Feature Channels: Sports Medicine

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The theme of 2011 National Neurosurgery Awareness Week, April 10-16, 2011, is "There’s Always Another Game, but You Only Have One Brain." There were an estimated 446,788 sports-related head injuries treated at U.S. hospital emergency rooms in 2009. The AANS stands behind the message that there needs to be greater awareness about the potentially devastating consequences of head and spinal cord injuries associated with sports and all involved need to take steps to prevent these types of injuries.

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Female athletes who sustain a concussion report different symptoms than their male counterparts, according to research performed at the University of Virginia's Curry School of Education.

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The recent deaths of teen athletes may have parents wondering may be wondering if enough is being done to identify athletes at risk for dying suddenly. University of Michigan heart specialists weigh in on how best to reduce sudden deaths in competitive athletes

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While the cause of death of the Fennville, Mich. high school basketball player is unknown, an inherited heart condition makes the top of the list for possible causes. U-M experts are available to talk to media about HCM and why kids, young adults and children die suddenly from it.

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The "Talk Test" provides a simple and reliable indicator of the proper training intensity for runners, suggests a report in the March issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Donuts, bat wraps, weighted gloves…a wide array of devices are available to help baseball players warm up while waiting to go to bat. But a new study finds that none of ten commonly used warm-up devices has a significant effect on bat speed, reports the February issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health.

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Alabama hunters fell out of tree stands at an alarming rate during the recent deer-hunting season. Fourteen fell and four died — the highest number of fatalities from tree-stand falls ever seen in a single year in the state, says the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.

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Team sports have a long history of fostering cooperation, camaraderie and a healthy competitive spirit among athletes. But the closeness that brings athletes together also can create an environment for a host of contagious skin infections. Now, dermatologists are urging teammates and coaches to be aware of the most common skin conditions caused by bacteria, viruses and fungi that occur in athletes and educating them on how to prevent a widespread outbreak.

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Are the Green Bay Packers all the way back? Will the Pittsburgh Steelers capture their third NFL championship in the past six years? The experts at UT Southwestern Medical Center can’t predict the outcome of the game just down the road in Arlington, Texas, but they can help to make the accompanying parties, activities and get-togethers safer and more enjoyable, no matter the Super Bowl XLV result.

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Experts in marketing and fitness and in sports medicine discuss how to avoid high-calorie traps at Super Bowl parties, concussion myths, and how to stay healthy at the gym.

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A simple test performed at the sideline of sporting events can accurately detect concussions in athletes, according to study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

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Philip Schatz Ph.D., professor of psychology, and his associates recently published a study in Neurosurgery that identifies potentially enduring effects of multiple previous concussions on high school students. More specifically, Schatz and his colleagues propose through their research that teens with multiple concussions may already be demonstrating early signs of post-concussion syndrome.

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The recent alarming rise in sports concussions will be back in the news as Super Bowl Sunday approaches. Brainwave software being developed by a Villanova University researcher may hold the key to instant diagnosis in the future.

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Super Bowl injuries do not only happen on the field of play...they can actually happen at home.

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Retired NFL players use painkillers at four times the rate of the general population, according to new research conducted by investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The researchers say the brutal collisions and bone-jarring injuries associated with football often cause long-term pain, which contributes to continued use and abuse of pain-killing medications.

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In the wake of recent reports of long-term health effects of repeated concussions in professional athletes, a new study finds increased rates of concussion-related symptoms in high-school athletes with a history of two or more previous concussions. The study will appear in an upcoming issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health

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The winners of wrestling matches have greater increases in testosterone levels than losing wrestlers, reports the January issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

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A hearty snowfall brings anticipation for one of winter’s highlights – sledding. The adrenaline from speeding down an icy hill, feeling the snow spraying your face and the wind’s icy fingers nearly taking your breath away can be exhilarating. There is nothing like tearing down a perfect sledding hill to get rid of cabin fever. However, serious injuries can accompany the winter fun if precautions are not taken.

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Surgeons at UC San Diego Health System reconstruct Ben Horne's elbow after biking accident crushes it into five pieces.

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Should electrocardiograms be included in cardiovascular screening of athletes? What's the current status of research into long-term effects of concussions? These and other hot topics are the focus of the January Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, a special issue on "Emerging Issues in Sport Medicine."

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Animal experiments suggest that taking the omega-3 fatty acid docosahexanoic acid (DHA) might offer a new way of protecting against traumatic brain injury (TBI), reports the February issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

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According to the most recent U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission statistics, there were 74,000 sledding, snow tubing, and tobogganing-related injuries treated at hospital emergency rooms, doctors' offices and clinics in 2004. But by taking a few precautions, you can help your children make sure their sledding and snow tubing activities are both thrilling and safe.

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Winter sports such as skating, skiing and snowshoeing are great forms of exercise. But cold temperatures, snow, ice, and fear of injury may discourage some people from getting outside and being active. The following CIHR-supported researchers are available to offer tips on how to enjoy winter sports safely based on the latest scientific evidence.

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What's the best way to warm up before a golf match? Performing a passive, static stretching routine before taking practice swings may actually have a negative impact on performance, according to a study in the December issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

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The "box squat," a popular training technique for weightlifters, has "limited negative consequences" on squat performance during strength training, reports a study in the December issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

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A shortened, focused "jump training" program may help to lower the risk of knee injuries in women basketball players, according to a study in the December issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

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A new study finds that heat-injury rates are on the rise for all age groups.

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NHL referee Dan O'Halloran's son Devin was only five years old when he received a liver transplant at the University of Michigan Health System. Now he's 20, attending college and a hockey referee himself. The O'Halloran family is promoting a Dec. 5 outdoor hockey game "The Little Chill at the Big House," which will raise money for a summer camp for kids who've received transplants.

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A comprehensive program combining education and rule enforcement has been effective in reducing the high rate of brain and spinal cord injuries among rugby players, reports the November issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

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Resistance exercise (such as lifting weights) produces a different pattern of blood vessel responses than aerobic exercise, suggesting that it may have specific and important benefits for cardiovascular health, according to a study in the November issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

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A brief resisted-sprint exercise significantly increases skating sprint speed in ice hockey players, reports a study in the November issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

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Runner's knee, shin splints, Achilles tendinitis, plantar fasciitis -- these are the last words any runner wants to hear. Whether running a marathon or a five-mile loop in the park, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center physicians Dr. William Levine and Dr. Christopher Visco offer six important steps to prevent painful and debilitating injuries.

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The American Academy of Neurology (AAN) is calling for any athlete who is suspected of having a concussion to be removed from play until the athlete is evaluated by a physician with training in the evaluation and management of sports concussion.

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A groundbreaking study on Canadian junior ice hockey uncovers alarming head injury/concussion data and trends that raise many questions about the safety and well being of teenagers and young adults who participate in this popular sport. This is a public health issue that needs to be taken more seriously by players, parents, coaches, and medical professionals. At stake is something more important than winning a game - the present and future health of thousands of young athletes.

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Maria Mouratidis, Psy.D., associate professor and chair, Department of Psychology and Sociology, College of Notre Dame of Maryland will lead a community educational forum on identifying and managing of sports concussion. The event is open to those involved in youth sports, including parents, coaches, caregivers and trainers.

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The new Chicago Sports Concussion Clinic at Rush offers appointments within 24 to 48 hours. To schedule an appointment with a physician, call the clinic directly at (312) 432-2500.

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Turning up the heat might be the best thing for athletes competing in cool weather, according to a new study by human physiology researchers at the University of Oregon.

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Do college football players perform better on the modern field turf artificial playing surface than on natural grass? The answer is yes for performance on a standard agility drill, but not for 40-yard dash speed, reports a study in the October issue of The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

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On Oct. 19–20, 2010, Mayo Clinic’s Sports Medicine Center will host “Ice Hockey Summit: Action on Concussion.” The summit will bring together top scientists, trainers, coaches, officials and manufacturers from across the United States, Canada and Europe to discuss concussion-related issues, including the science of concussions, impact on children, and sporting world response. While the summit will focus on ice hockey, concussion-related topics will apply to all sports.

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In research that may surprise off-road riding enthusiasts and safety experts, a Johns Hopkins team has found that crashes involving ATVs — four-wheeled all-terrain vehicles — are significantly more dangerous than crashes involving two-wheeled off-road motorcycles, such as those used in extreme sports like Motocross.

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Brain and spinal cord injuries related to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) appear to be increasing, reports a study in the October issue of Neurosurgery, official journal of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

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The incidence of hockey-related injuries among children aged 9 to 14 leading to emergency department visits more than doubled between 1990 and 2006, according to a new nationwide study.

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Those familiar yellow football penalty flags that are thrown by referees will be replaced with special light blue ones this week during dozens of high school football games in five states.

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A new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children’s Hospital examined basketball-related injuries treated in emergency departments among children and adolescents between the ages of 5 and 19 from 1997 to 2007. According to the study, more than 4 million basketball-related injuries were treated in emergency departments during the 11-year study. While the number of injuries decreased 22 percent over the course of the study, the average number of injuries per year (375,350) remained high.

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In female athletes with chronically higher estrogen levels, differences in the mechanical properties of tendons may lead to a higher risk of injury, according to a study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

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How can softball players increase their bat speed without taking a swing? Thirty seconds of whole-body vibration (WBV) on a special vibration platform has the same effect on bat speed as the standard "dry swings" warm-up, reports a study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

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When is it appropriate for an injured athlete to return to competition? A new three-step framework provides team physicians and other sport medicine clinicians with guidance on making complex decisions about return to play, reported in the September Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.

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The Johns Hopkins Children’s Center top pediatrician is urging a “rethink” of a new sickle cell screening program, calling it an enlightened but somewhat rushed step toward improving the health of young people who carry the sickle cell mutation.

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Distance runners who stretch before running may not be able to run as far—and yet spend more energy doing it, according to a study in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, official research journal of the National Strength and Conditioning Association.

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Many of the 45 million children participating in organized sports are engaging in serious sports training and specialization at younger ages, which makes them more susceptible to potentially serious injuries. These injuries, that would only cause a sprain to a ligament or muscular strain in an adult, could cause serious growth plate injuries that could affect physical development in a child. U-M's Laurie Donaldson, M.D., offers suggestions on how to protect children from sports injuries.