Interventions used for Rehabilitation and Prevention of Patellar Tendinopathy in athletes: a survey of Brazilian Sports Physical Therapists

Stretch & exercise education improves pain levels in under-resourced collegiate club lacrosse players

PURPOSE

Club sports are competitive, intercollegiate athletics that are not affiliated with the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Club athletes may be at increased risk of injury compared to their NCAA counterparts due to limited resources, such as reduced access to strength and conditioning coaches and athletic trainers. Research has shown that injury-prevention education, as typically provided by coaches and trainers, can reduce injury rates and promote athlete compliance with safety practices.

OBJECTIVE

This prospective cohort study investigates the impact of educational interventions on pain levels and injury rates in club collegiate men's lacrosse athletes.

DESIGN

Investigators conducted an educational session on injury prevention, which included instruction on stretches and exercises. The treatment group included 66 athletes, while 46 athletes served as the control group.

RESULTS

Pain levels significantly decreased by 1.549 (out of a self-reported scale of 10) (35.11%) (p = 0.0001). Although the average number of practices and games missed due to injury decreased by 0.579 in the treatment group compared to the control, this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.5970).

CONCLUSION

Educational interventions focused on injury-prevention stretches and exercises appear to be effective in reducing pain among club athletes. While the reduction in missed practices and games was not statistically significant, these findings suggest that such educational programs may help mitigate injuries in under-resourced athletes. Further exploration of strategies to enhance these interventions and decrease injuries among club athletes is warranted.

Patellar Tendon Load Progression during Rehabilitation Exercises: Implications for the Treatment of Patellar Tendon Injuries

PURPOSE

This study aimed to evaluate patellar tendon loading profiles (loading index, based on loading peak, loading impulse, and loading rate) of rehabilitation exercises to develop clinical guidelines to incrementally increase the rate and magnitude of patellar tendon loading during rehabilitation.

METHODS

Twenty healthy adults (10 females/10 males, 25.9 ± 5.7 yr) performed 35 rehabilitation exercises, including different variations of squats, lunge, jumps, hops, landings, running, and sports specific tasks. Kinematic and kinetic data were collected, and a patellar tendon loading index was determined for each exercise using a weighted sum of loading peak, loading rate, and cumulative loading impulse. Then the exercises were ranked, according to the loading index, into tier 1 (loading index ≤0.33), tier 2 (0.33 < loading index <0.66), and tier 3 (loading index ≥0.66).

RESULTS

The single-leg decline squat showed the highest loading index (0.747). Other tier 3 exercises included single-leg forward hop (0.666), single-leg countermovement jump (0.711), and running cut (0.725). The Spanish squat was categorized as a tier 2 exercise (0.563), as was running (0.612), double-leg countermovement jump (0.610), single-leg drop vertical jump (0.599), single-leg full squat (0.580), double-leg drop vertical jump (0.563), lunge (0.471), double-leg full squat (0.428), single-leg 60° squat (0.411), and Bulgarian squat (0.406). Tier 1 exercises included 20 cm step up (0.187), 20 cm step down (0.288), 30 cm step up (0.321), and double-leg 60° squat (0.224).

CONCLUSIONS

Three patellar tendon loading tiers were established based on a combination of loading peak, loading impulse, and loading rate. Clinicians may use these loading tiers as a guide to progressively increase patellar tendon loading during the rehabilitation of patients with patellar tendon disorders and after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the bone-patellar tendon-bone graft.

Educational intervention promotes injury prevention adherence in club collegiate men's lacrosse athletes

CONTEXT

Club sports are intercollegiate athletics that are student-led and not university-funded, many of which are without professional credentialing. Collegiate club athletes have an increased rate of injury compared to their NCAA counterparts. Education and implementation of stretching and strength training have demonstrated decreased rates of noncontact injuries.

OBJECTIVES

Educational intervention was given to club collegiate athletes to determine its effect on injury rates, perceived pain, and compliance toward injury-prevention practices.

METHODS

Intramural collegiate athletes were educated on injury prevention that focused on targeted stretching. Surveys designed to assess the impact of the education were distributed to three men's club lacrosse teams in Utah at the beginning and end of the season. The questions measured pain and time missed due to noncontact injury.

RESULTS

Two-tailed unpaired t tests demonstrated p values <0.05 for: overall decreased levels of pain (p<0.0001); increased range of motion (ROM, p<0.0001); increased frequency of stretching the muscle groups psoas (p<0.0001), calves (p=0.0081), and piriformis (p<0.0001); decreased pain levels for the hamstring (p=0.0274); and increased frequency of stretching after practice (p<0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

The increased frequency of stretching suggests increased compliance toward injury prevention practices. Decreased self-reported levels of overall pain, and decreased pain in the hamstring, show that the subjects surveyed in the sample reported less pain and increased time stretching at the end of the season compared with the beginning of the season. Educational intervention offers an affordable measure to provide club collegiate athletes with resources to reduce injury rates through athlete compliance to targeted stretches.

Are Current Prophylactic Programs Effective in Preventing Patellar Tendinopathy in Athletes and Recruits? A Meta-Analysis and Trial Sequential Analysis

CONTEXT

Patellar tendinopathy (PT), or jumper's knee, is a chronic painful overuse patellar tendon injury. For PT, prevention is more important than treatment. However, there is still a lack of strong evidence to confirm the effectiveness of prevention.

OBJECTIVE

This study will analyze by meta-analysis the effect of a prophylactic program on high PT risk people (but without PT) in reducing PT occurrence.

DATA SOURCES

PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, and Ebscohost, from inception to January 11, 2022.

STUDY SELECTION

A study comparing the effects of prophylactic programs and controls on the risk of PT was included in the analysis. After a database search with search terms ((patellar tendinopathy) OR (jumper's knee) OR (patellar tendinitis) OR (patellar tendinosis) OR (patellar tendonitis)) AND ((Prevent*) OR (prophyla*)), a total of 1444 items were obtained. Of these, 11 studies with 6091 participants were eligible for inclusion in this meta-analysis.

STUDY DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 2.

DATA EXTRACTION

The first author's name, publication year, study design, country, population, mean age, sex, prophylactic program, control, study duration, and the frequency or incidence of PT in each group were extracted.

RESULTS

A total of 11 articles were included in the analysis. Overall, no significant difference was considered in the risk of PT between the prophylactic program and control groups based on the random-effect model (odds ratio [OR], 0.85; 95% CI, 0.67, 1.08; P = 0.18). In the recruit subgroup, there was even a tendency to elevate the risk of PT occurrence after prophylaxis was executed (OR, 1.89; 95% CI, 0.68, 5.28; P = 0.22). In athletes, the prophylactic program tended to decrease the risk of PT compared with the control (OR, 0.81; 95% CI, 0.63, 1.04; P = 0.10); however, the difference was not statistically significant. Trial sequential analysis results suggested that prophylaxis may still be effective for athletes, but this needs to be confirmed with a larger sample size.

CONCLUSION

The risk of PT cannot be reduced with the current prophylactic program. However, for athletes, the negative results may be due to insufficient sample size.

Knowledge and use of extrinsic feedback characteristics: A survey of current practice among Brazilian physical therapists

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to identify the knowledge about the different characteristics of and the use of extrinsic feedback (EF) by Brazilian physical therapists.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study, and we used an internet-based survey with questions about knowledge and application of extrinsic feedback in clinical practice. We analyzed the responses in relation to the best available evidence on motor control and learning. We recruited Brazilian registered physical therapists from different regions in Brazil. Participants' demographics and survey responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Two hundred and forty-six Brazilian physical therapists participated in the study. Most participants affirmed not knowing the definition of EF (55.69%), confirmed using some form of EF in their clinical practice (86.59%), and reported using it in 50% to 90% of their patients (26.42%). Brazilian physical therapists reported using mainly summary feedback (69.10%) with external focus of attention (63.41%). Participants reported using concurrent feedback (82.83%) and delivered it after every exercise repetition (63.82%). Most participants (43.09%) did not assess learning retention. Answers were similar regardless of education level or time from graduation.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this survey suggest that Brazilian physical therapists do not have sufficient knowledge about the different characteristics of EF; however, they do consider EF useful and use it for most of their patients. Brazilian physical therapists adopted adequate content characteristics of EF but not adequate use of timing characteristics of EF.

Interventions used by Brazilian physiotherapists in the rehabilitation of patellofemoral pain: A web-based survey

BACKGROUND

No studies have evaluated whether interventions used by Brazilian physiotherapists for the treatment of patellofemoral pain (PFP) are in line with the best existing scientific evidence.

OBJECTIVES

Identify the interventions most commonly used by Brazilian physiotherapists for the rehabilitation of PFP and determine whether characteristics of physiotherapists and knowledge regarding evidence-based practice (EBP) influence the choice of interventions.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional web-based survey.

METHODS

Brazilian physiotherapists who treat patients with PFP participated in the study. Characteristics of the participants, information regarding EBP and interventions used in the treatment of PFP were collected through an online questionnaire. Descriptive analysis of the data was performed. Logistic regression analysis was employed to investigate associations between the interventions and both the characteristics of the physiotherapists and their knowledge regarding EBP.

RESULTS

One hundred and ninety-four physiotherapists completed the questionnaire, 97.4% of whom reported using combined hip and quadriceps strengthening exercises, whereas only 25.3% reported using foot orthoses. A significant number of physiotherapists also reported using interventions that are not recommended (such as patellar mobilization, lumbar, hip and knee mobilization/manipulation and biophysical agents). Physiotherapists with a master's or doctoral degree and those who were aware of clinical practice guidelines were respectively 2.57-fold and 3.81-fold more likely to use recommended interventions.

CONCLUSION

Most Brazilian physiotherapists choose interventions that are in line with current scientific evidence. However, a significant number also use interventions that are not recommended for the treatment of PFP.

Autoregulation in Resistance Training for Lower Limb Tendinopathy: A Potential Method for Addressing Individual Factors, Intervention Issues, and Inadequate Outcomes

Musculoskeletal disorders, such as tendinopathy, are placing an increasing burden on society and health systems. Tendinopathy accounts for up to 30% of musculoskeletal disorders, with a high incidence in athletes and the general population. Although resistance training has shown short-term effectiveness in the treatment of lower limb tendinopathy, more comprehensive exercise protocols and progression methods are required due to poor long-term outcomes. The most common resistance training protocols are predetermined and standardized, which presents significant limitations. Current standardized protocols do not adhere to scientific resistance training principles, consider individual factors, or take the importance of individualized training into account. Resistance training programs in case of tendinopathy are currently not achieving the required intensity and dosage, leading to high recurrence rates. Therefore, better methods for individualizing and progressing resistance training are required to improve outcomes. One potential method is autoregulation, which allows individuals to progress training at their own rate, taking individual factors into account. Despite the finding of their effectiveness in increasing the strength of healthy athletes, autoregulation methods have not been investigated in case of tendinopathy. The purpose of this narrative review was 3-fold: firstly, to give an overview and a critical analysis of the individual factors involved in tendinopathy and current resistance training protocols and their limitations. Secondly, to give an overview of the history, methods, and application of autoregulation strategies both in sports performance and physiotherapy. Finally, a theoretical adaptation of a current tendinopathy resistance training protocol using autoregulation methods is presented, providing an example of how the method could be implemented in clinical practice or future research.

Current clinical practice and return-to-sport criteria after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a survey of Brazilian physical therapists

BACKGROUND

Adherence to the use of recommended measures/criteria for return to sport clearance after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is crucial for successful rehabilitation.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to describe the current clinical practice of Brazilian physical therapists that treat patients after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, including the measures/criteria used to support the decision-making process regarding return to sport. The secondary aim was to investigate factors associated with the use of the most recommended measures/criteria for return to sport.

METHODS

An electronic survey questionnaire was sent to Brazilian physical therapists. The survey consisted of questions about demographics and professional and clinical practice data related to anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction postoperative rehabilitation and return to sport criteria. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used for analyses.

RESULTS

A sample of 439 professionals participated in the survey. Only 6.4% of the physical therapists use the most recommended measures/criteria for return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Professional certification in Sports Physical Therapy was the only factor associated with the use of these recommended measures/criteria (p=0.02). The measures most used for return to sport clearance were related to physical factors (65.3% to 75.1%), such as range of motion and muscle strength. A small number of professionals use questionnaires to assess functional (16.6%) and psychological (19.1%) aspects of their patients to support the decision-making process.

CONCLUSION

In their clinical practice, most Brazilian physical therapists do not use the recommended measures/criteria for return to sport after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.