Shoulder range of motion in competitive tennis players: systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

To compare shoulder range of motion (ROM) in dominant vs. nondominant shoulder of competitive tennis players, and to determine whether shoulder ROM is different between younger and older players, or males and females.

Methods

A search was performed on PubMed, Embase, and Epistemonikos on December 18, 2023. This study conforms to the principles of the Cochrane Collaboration and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. Clinical studies or case reports on shoulder ROM including external rotation (ER; shoulder at 90° of abduction) and internal rotation (IR) in competitive, elite, or professional tennis players.

Results

We found 25 eligible studies that reported on a total of 18,534 tennis players, of which 20 studies reported the ROM for the dominant and nondominant side. Comparing dominant vs. nondominant shoulders revealed that dominant shoulders had significantly smaller IR (53.0° vs. 62.6°; P < .001). Comparing adults vs. children revealed that adults have significantly smaller IR (44.5° vs. 57.1°; P < .001) and ER (95.3° vs. 110.3°; P < .001). Comparing females vs. males revealed no significant differences in ER (113.4° vs. 104.9°; P = .360) or IR (54.3° vs. 56.4°; P = .710).

Conclusion

IR in shoulders of tennis players is significantly smaller in dominant vs. nondominant sides (53.0° vs. 62.6°, P < .001), and significantly smaller in adults vs. children (44.5° vs. 57.1°, P < .001). These findings could be relevant in the context of physical preparation and training of tennis players, to monitor evolution of IR as a result of their sport and/or as they transition from childhood to adulthood.

Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Tennis Players During the French Open Grand Slam Tournament From 2011 to 2022

Background

The epidemiology of musculoskeletal injuries at the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open tennis tournaments has been investigated in recent studies; however, there is no published literature on the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries at the French Open.

Purpose

To describe the incidence, location, and type of musculoskeletal injuries in tennis players during the French Open tournament from 2011 to 2022.

Study Design

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods

A review was performed of all injuries documented by a multidisciplinary medical team during the French Open from 2011 to 2022. All musculoskeletal injuries that occurred during the main draw of the female and male singles or doubles matches were included. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize the data. Injury locations were grouped into regions as well as into upper limb, trunk, and lower limb.

Results

In total, there were 750 injuries in 687 tennis players, resulting in a mean of 62.5 injuries per tournament; however, there were no obvious trends in injury incidence over the time frame evaluated. The number of injuries in female and male players was similar (392 vs 358, respectively). The most common injury regions were the thigh/hip/pelvis (n = 156), ankle/foot (n = 114), and spine (n = 103). The most common injury types were muscle-related (n = 244), tendon-related (n = 207), and joint-related (n = 163), and the most affected muscles were the adductors (n = 45), rectus abdominis (n = 38), and lumbar muscles (n = 25).

Conclusion

Over the 12-year period from 2011 to 2022 female and male players experienced similar numbers of musculoskeletal injuries, with most injuries occurring in the lower limbs compared with the upper limbs and trunk.

Well-being as a performance pillar: a holistic approach for monitoring tennis players

This perspective article aims to discuss the usefulness of tools that can assist tennis professionals effectively manage the well-being of their players. This includes identifying and monitoring meaningful metrics (i.e., training load, training intensity, heart rate variability), as well as careful planning of training and competition schedules with appropriate recovery periods. The use of innovative training methods (i.e., repeated-sprint training in hypoxia and heat training), and proper dietary practices, along with biometric assessment for young players, represents should be considered. Adopting a holistic approach to decision-making about training and competition, balancing both health and performance considerations, is crucial for tennis players and their support teams. More research is needed to refine best practices for enhancing tennis performance while prioritizing the well-being of players.

Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in the Treatment of a Phobic Disorder in a Patient with Down Syndrome and Early Alzheimer's Disease

Introduction

Down syndrome was clinically described the first time in France by Esquirol (1838) followed by Down (England, 1866), to the identification of a chromosomal abnormality in 1959 (trisomy 21), which is the most common abnormality in neurodevelopmental disorders. Life expectancy increased from 9 years in 1929 to 55 currently. This is a common cause of mental retardation, and few tools are suitable for the care of these patients, including patients with Alzheimer's disease (prevalence of 55% between 50 and 59) or depression (prevalence 30%). No study evaluates the effectiveness of cognitive and behavioral therapy (CBT) in patients with Down syndrome but it is known to be effective in Alzheimer's patients. Some cases have been reported on the efficacy of CBT on phobias in patients with intellectual disability.

Objectives and aims

To evaluate the efficacy of CBT in the treatment of a specific phobia in a patient with Down syndrome and early Alzheimer's disease.

Method

Literature review and clinical case of a 51-year-old patient, hospitalized under constraints for behavioral disorders (agitation, body treatments refusals).

Results

By adapting CBT techniques to the problem of intellectual disability, treatment against the phobia was effective with clinical improvement, which allowed a return home.

Conclusion

The tools provided by CBT are suitable for the treatment of anxiety disorders in patients with intellectual disability, especially in patients with Down syndrome. Psychiatric disorders are under-diagnosed in these patients and under-treated. CBT is an aid to the treatment. It may allow the dismantling of symptoms and reduce behavioral problems.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Validation of a predictive model coupling gas transfer and microbial growth in fresh food packed under modified atmosphere

Predicting microbial safety of fresh products in modified atmosphere packaging implies to take into account the dynamic of O2, CO2 and N2 exchanges in the system and its effect on microbial growth. In this paper a mechanistic model coupling gas transfer and predictive microbiology was validated using dedicated challenge-tests performed on poultry meat, fresh salmon and processed cheese, inoculated with either Listeria monocytogenes or Pseudomonas fluorescens and packed in commercially used packaging materials (tray + lid films). The model succeeded in predicting the relative variation of O2, CO2 and N2 partial pressure in headspace and the growth of the studied microorganisms without any parameter identification. This work highlighted that the respiration of the targeted microorganism itself and/or that of the naturally present microflora could not be neglected in most of the cases, and could, in the particular case of aerobic microbes contribute to limit the growth by removing all residual O2 in the package. This work also confirmed the low sensitivity of L. monocytogenes toward CO2 while that of P. fluorescens permitted to efficiently prevent its growth by choosing the right combination of packaging gas permeability value and initial % of CO2 initially flushed in the pack.

Mechanistic model coupling gas exchange dynamics and Listeria monocytogenes growth in modified atmosphere packaging of non respiring food

A mechanistic model coupling O2 and CO2 mass transfer (namely diffusion and solubilisation in the food itself and permeation through the packaging material) to microbial growth models was developed aiming at predicting the shelf life of modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) systems. It was experimentally validated on a non-respiring food by investigating concomitantly the O2/CO2 partial pressure in packaging headspace and the growth of Listeria monocytogenes (average microbial count) within the food sample. A sensitivity analysis has revealed that the reliability of the prediction by this "super-parametrized" model (no less than 47 parameters were required for running one simulation) was strongly dependent on the accuracy of the microbial input parameters. Once validated, this model was used to decipher the role of O2/CO2 mass transfer on microbial growth and as a MAP design tool: an example of MAP dimensioning was provided in this paper as a proof of concept.