The American journal of sports medicine
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Catastrophic cervical spine injuries in football are rare but tragic events. ⋯ The total number of quadriplegic events for high school and college football players is approximately 6 per year, with a higher incidence at the college level. Cervical cord neurapraxia can be caused by hyperflexion, hyperextension, and axial compression forces. Upper level cervical injuries involving the atlas and axis can occur in football players and may be associated with noncontiguous subaxial injuries.
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There are growing concerns about thermal chondroplasty using radiofrequency energy to treat partial-thickness cartilage defects. However, most studies emphasize effects on chondrocyte viability, and other factors such as mechanical properties are less studied. ⋯ Further animal as well as clinical studies will be necessary to fully evaluate the long-term effects of radiofrequency energy.
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There is no consensus regarding the extent of meniscectomy leading to deleterious effects on tibiofemoral contact mechanics. ⋯ Because the degree of meniscectomy leading to clinically significant outcomes is unknown, a prudent strategy is to preserve the greatest amount of meniscus possible.
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Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound has been demonstrated to be beneficial for accelerating fracture healing, delayed union, nonunion, and soft tissue repair. ⋯ These results may help establish treatment efficacy for accelerating bone-to-tendon junction repair and facilitating earlier rehabilitation.
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A new generation of flexible all-inside meniscal repair devices is available, but clinical studies with these devices are lacking. ⋯ The RapidLoc has an acceptable intermediate-term clinical healing rate in patients undergoing concurrent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Predictive variables for failure should be considered during operative decision making.