Rib impingement in first class cricketers: case reports of two patients who underwent rib resection

Abdominal oblique muscle injury at its junction with the thoracolumbar fascia in a high school baseball player presenting with unilateral low back pain

Abdominal oblique muscle injury is characterized by acute pain and localized tenderness over the lateral trunk. This injury is particularly common among throwing athletes, and usually presents as anterolateral abdominal wall pain. Imaging evidence is scarce in regard to whether oblique muscle injury at its junction with the thoracolumbar fascia can instead present with low back pain. A high school baseball player with unilateral low back pain was referred to us with a different diagnosis.　Careful palpation and magnetic resonance imaging guided our care, and the patient returned to high-level competition after 7 weeks of conservative treatment, with no report of recurrence in the subsequent 12 months. Oblique muscle injury at its junction with the thoracolumbar fascia should be added to the differential diagnosis for throwing athletes with unilateral low back pain following a torque movement.

Trunk Side Strain Has a High Incidence in First-Class Cricket Fast Bowlers in Australia and England

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the past incidence of side strain injury and its associated factors in first-class cricket fast bowlers in Australia and England.

DESIGN

Retrospective case series.

SETTING

Professional cricket.

PARTICIPANTS

Cricket fast bowlers who were professionally contracted full time at first-class level in Australia and England in 2011. All bowlers were male and aged 18 or older. A bowler was defined as a fast bowler if the wicketkeeper would take their stance back from the stumps. There were 207 participants.

INTERVENTIONS

Not applicable.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The association between bowling arm, player height, active trunk lateral flexion range of motion, side bridge endurance, volume of first-class cricket played, and the history of injury was determined.

RESULTS

Over half of the bowlers had sustained at least 1 side strain in their career. Seventy-seven percent of primary injuries occurred in bowlers aged 24 or under. A higher proportion of injured bowlers had reached first-class volume in their career. Recurrence occurred in 30% of bowlers, with over 30% of these bowlers sustaining at least 1 further recurrence. Nearly half of all recurrences occurred within 2 years with a further quarter in the next year. The injury was not associated with any measured factors.

CONCLUSIONS

Side strain is a common injury among first-class cricket fast bowlers, especially at younger ages. It was associated with the volume of first-class cricket played. Recurrence was common and occurred most frequently in the first 2 years after primary injury.

Medical Attention Injuries in Cricket: A Systematic Review of Case Reports

BACKGROUND

Cricket, classified as noncontact game, has been shown to be associated with increased incidence of injury. Further the recent consensus update in cricket injury surveillance have updated the injury definitions which includes "Medical Attention" injuries. The purpose of this review was to systematically review the various case reports and studies reporting injuries in the game of cricket that fall under the gambit of medical attention injuries.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A systematic review was conducted online using PubMed and Google Scholar, as per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Metaanalyses guidelines. Predefined eligibility criteria were applied, and the data thus compiled were analysed.

RESULTS

A total of 32 studies reporting 43 players including 42 males and 1 female were included in the review. Bowling injuries were the most commonly reported injury. Impact injury was the most common mode with acute presentation in batting and fielding injury, whereas it was gradual onset mode with chronic presentation in bowling injuries. Head and neck injuries were the most common in batting injuries while extremity injuries were common in fielding and bowling injuries. No injuries were reported in umpires.

CONCLUSION

The evidence provided, although not sufficient for any recommendation, it should alert the physicians and those concerned with the primary care of the cricketers to be vigilant of the eccentricity and severity of the injuries, their atypical presentation, mode, mechanism and trend, thereby being prepared for the unexpected presentations.

Side strain in sport: a narrative review of pathomechanics, diagnosis, imaging and management for the clinician

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of the published literature on epidemiology, pathomechanics and risk factors for side strain injury in sport, complemented by clinical perspectives of diagnosis and management strategies that are not covered in the literature.

DESIGN

Narrative review METHODS: A review of the literature was completed with all studies on side strain up until October 2015 included. As the studies were unable to be synthesised the findings were placed in a clinical context. As there were no papers on the management of side strain a clinical perspective from cricket was included.

RESULTS

Literature on side strain in sport is sparse with only nine papers dedicated to the injury. These comprise epidemiology, case studies, small case series and clinical reviews on imaging, injection and surgery. The epidemiology demonstrates that side strain is most commonly associated with cricket and baseball. Side strain typically occurs acutely mostly on the side contralateral to the dominant arm in athletes. Diagnosis is clinical with consistent imaging features that typically demonstrate a tear of the internal oblique from the lower ribs. Recovery periods can be prolonged and recurrence may occur. There has been no research on the management of side strain and the relationship between clinical assessment and imaging findings and time to return to play or risk of recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Side strain injury is prevalent in cricket and baseball. Recovery is extended and recurrence may occur. Incidence appears to be increasing. Knowledge on side strain is limited.