and implications for participation in rehabilitation. Survivors commonly experience post-traumatic stress syndrome, depression, and anxiety, all of which interfere with functional gains and quality of life. More than 50% of survivors have psychological distress that can last decades after the physical injury has been treated. Early identification of patients with distress can help care teams provide the resources and support to offset the distress. Several options that help trauma patients navigate their short-term recovery include holistic approaches, pastoral care, coping skills, mindfulness, peer visitation, and educational resources. The long-term physical and mental health of the trauma survivor can be enhanced by strategies that connect the survivor to a network of people with similar experiences or injuries, facilitate support groups, and social support networking (The Trauma Survivors Network). Rehabilitation specialists can help optimize patient outcomes and quality of life by participating in and advocating these strategies.
Background:
Elbow ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries are common, particularly in adolescent athletes playing overhead sports. While the incidence and outcomes of surgical UCL injuries are well ...documented, the nonsurgical UCL injury patterns and injury management in this population are not yet known.
Purpose/Hypothesis:
The purpose of this study was to retrospectively assess the injury severity and subsequent management of UCL injuries among competitive athletes aged 11 to 22 years. We hypothesized that nonsurgical UCL injuries would occur more frequently in younger athletes compared with older athletes.
Study Design:
Descriptive epidemiological study.
Methods:
Electronic medical records (using International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision and 10th Revision and Current Procedural Terminology codes) and keyword searches were used to identify all patients with sports-related UCL injuries between January 2000 and April 2016. A total of 136 records were included. Patients were stratified into 3 age brackets (age 11-13 years, n = 17; age 14-16 years, n = 49; age 17-22 years, n = 70). There were no prior elbow surgical interventions. The main outcome measures included the frequency and severity of UCL injuries and injury management (surgical, nonsurgical). Independent variables included age, UCL injuries per year, and sport classification.
Results:
There were 53 surgical and 83 nonsurgical UCL injuries. The number of nonsurgical cases increased 9-fold from 2000-2008 to 2009-2016. The UCL injuries were distributed as follows: 60 sprains, 39 partial tears, 36 ruptures, and 1 rerupture. Moreover, 7% of sprains, 51% of partial tears, and 78% of ruptures underwent UCL reconstruction. Nonsurgical management was most common in the youngest athletes (age 11-13 years, 100.0% of total injuries; age 14-16 years, 71.4% of total injuries; and age 17-22 years, 44.3% of total injuries) (P = .007). UCL injury volume was most commonly associated with javelin (odds ratio, 6.69; 95% CI, 0.72-61.62; P = .07) and baseball (odds ratio, 1.55; 95% CI, 0.69-3.51; P = .32).
Conclusion:
Younger athletes sustained less severe UCL injuries more often than older athletes. Participation in javelin and baseball was associated with a greater likelihood of UCL injuries based on our dataset. This is the first study to provide data on the volume of nonsurgical UCL injuries among athletes in various sports.
Background:
Throwing injuries are common in high school baseball. Known risk factors include excessive pitch counts, year-round pitching, and pitching with arm pain and fatigue. Despite the evidence, ...the prevalence of pitching injuries among high school players has not decreased. One possibility to explain this pattern is that players accumulate unaccounted pitch volume during warm-up and bullpen activity, but this has not yet been examined.
Hypotheses:
Our primary hypothesis was that approximately 30% to 40% of pitches thrown off a mound by high school pitchers during a game-day outing are unaccounted for in current data but will be revealed when bullpen sessions and warm-up pitches are included. Our secondary hypothesis was that there is wide variability among players in the number of bullpen pitches thrown per outing.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods:
Researchers counted all pitches thrown off a mound during varsity high school baseball games played by 34 high schools in North Central Florida during the 2017 season.
Results:
We recorded 13,769 total pitches during 115 varsity high school baseball starting pitcher outings. The mean ± SD pitch numbers per game were calculated for bullpen activity (27.2 ± 9.4), warm-up (23.6 ±8.0), live games (68.9 ±19.7), and total pitches per game (119.7 ± 27.8). Thus, 42.4% of the pitches performed were not accounted for in the pitch count monitoring of these players. The number of bullpen pitches thrown varied widely among players, with 25% of participants in our data set throwing fewer than 22 pitches and 25% throwing more than 33 pitches per outing.
Conclusion:
In high school baseball players, pitch count monitoring does not account for the substantial volume of pitching that occurs during warm-up and bullpen activity during the playing season. These extra pitches should be closely monitored to help mitigate the risk of overuse injury.
•This review presents a conceptual framework linking motor control impairments after sport-related concussion (SRC) to elevated risk for lower extremity musculoskeletal injury.•Athletes with SRC ...demonstrate neuroanatomic and neurophysiologic changes relevant to motor control and altered motor function that support the conceptual framework.•Alterations in motor function after SRC include decreased muscle activation and force production, modified movement patterns, poor balance, and impaired motor task performance with or without a simultaneous cognitive task.•These deficits indicate a need to evaluate for and rehabilitate motor control impairments after SRC through the return to sport continuum to mitigate musculoskeletal injury risk.
This review presents a conceptual framework and supporting evidence that links impaired motor control after sport-related concussion (SRC) to increased risk for musculoskeletal injury. Multiple studies have found that athletes who are post-SRC have higher risk for musculoskeletal injury compared to their counterparts. A small body of research suggests that impairments in motor control are associated with musculoskeletal injury risk. Motor control involves the perception and processing of sensory information and subsequent coordination of motor output within the central nervous system to perform a motor task. Motor control is inclusive of motor planning and motor learning. If sensory information is not accurately perceived or there is interference with sensory information processing and cognition, motor function will be altered, and an athlete may become vulnerable to injury during sport participation. Athletes with SRC show neuroanatomic and neurophysiological changes relevant to motor control even after meeting return to sport criteria, including a normal neurological examination, resolution of symptoms, and return to baseline function on traditional concussion testing. In conjunction, altered motor function is demonstrated after SRC in muscle activation and force production, movement patterns, balance/postural stability, and motor task performance, especially performance of a motor task paired with a cognitive task (i.e., dual-task condition). The clinical implications of this conceptual framework include a need to intentionally address motor control impairments after SRC to mitigate musculoskeletal injury risk and to monitor motor control as the athlete progresses through the return to sport continuum.
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Abstract Background Cervical orthoses are commonly used for extrication, transportation, and definitive immobilization for cervical trauma patients. Various designs have been tested frequently in ...young, healthy individuals. To date, no one has reported the effectiveness of collar immobilization in the presence of an unstable mid-cervical spine. Study Objectives To determine the extent to which cervical orthoses immobilize the cervical spine in a cadaveric model with and without a spinal instability. Methods This study used a repeated-measures design to quantify motion on multiple axes. Five lightly embalmed cadavers with no history of cervical pathology were used. An electromagnetic motion-tracking system captured segmental motion at C5–C6 while the spine was maneuvered through the range of motion in each plane. Testing was carried out in intact conditions after a global instability was created at C5–C6. Three collar conditions were tested: a one-piece extraction collar (Ambu Inc., Linthicum, MD), a two-piece collar (Aspen Sierra, Aspen Medical Products, Irvine, CA), and no collar. Gardner-Wells tongs were affixed to the skull and used to apply motion in flexion-extension, lateral bending, and rotation. Statistical analysis was carried out to evaluate the conditions: collar use by instability (3 × 2). Results Neither the one- nor the two-piece collar was effective at significantly reducing segmental motion in the stable or unstable condition. There was dramatically more motion in the unstable state, as would be expected. Conclusion Although using a cervical collar is better than no immobilization, collars do not effectively reduce motion in an unstable cervical spine cadaver model. Further study is needed to develop other immobilization techniques that will adequately immobilize an injured, unstable cervical spine.
The aim of this study is to determine the best technique and position for helmet removal in injured motorcyclists by comparing cervical misalignment produced in the supine position and prone ...position.
Comparative cross-sectional clinical simulation study to quantify CM using biomechanical analysis with the use of inertial systems. The main variable was determined for the flexion-extension motion. The extraction was tested for both positions (prone position and supine position), which were repeated 3 times for each of the 30 volunteers included, and the movement from the initial neutral position was also determined, resulting in a total of 270 biomechanical studies.
A flexion was observed when moving the patient from the neutral position to the SP, due to the size of the helmet, of 1.29° ± 5.12°. Helmet removal in the supine position resulted in an average flexion-extension range of 17.51° ± 6.49°, while the same extraction in prone position recorded an average range of 10.82° ± 8.05°. For the main variable, statistically significant differences were found when comparing prone position and supine position (p = 0.0087).
The main conclusion of the study is that the helmet removal should be done in the position in which we find the patient, whether in prone position or supine position. Additionally, the new technique described for the prone position causes less movement of the cervical spine than the usual supine position.
Background:
Although fastpitch softball participation continues to rise, there is a lack of established pitch count guidelines, potentially putting young female athletes at risk of overuse injuries. ...In addition to coaches, caregivers’ ability to recognize and employ safe pitching guidelines plays an important role in athlete safety.
Purpose/Hypothesis:
The purpose of this study was to assess caregivers’ knowledge of their child’s pitching practices and their familiarity with softball pitching recommendations. We hypothesized that caregivers would be unaware of safe pitching recommendations in youth fastpitch softball.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional study.
Methods:
A 30-question survey was distributed to caregivers of youth fastpitch softball pitchers in age groups 10U (ie, ≤10 years), 12U, 14U, 16U, and 18U. The survey included questions on the demographic characteristics of caregivers and athletes, caregivers’ knowledge of safe pitching recommendations, and athletes’ pitching background and throwing habits. Comparisons of responses between the age groups were conducted using the chi-square test, Fisher exact test, or 1-way analysis of variance, as appropriate.
Results:
A total of 115 caregivers completed the survey. Of the respondents, 84% were between 31 and 50 years, and 81.7% had a degree beyond high school. Only 28.1% of caregivers reported participating in youth sports. When asked to estimate the number of pitches they considered a safe amount during a single outing, 28.7% of caregivers (n = 33) did not provide a limit, 4.3% (n = 5) stated no limit was needed, 32.2% (n = 37) suggested 25 to 80 pitches, 21.7% (n = 25) suggested 81 to 100 pitches, 12.2% (n = 14) suggested 100 to 150 pitches, and 0.9% (n = 1) suggested that >150 pitches were acceptable. These data emphasized that only 14.8% of the caregivers were aware of any pitching guidelines. However, 93% of caregivers acknowledged that they would adhere to recommendations if guidelines were made available.
Conclusion:
The study findings demonstrated that a majority of caregivers are unaware of current youth fastpitch softball pitching recommendations.
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