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Getting Ready for the Sports Medicine Subspecialty

Posted on: 03/15/2007
Physicians often specialize in medicine and even subspecialize. In the field of orthopedics, sports medicine is becoming a subspecialty with certification. In August of 2007, the first ever review course for certification in orthopedic sports medicine will be offered.

In order to prepare for that course and keep up with what's happening in the field of sports medicine, this article reviews the latest on the topic. The authors reviewed the results of studies presented by over 200 orthopedic surgeons.

The focus was on problems in sports medicine involving the knee, shoulder, elbow, spine, hip, foot, and ankle. In addition to the treatment of sports injuries, injury prevention is also discussed. Special problems faced by female athletes and military recruits gets a brief mention.

Knee injuries are by far the most common sports injuries. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture and repair gets a lot of attention. Major topics include choices of tendon graft material and fixation methods. Complications, advantages, and disadvantages of each type of graft remains the main feature of many research studies.

Other knee problems discussed involving ligaments include posterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament injuries. Nonoperative treatment is more common for these injuries. What's the best thing to do when both the ACL and the medial collateral ligament are torn remains an unanswered question. The timing of ligament reconstruction (early versus late) is a key issue. The authors report there hasn't been much improvement in treatment outcomes in this area.

Preserving the knee meniscus remains a goal of treatment. Various repair methods are reviewed. Damage to the joint from screws and arrows used to repair the meniscus has led to new, more flexible devices. So far, only short-term results are available but show good outcomes.

Labral tears and rotator cuff problems are the two main shoulder injuries treated in athletes. Improved technology has made it possible to identify the size, shape, and location of these injuries. As a result, surgeons can treat more efficiently.

In other areas the authors report that repair of wrist fibrocartilage tears is on the rise. Treatment of tennis elbow and Achilles' tendon injuries remains a challenge. Ankle sprains can be reduced with proper balance training. A brief summary of four other articles related to sports medicine was included to help guide surgeons specializing in sports medicine.

References:
Gehron Treme, MD, et al. What's New in Sports Medicine. In The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. March 2007. Vol. 89-A. No. 3. Pp. 686-696.

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