Current sports medicine reports
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Physicians who cover sporting events frequently encounter facial injuries. These injuries include contusions, hematomas, abrasions, lacerations, ruptured tympanic membranes, and fractures. For most physicians covering events, the diagnoses and decisions on returning athletes to play must be made without many of the diagnostic tools available in the office, such as radiographs, nasopharyngoscopes, or CT scans. As a result, physicians must rely on focused histories and thorough physical examinations to make their diagnoses and ultimately determine if injured participants can continue in their respective events.
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Curr Sports Med Rep · Jun 2007
Martial arts sports medicine: current issues and competition event coverage.
More sports medicine professionals are becoming actively involved in the care of the martial arts athlete. Although there are many different forms of martial arts practiced worldwide, certain styles have shown a potential for increased participation in competitive-type events. ⋯ Breaking down the martial art techniques into basic concepts of striking, grappling, and submission maneuvers, including choking and joint locking, may facilitate better understanding and management of injuries. This article outlines this approach and reviews the commonly encountered injuries and problems during martial arts full-contact competitions.
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Curr Sports Med Rep · Apr 2007
Review Case ReportsCoronary anomalies: cardiac CT evaluation of the symptomatic adult athlete.
Cardiac CT has become widely available as a diagnostic test. It is noninvasive, low risk (for contrast allergies), quick, and highly sensitive for identifying the coronary origins and course. Two coronary anomalies, the left main artery from the right sinus of Valsalva, and the right coronary artery originating from the left sinus, have been associated both with myocardial ischemia and sudden cardiac death when they course between the aorta and pulmonary arteries. ⋯ The yield of noninvasive exercise testing is low. In the past, the ability to demonstrate these anomalies depended on a high index of suspicion and an aggressive invasive work-up with cardiac catheterization. Now cardiac CT can demonstrate these anomalies with ease and facilitate appropriate treatment.
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Scaphoid fractures in athletes can be very disabling and may limit successful and early return to play. Typically, the mechanism of injury is a fall onto an outstretched hand or a direct blow; the patient will present with swelling, limited motion, and snuffbox tenderness. Multiple-view plain images will very often reveal the diagnosis. ⋯ For displaced fractures, the preferred technique remains ORIF through either a volar or dorsal approach. Considerations in treatment type are based on the stability and location of the fracture as well as patient issues such as compliance and the need for return to play. With appropriate diagnosis and individualization of treatment, scaphoid fractures can be successfully managed in most athletes with few or no long-term sequelae.