Training in élite young athletes (the Training of Young Athletes (TOYA) Study): injuries, flexibility and isometric strength

Using a mixed longitudinal design, the incidence of injuries, and the development of flexibility and isometric strength of the upper and lower limbs were studied for 2 years in 453 élite young athletes (aged between 9 and 18 years) practising football, gymnastics, swimming or tennis. The children suffered from a low incidence of injuries. Strength and flexibility did not exert a significant role in determining injuries. The rate of injury was not significantly different between the 2 years of the study. Young swimmers showed a greater generalized flexibility. Girls were more flexible than boys between the ages of 13 to 16 years. Athletic children are able to exert greater isometric strength than normal schoolchildren. Boys diverged from the normal population at 14 years, while athletic girls were stronger at all ages. Girls were stronger than boys up to age 12, who were still increasing their muscle strength at 19 years. The average maximal isometric strength exerted in both upper and lower limbs in the four sports was not significantly different. Male gymnasts over 11 years old were significantly stronger than all other athletes.

Acute haemarthrosis of the knee in athletes. A prospective study of 106 cases

We made a prospective arthroscopic study of 106 skeletally mature male sportsmen with an average age of 28.35 years (16.8 to 44) who presented with an acute haemarthrosis of the knee due to sporting activities. We excluded those with patellar dislocations, radiographic bone injuries, extra-articular ligamentous lesions or a previous injury to the same joint. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) was intact in 35 patients, partially disrupted in 28 and completely ruptured in 43. In the patients with an ACL lesion, associated injuries included meniscal tears (17 patients), cartilaginous loose bodies (6), and minimal osteochondral fractures of the patella (2), the tibial plateau (3) or the femoral condyle (9). We found no age-related trend in the pattern of ACL injuries. Isolated injuries included one small osteochondral fracture of the patella, and one partial and one total disruption of the posterior cruciate ligament. Three patients had cartilaginous loose bodies, and no injury was detected in five. Acute traumatic haemarthrosis indicates a serious ligament injury until proved otherwise, and arthroscopy is needed to complement careful history and clinical examination. All cases with a tense effusion developing within 12 hours of injury should have an aspiration. If haemarthrosis is confirmed, urgent admission and arthroscopy are indicated.

Accidental injection of white spirit into the hand in golfers

We report two cases in which white spirit has been injected accidentally into the hand by golfers, while attempting to remove the grip of the golf-club handle in order to replace it. One of our patients has anecdotal evidence of this happening in at least two other cases, one of which resulted in amputation of the index finger, and the other in severe damage to the thumb.

Blockage of urethral catheters by bacterial biofilms

We report the case of a 63-year-old woman whose indwelling urethral catheter became blocked regularly at 4-5 day intervals over a period of 10 weeks. 'Worm-like' structures 25-30 cm in length were found either in the catheter, completely occluding the lumen, or in the drainage tube thereby blocking the valve of the drainage bag. Electron microscopy showed that these structures were composed of bacteria, while culture revealed them to be mixed communities of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecalis and Proteus mirabilis. Following treatment with ciprofloxacin, catheter drainage continued freely for a further period of 10 weeks.

Patterns of meniscal tears associated with anterior cruciate ligament lesions in athletes

In this study, 400 clinically anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficient knees were arthroscoped and studied prospectively in the period January 1986 to April 1992. An ACL tear was always confirmed, and 41 per cent of these patients did not have an associated meniscal tear. In 30.25 per cent the lateral meniscus was torn; in 21.25 per cent the ACL tear was associated with a medial meniscus tear, and in the remaining 7 per cent both menisci were torn. The most frequently associated meniscal injury was the bucket handle tear of the medial meniscus (9 per cent), followed by the posterior horn tear of the lateral meniscus, which showed the same frequency as the ragged (or degenerated) tear of the lateral meniscus (6 per cent). The horizontal tear of the posterior part of the lateral meniscus showed a prevalence of 4.3 per cent. This picture is probably dependent on a secondary referral nature of the centre surveyed, in which the average time between injury and arthroscopy was 23.3 months.

Vocal matching of frequency modulation in synthesized vowels

Nine male singers attempted to match rates and extents of synthesized vocal vibrato at low, middle, and high pitch levels. The results showed that on average, the singers were able to match rates of 3, 5, and 7 Hz within 13%. It was difficult for the singers, however, to match extents of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 semitones. Thus, the results indicated singers' reasonably good ability to match rates but, contrary to prevalent opinions, not extents of vocal vibrato.

Isolated ganglions of the anterior cruciate ligament

We report three athletes with symptomatic isolated ganglion of the anterior cruciate ligament. The symptoms consisted of anteromedial knee pain, worse when changing direction while running, and on squatting. All gave a history of repeated minor knee trauma without a single episode of serious injury. At day-case arthroscopy, a unilobulated cystic mass arising from a clinically and arthroscopically intact anterior cruciate ligament was noted and removed in each case. No further intra- or extra-articular knee lesion was seen. Histology revealed a cystic ganglion in each case. With early physiotherapy, the patients could start gentle training 3 wk after arthroscopy, and, at 6-month review, were fully asymptomatic. A review of the literature shows that an isolated ganglion arising from the anterior cruciate ligament is exceedingly rare, with only three such ganglia having been previously reported.

Public health service administration and academia. A joint venture

Joint ventures between service and academia are designed to enhance the quality of client services, enrich faculty teaching experiences and skills, and strengthen communication channels. The joint venture described in this article is an example of how public health nursing services and academia can be united through faculty participation in administration. Included in the discussion are the impetus for the project, the contract negotiations, the positive outcomes and disadvantages of the venture, and questions that should be raised when a similar venture is considered.

The effect of repeated instillations of antiseptics on catheter-associated urinary tract infections: a study in a physical model of the catheterized bladder

The activity of three antiseptic bladder washout solutions was examined in a physical model of the catheterized bladder. Tests were performed against cultures of four common urinary tract pathogens that had established themselves in the model and colonized the surfaces with biofilm. Double instillations of chlorhexidine (0.02% w/v) at 6-h intervals failed to eliminate Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis, and Providencia stuartii from the bladder model. Escherichia coli, however, was susceptible to a second instillation provided that it was performed within 12 h. Supplementing chlorhexidine with EDTA and TRIS potentiated its activity against E. coli. Mandelic acid (1.0% w/v) was the most effective of the agents, double instillations eliminating all but Pr. mirabilis infections.

Focal points in orthopaedics

Orthopaedic surgeons have long had an association with sport, although it is arguable whether Galen who was the first sports medicine doctor, appointed to the Pergamum Gladiators in 157 AD was a surgeon by todays definition. This surgical role is now out of proportion to the more global aspects of sports medicine as reflected in the rest of this publication, but accurately related to the consequences of injury to the elite performer, where a minor injury may have a major consequence. As the title makes clear this chapter is a series of cameos some describing aspects of the management of common injuries and others indicating new developments.

Effects of physical activity on some components of the skeletal system

Sporting activities impose on the skeletal system forces of a high intensity and frequency. Ligaments, bone and tendons behave in a time-dependent load-extension fashion, and it is important for both scientists and clinicians to consider, for example, the alterations in failure properties shown by ligaments, tendons and bone at different rates of deformation. Whether the ability of the skeletal system to withstand stress can be improved with appropriate training is still controversial. The effects of physical exercise depend on the modality, intensity and duration with which the exercise itself is performed. Moreover, genetic factors, also influencing growth and hormonal status, may exert a significant influence on the response of a given tissue to an external load. Overloading may cause a lesion, and this may decrease or annihilate performance capability. The skeletal system may not be resistant enough, and so it may prove limiting to intensive physical activity. In vitro studies on resistance of a single tissue have not taken into consideration the specific resistance of that structure in vivo, and the results so obtained cannot be readily extrapolated to sporting activities, as in vivo muscles, joints, tendons, ligaments and cartilage act as one. This article reviews some of the possible beneficial and detrimental effects of intense exercise on various components of the skeletal system, focusing on its ability to withstand and adapt to stresses and allow maximal performance.

Comparative study of intra-articular pressure dynamics in joints with acute traumatic and chronic inflammatory effusions: potential implications for hypoxic-reperfusion injury

It has been proposed that the process of hypoxic-reperfusion injury contributes to the persistence of synovitis in the inflamed human joint. The generation of pathological, exercise induced, intra-articular pressure leading to occlusion of the synovial microcirculation is central to this mechanism. However, acute traumatic inflammatory joint effusions rarely result in chronic synovitis, suggesting that either the basic hypothesis is incorrect, or that joints with acute traumatic effusions show different intra-articular pressure dynamics. In this study the intra-articular pressure was measured at rest and during isometric exercise in five patients with acute traumatic joint effusions and in nine patients with chronic inflammatory joint effusions. The generation of intra-articular pressure in the patients with acute traumatic effusions was significantly lower at rest (mean 2.0 v 19.6 mm Hg) and during exercise (mean 13.7 v 222.5 mm Hg) than in the patients with chronic effusions. This was due to reflex muscular inhibition around the joint, which inhibited the pathological generation of intra-articular pressure. This difference in the ability to generate intra-articular pressure might mitigate against hypoxic-reperfusion injury in joints with acute traumatic effusions, thereby explaining the paradoxical clinical observation that patients with acute traumatic inflammatory joint effusions rarely develop chronic synovitis.

An assessment of antiseptic bladder washout solutions using a physical model of the catheterized bladder

The antibacterial activity of six antiseptic solutions formulated for use in bladder washout procedures has been examined in a simple model of the catheterized bladder. The experiments were carried out under conditions which examined the efficacy of the formulations against organisms that had recently contaminated the bladder urine. At cell densities of 10(4) cfu ml-1 all the solutions tested proved effective in eliminating bacteria from the bladder urine. Under conditions simulating heavy contamination (10(7)-10(8) cfu ml-1) however, only mandelic acid (1% w/v) eliminated the range of bacterial species commonly responsible for catheter-associated urinary tract infection.

Ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in patellar tendinitis

This prospective study describes the ultrasound, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging findings in 16 cases of patellar tendinitis. In all cases tendon enlargement and reduced echogenicity were visible on ultrasound. Computerized tomography demonstrated enlargement of the tendon with reduced attenuation of the central portion. Magnetic resonance imaging showed focal tendon enlargement in all patients with high signal lesions in 88% of cases. This study has shown that patellar tendinitis may be identified with all three modalities. Ultrasound is recommended as the initial investigation in the assessment of patients with this condition.

Lesions of the patellar ligament

We report 18 cases of pain and tenderness in the mid-part of the patellar ligament in athletes. The condition may be disabling, but it responds to surgery. Ultrasound and CT scans were positive in all 17 confirmed cases, but ultrasound gave a better distinction between the cysts, granulation tissue, metaplasia, mucoid degeneration and congenital defects found at operation.

The Stryker knee arthrometer in clinical practice

The Stryker knee arthrometer was assessed in the environment of a nonspecialized National Health Service clinic by junior doctors in training. Forty percent of proven anterior cruciate deficient knees had a measured anterior excursion of 2 mm or less compared with the normal side under the same circumstances. Twenty percent of normal knees tested showed more than this variation between knees when different observers were compared and also when the same observers were compared at three week intervals. There is thus a question about the use of this machine in a general orthopaedic clinic with different observers.

Aetiology of pulmonary dysfunction in total hip replacement operations. The influence of nifedipine on the factors involved

Patients undergoing total hip replacement surgery who developed pulmonary dysfunction (PD) demonstrated evidence of complement activation and increased thromboxane A2 (TXA2) synthesis. In a double-blind study nifedipine (Adalat; Bayer-Miles) was shown to inhibit complement activation and TXA2 synthesis and thus appears to offer protection against PD.

Severe rhesus iso-immunization successfully treated with apheresis and azathioprine. Report of 2 cases

Two patients are described in whom previous fetal loss had occurred due to rhesus (Rh) disease. In both patients apheresis was performed from a gestational age of 25 weeks in an attempt to remove excessive antibodies. In addition, production of new antibodies was suppressed by the administration of prednisone and azathioprine. A reduction in the antibody titres was accomplished although this was not reflected by a marked decrease in amniotic fluid bilirubin levels. The patients were delivered at gestational ages of 32 and 33 weeks since fetal lung maturity had then been demonstrated. Both babies were surprisingly little affected by the Rh disease and only one exchange transfusion was necessary for each. Neonatal follow-up for 2 years and 1 year respectively revealed no fetal abnormalities.

A nosocomial outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever at Tygerberg Hospital. Part I. Clinical features

Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a rare disease in South Africa. From 1981 to September 1984, 8 sporadic primary cases were reported. An outbreak of CCHF in a large university hospital is described; of 8 patients diagnosed 2 died (the index and a secondary case). Four patients were seriously ill and 2 had a mild illness. Problems were encountered in diagnosing the disease, which presents initially with influenza-like symptoms, differing only in severity from influenza. However, petechiae and other manifestations of a bleeding tendency distinguished it from influenza in the later phase of the disease. Special investigations, especially those revealing leucopenia and thrombocytopenia, were critically important in early diagnosis. The dilemma of handling this highly contagious disease is that definite virological diagnosis is time-consuming and is conducted in only one high-security laboratory 1600 km distant. A further case was admitted 3 months later from a different locality and confirmed virologically but no secondary cases could be confirmed or traced.