The oral contraceptive pill: a revolution for sportswomen?
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OBJECTIVES: To determine the effects of the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) on skeletal health, soft tissue injury, and performance in female athletes. METHODS: A literature review was performed using literature retrieval methods to locate relevant studies. RESULTS: Most female athletes primarily choose to use the OCP for contraceptive purposes, but cycle manipulation and control of premenstrual symptoms are secondary advantages of its use. The effect of the OCP on bone density in normally menstruating women is unclear, with some studies reporting no effect, others a positive effect, and some even a negative effect. The OCP is often prescribed for the treatment of menstrual disturbances in female athletes, and improvements in bone density may result. Whether the OCP influences the risk of stress fracture and soft tissue injuries is not clear from research to date. Effects of the OCP on performance are particularly relevant for elite sportswomen. Although a reduction in Vo2MAX has been reported in some studies, this may not necessarily translate to impaired performance in the field. Moreover, some studies claim that the OCP may well enhance performance by reducing premenstrual symptoms and menstrual blood loss. A fear of weight gain with the use of the OCP is not well founded, as population studies report no effect on weight, particularly with the lower dose pills currently available. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the advantages of the pill for sportswomen would appear to outweigh any potential disadvantages. Nevertheless, there is individual variation in response to the OCP and these should be taken into account and monitored in the clinical situation. Women should be counselled as to the range of potential benefits and disadvantages in order to make an informed decision based on individual circumstances. (+info)
Safety of the limited open technique of bone-transfixing threaded-pin placement for external fixation of distal radial fractures: a cadaver study.
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OBJECTIVE: To examine the safety of threaded-pin placement for fixation of distal radial fractures using a limited open approach. DESIGN: A cadaver study. METHODS: Four-millimetre Schanz threaded pins were inserted into the radius and 3-mm screw pins into the second metacarpal of 20 cadaver arms. Each threaded pin was inserted in the dorsoradial oblique plane through a limited open, 5- to 10-mm longitudinal incision. Open exploration of the threaded-pin sites was then carried out. OUTCOME MEASURES: Injury to nerves, muscles and tendons and the proximity of these structures to the threaded pins. RESULTS: There were no injuries to the extensor tendons, superficial radial or lateral antebrachial nerves of the forearm, or to the soft tissues overlying the metacarpal. The lateral antebrachial nerve was the closest nerve to the radial pins and a branch of the superficial radial nerve was closest to the metacarpal pins. The superficial radial nerve was not close to the radial pins. CONCLUSION: Limited open threaded-pin fixation of distal radial fractures in the dorsolateral plane appears to be safe. (+info)
Prevention of skin and soft tissue entrapment in tibial segment transportation.
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We report of a ten year old patient with soft tissue damage and bone defect of the tibia as a sequel of osteomyelitis. After excision and stabilization with an Ilizarov fixateur segment transportation was started. In order to avoid skin and soft tissue entrapment in the docking region, we used a metal cage as a space provider, which was shortened as segment transportation progressed. To our knowledge this simple method has not been described so far. (+info)
Acute compartment syndrome. Who is at risk?
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We have analysed associated factors in 164 patients with acute compartment syndrome whom we treated over an eight-year period. In 69% there was an associated fracture, about half of which were of the tibial shaft. Most patients were men, usually under 35 years of age. Acute compartment syndrome of the forearm, with associated fracture of the distal end of the radius, was again seen most commonly in young men. Injury to soft tissues, without fracture, was the second most common cause of the syndrome and one-tenth of the patients had a bleeding disorder or were taking anticoagulant drugs. We found that young patients, especially men, were at risk of acute compartment syndrome after injury. When treating such injured patients, the diagnosis should be made early, utilising measurements of tissue pressure. (+info)
A pilot study examining injuries in elite gaelic footballers.
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OBJECTIVES: To quantify injuries in elite gaelic footballers and to determine the nature, sites, and outcome of injuries and the possible risk factors involved. METHODS: Information on injuries was collected from six elite gaelic football teams by a questionnaire. The footballers were asked to recall injuries over the preceding six month period. RESULTS: A total of 88 out of 107 subjects sustained injuries over the study period. Ninety five injuries were recorded, giving an incidence rate of 1.78 injuries per subject per year, of which 35% were recurring. It was found that 35% of injuries were sustained during training sessions. Lower body injuries predominated (77%), the ankle being the most commonly injured anatomic site. Most injuries were soft tissue in nature: muscle, 33%; ligament, 32%; tendon, 16%. The most common situations giving rise to injuries were collision (22%) and twist/turn (19%). Foul play only accounted for about 6% of injuries. Mean time off play as a result of injury was 17.3 days, and hospital admission was necessary for 15% of the injuries. CONCLUSION: Despite the limitations of a retrospective of this nature, the study provides useful and important information on injuries in gaelic footballers. (+info)
The female reproductive cycle is an important variable in the response to trauma-hemorrhage.
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Although immune functions in proestrus females are maintained after hemorrhage as opposed to decreased responses in males, it remains unknown whether such a sexual dimorphism also exists with regard to cardiovascular and hepatocellular functions under those conditions. To study this, male and female (estrus and proestrus) rats underwent a 5-cm midline laparotomy and were bled to and maintained at a mean blood pressure of 40 mmHg until 40% of the maximal bleed-out volume was returned in the form of Ringer lactate (RL). Rats were then resuscitated with four times the shed blood volume with RL. At 24 h thereafter, cardiac index; heart performance; hepatocellular function; and plasma estradiol, testosterone, and prolactin levels were measured. Cardiovascular and hepatocellular functions were depressed in males and estrus females (P < 0.05) but were not depressed in proestrus females after resuscitation. Plasma estradiol and prolactin levels were highest in proestrus females (P < 0.05), whereas males had high testosterone and the lowest estradiol levels (P < 0.05). Thus the female reproductive cycle is an important variable in the response to hemorrhage. Because low testosterone and high estradiol and prolactin levels appear to be beneficial for organ functions after trauma-hemorrhage, antagonism of testosterone receptors and/or increases in estradiol and prolactin levels in males and estrus females, respectively, may be novel approaches for improving organ functions under such conditions. (+info)
Audit of open tibial diaphyseal fracture management at a district accident centre.
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Preston Acute Hospital is a designated district accident centre with a 24 h flying squad and on-site plastic and orthopaedic units. We performed a retrospective 5-year survey of open tibial shaft fracture management at our unit and compared our treatment to the guidelines of the British Orthopaedic Association (BOA) and British Association of Plastic Surgeons (BAPS). Deficiencies were highlighted and changes in practice made. We then re-audited our figures over an 18-month period to see if clinical improvements had been made. The audit demonstrated an incidence of open tibial shaft fractures of 15 per 50,000 new patients per year in accident and emergency. Gustilo grading, and thus full appreciation of soft tissues injury, was being underestimated, with 8% of the injuries undergraded at the time of surgery: 17% of Gustilo IIIA and 85% Gustilo IIIB required flap cover. Seventy-four percent of patients received their first orthopaedic procedure within the recommended 6 h of admission, but despite the on-site plastics unit, only 50% of cases in the initial survey had their soft tissue defect covered by the recommended 5 days. After changes to practice, 80% patients received their first orthopaedic procedure within the recommended 6 h of admission, and all had their soft tissue defect covered within 5 days; 5% of cases required fasciotomy to relieve compartment syndrome. We highlight features to alert the high energy (Gustilo III) status and recommend immediate involvement of plastic surgical colleagues with these injuries. We also highlight a high incidence of compartment syndrome in the young male patient with the lower energy Gustilo I injury. (+info)
Clostridium novyi infection: a fatal association with injecting drug users.
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Injecting drug users frequently use accident and emergency (A&E) departments to access emergency care for local and systemic infections. Clostridium novyi type A is a bacterium that has recently been associated with a number of fatalities among drug injecting addicts. The clinical course is described of a patient who attended an A&E department with septicaemia who was found at postmortem examination to have been infected with Clostridium novyi type A. Doctors working in A&E departments should be aware of the existence of this infection and be vigilant when treating injecting drug users with localised infection. (+info)