Combined hormonal contraceptive use is not protective against musculoskeletal conditions or injuries: a systematic review with data from 5 million females

Considerations for the care of transgender patients in orthopaedics and sports medicine: a narrative review

Orthopaedic and sports medicine clinicians can improve outcomes for transgender patients by understanding the physiological effects of gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). This narrative review investigated the role of GAHT on bone mineral density, fracture risk, thromboembolic risk, cardiovascular health and ligament/tendon injury in this population. A search from the PubMed database using relevant terms was performed. Studies were included if they were levels 1-3 evidence. Due to the paucity of studies on ligament and tendon injury risk in transgender patients, levels 1-3 evidence on the effects of sex hormones in cisgender patients as well as basic science studies were included for these two topics. This review found that transgender patients on GAHT have an elevated fracture risk, but GAHT has beneficial effects on bone mineral density in transgender women. Transgender women on GAHT also have an increased risk of venous thromboembolism, stroke and myocardial infarction compared with cisgender women. Despite these elevated risks, studies have found it is safe to continue GAHT perioperatively for both transgender women and men undergoing low-risk operations. Orthopaedic and sports medicine clinicians should understand these unique health considerations for equitable patient care.

The Association Between Menstrual Cycle Phase, Menstrual Irregularities, Contraceptive Use and Musculoskeletal Injury Among Female Athletes: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

The influence of menstrual cycle phases (MCPs), menstrual irregularities (MI) and hormonal contraceptive (HC) use on injury among female athletes has been scrutinised. Existing systematic reviews investigating the effect of exposures affecting the endogenous reproductive hormone status on sporting injuries are limited in terms of the types of studies included and injuries investigated.

OBJECTIVE

This scoping review aims to summarise the coverage of the literature related to the extent, nature and characteristics of the influence of MCP, MI and HC use on musculoskeletal injuries among athletes. It also aims to summarise key concepts and definitions in the relevant literature. Observational and experimental studies investigating the effect of MCP, MI, and HC on musculoskeletal injuries among female individuals of reproductive age were included. Studies specifically stating pregnant women, perimenopausal/postmenopausal athletes, or those using medication (other than HC) that affects reproductive hormone profiles or the musculoskeletal system were excluded.

METHODS

This scoping review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping reviews and JBI scoping review guidelines. Published and unpublished studies were sourced from several databases and resources. Initial keywords used included terms related to "menstrual cycle", "hormonal contraception" and "injury." Titles and abstracts of identified citations were screened independently and assessed for eligibility by two independent reviewers. Data from the included studies were extracted using a standard data extraction form.

RESULTS

The search yielded 10,696 articles, of which 96 met the eligibility criteria. Most studies investigated MI (77%), and 49% included MCP as a contributing injury risk factor. Publications have increased over the last two decades. Collectively, only 16% of research has been conducted in Africa, Asia and Oceania. There were no studies from South America. Seventy-five percent of the studies investigated individual versus team (25%) sport athletes. Most studies only investigated elite or professional (n = 24; 25%) level athletes. The definitions of injury, eumenorrhea and MI differ vastly among studies. Regarding MI, most studies (69%) investigated secondary amenorrhea, followed by oligomenorrhea (51%) and primary amenorrhea (43%). Concerning HC, the influence of oral contraceptive pills was mainly investigated.

CONCLUSIONS

Research related to MCP, MI and HC as contributing musculoskeletal injury risk factors is increasing; however, several gaps have been identified, including research from countries other than North America and Europe, the study population being non-professional/elite level athletes, athletes participating in team sports and specific injuries related to MCP, MI and HC, respectively. Differences in methodology and terminology of injury, MCP and MI hinder comparative summative research, and future research should consider current published guidelines during the study design. Identifying barriers to following standard guidelines or research investigating the most practical yet accurate methods to investigate the influence of MCP on musculoskeletal health might yield valuable insights for future research designs.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

Scoping review registration number: Open Science Framework ( https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/5GWBV ).

Influence of the Menstrual Cycle and Training on the Performance of a Perturbed Single-Leg Squatting Task in Female Collegiate Athletes

Background

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries often occur when an athlete experiences an unexpected disruption, or perturbation, during sports. ACL injury rates may also be influenced by the menstrual cycle.

Purpose

To determine whether training adaptations to knee control and muscle activity during a perturbed single-leg squatting (SLS) task depend on menstrual cycle phase in female athletes.

Study Design

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods

A total of 21 healthy female collegiate athletes (current or former [<3 years]) who competed in 9 different sports performed an SLS task in which they attempted to match their knee position (user signal) to a target signal. The protocol consisted of a 9-condition pretest, 5 sets of 3 training trials, and a 9-condition posttest. One perturbation was delivered in each condition by altering the resistance of the device. Sagittal knee control (absolute error between the target signal and user signal) was assessed using a potentiometer. Muscle activity during perturbed squat cycles was normalized to maximal activation and to corresponding muscle activity during unperturbed squat cycles (%unperturbed) within the same test condition. Athletes performed the protocol during a distinct menstrual cycle phase (early follicular [EF], late follicular [LF], midluteal [ML]). Two-way mixed analysis of variance was used to determine the effects of the menstrual cycle and training on knee control and muscle activity during task performance. Venous blood was collected for hormonal analysis, and a series of health questionnaires and anthropometric measures were also assessed to determine differences among the menstrual cycle groups.

Results

After training, athletes demonstrated better knee control during the perturbed squat cycles (lower absolute error, P < .001) and greater soleus feedback responses to the perturbation (%unperturbed, P = .035). Better knee control was demonstrated in the ML phase versus the EF phase during unperturbed and perturbed squat cycles (P < .039 for both). Quadriceps activation was greater in the ML phase compared with the EF and LF phases, both immediately before and after the perturbation (P < .001 for all).

Conclusion

Athletes learned to improve knee control during the perturbed performance regardless of menstrual cycle phase. The best knee control and greatest quadriceps activation during the perturbed squatting task was found in the ML phase.

Clinical Relevance

These findings may correspond to a lower incidence of ACL injury in the luteal phase and alterations in exercise performance across the menstrual cycle.

Engineering Innervated Musculoskeletal Tissues for Regenerative Orthopedics and Disease Modeling

Musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders significantly burden patients and society, resulting in high healthcare costs and productivity loss. These disorders are the leading cause of physical disability, and their prevalence is expected to increase as sedentary lifestyles become common and the global population of the elderly increases. Proper innervation is critical to maintaining MSK function, and nerve damage or dysfunction underlies various MSK disorders, underscoring the potential of restoring nerve function in MSK disorder treatment. However, most MSK tissue engineering strategies have overlooked the significance of innervation. This review first expounds upon innervation in the MSK system and its importance in maintaining MSK homeostasis and functions. This will be followed by strategies for engineering MSK tissues that induce post-implantation in situ innervation or are pre-innervated. Subsequently, research progress in modeling MSK disorders using innervated MSK organoids and organs-on-chips (OoCs) is analyzed. Finally, the future development of engineering innervated MSK tissues to treat MSK disorders and recapitulate disease mechanisms is discussed. This review provides valuable insights into the underlying principles, engineering methods, and applications of innervated MSK tissues, paving the way for the development of targeted, efficacious therapies for various MSK conditions.