Pediatric sports physicals

BACKGROUND: Acute posterior sternoclavicular joint injuries are rare but potentially lethal injuries-signs of mediastinal compression range from nonspecific to neurovascular compromise. Currently, orthopaedic experts recommend a cardiothoracic surgeon be placed on standby during open surgery for potential intraoperative complications. However, few studies have reported on how often cardiothoracic intervention is required. METHODS: First, we identified patients in our institution by CPT codes 23530, 23525, and 23532 from January 1, 2002 to May 1, 2023...

BACKGROUND: Monitoring of training load is done to improve physical performance and minimize the incidence of injuries. The study examined the correlation between accumulated training load parameters based on periods with maturity (i.e., maturity offset and peak height velocity -PHV- and wellness variables -e.g., stress and sleep quality-). The second aim was to analyze the multi-linear regression between the above indicators. METHODS: Twenty elite young U14 soccer players (M = 13...

BACKGROUND: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a joint disorder predominantly affecting the knee, elbow, and ankle of children and adolescents. This comprehensive review delves into the epidemiology, etiology, clinical manifestations, diagnostic approaches, and treatment of OCD. RESULTS: The most common cause of OCD is repetitive microtrauma, typically associated with sports activities, alongside other significant factors such as genetic predisposition, ischemia, and obesity...

(1) Background: The influence of different factors on balance in adolescence is assessed by conducting functional balance tests that examine its different components. (2) Materials and methods: The study sample comprised 110 healthy adolescents of both sexes, aged 12-18 years. Single Leg Stance with Eyes Open (SLS-EO) and Eyes Closed (SLS-EC) tests were conducted to evaluate static balance, whereas the Functional Reach Test (FRT) and Lateral Reach Test (LRT) were performed to establish functional stability limits...

This comparative study investigates the effectiveness of two teaching methods, individual verbal encouragement and collective verbal encouragement, in enhancing the technical-tactical skills and mood state of obese students during handball matches. This study employs a randomized controlled design and involves 28 overweight students (50% females), age: 17.4 ± 2.08 years and BMI: 26.8 ± 1.5 for females and 27.3 ± 2.1 for males. Technical-tactical skills are assessed through performance metrics (individual evaluation proposal by Gréhaigne) such as Ball Played (BP), Conquered Ball (CB), Lost Ball (LB), Shoots/Goals, Conservation index, and defensive index, while mood states are evaluated using pre- and post-tests (BRUMS Scale)...

OBJECTIVE: Assess inter- and intra-rater reliability of the Qualitative Analysis of Single Leg Squat (QASLS) during a single-leg triple hop landing in subjects following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Explore if differences in reliability existed between novice and experienced clinicians. Determine if QASLS scores differed between the surgical and nonsurgical limbs. DESIGN: Repeated Measures. PARTICIPANTS: 20 subjects ≥6 months post-ACLR...

BACKGROUND: Increasing strength through weightlifting has become a core component of competitive sports training, recreational exercise programs, and school physical education classes. Although many health benefits exist, there is concern for injury, especially with improper supervision and accelerated progression of training loads. Though organizations have advocated safe training practices, trends in the national health burden of injuries, specifically fractures, associated with weightlifting in the adolescent population have not been investigated...

BACKGROUND: Concussion in children and adolescents is a significant public health concern, with 30% to 35% of patients at risk for prolonged emotional, cognitive, sleep, or physical symptoms. These symptoms negatively impact a child's quality of life while interfering with their participation in important neurodevelopmental activities such as schoolwork, socializing, and sports. Early psychological intervention following a concussion may improve the ability to regulate emotions and adapt to postinjury symptoms, resulting in the greater acceptance of change; reduced stress; and recovery of somatic, emotional, and cognitive symptoms...

BACKGROUND: Sports practice during adolescence is important to enhance bone development, although it may provide different effects depending on the mechanical impact present in the sport. Besides, resistance training (RT) may also induce bone changes directly (via muscle contractions) and indirectly (via myokines). However, there have been no studies analyzing the longitudinal influence of engaging in sport with and without added mechanical load. Thus, this study aims to analyze the combined effects of sports participation and resistance training on areal bone mineral density (aBMD) accrual in adolescent athletes participating in swimming and impact sports for 12-months...

OBJECTIVE: Understand the perspectives of children who survived acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and their parents to adapt a guideline-based, family-based, intensive health behavior and lifestyle intervention treatment for this population. METHODS: Nine children 8-17 years of age [median = 12 years (IQR 10-16), median years off treatment = 5 (2-7)] who survived ALL and eleven parents participated in focus groups to assess perceptions of weight, weight-related behaviors, and perceived barriers to FBT...

BACKGROUND: The recognition of comorbidities is relevant for asthma management, especially if these conditions/diseases are treatable traits such as anxiety. This study aimed to explore the associations between asthma severity and child and parent asthma-related anxiety and to recognize the most common specific fears. METHODS: This cross-sectional study consisted of 150 parents and their children diagnosed with asthma, and was conducted at the Pediatric Clinic of the University Hospital Center Split in Croatia...

Tibial tubercle avulsion fractures, though rare, pose a significant challenge in pediatric orthopedics, particularly in athletic adolescents. For nondisplaced fractures, conservative treatment involves the use of braces or casts, while displaced fractures necessitate operative intervention, often through screw fixation. Concomitant soft tissue injuries should also be identified and addressed operatively to ensure complete repair of the extensor mechanism. This paper introduces a method for open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of tibial tubercle fractures with suture anchor repair of the distal patellar tendon avulsion...

BACKGROUND: Although stress fractures of the distal femur are rare, symptoms can overlap with other peri-articular knee pathology, delaying diagnosis. Untreated stress fractures have the potential to progress into completed fractures with a higher likelihood for requiring surgery and longer recovery times in otherwise healthy adolescents and young adults. This case series represents the largest cohort of adolescent athletes with distal femoral stress fractures who presented with activity-related knee pain...

INTRODUCTION:  The aim of this study is to compare data on the incidence of pediatric orbital fractures before the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and during the period of the pandemic in the Japanese population. METHODS: This retrospective, single-center, observational study including 225 patients (226 sides) aged ≤ 18 years old diagnosed with orbital fracture was conducted in our institution from March 2017 to April 2023. The study compared the incidence of pediatric orbital fractures in the pre-pandemic period from March 2017 to March 2020 and during the pandemic from April 2020 to April 2023...

Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) is characterized by the narrowing of airways during or after physical activity, leading to symptoms such as wheezing, coughing, and shortness of breath. Distinguishing between EIB and exercise-induced asthma (EIA) is essential, given their divergent therapeutic and prognostic considerations. EIB has been increasingly recognized as a significant concern in pediatric athletes. Moreover, studies indicate a noteworthy prevalence of EIB in children with atopic predispositions, unveiling a potential link between allergic sensitivities and exercise-induced respiratory symptoms, underpinned by an inflammatory reaction caused by mechanical, environmental, and genetic factors...

Concussion is a common injury in the adolescent and young adult populations. While branched chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation has shown improvements in neurocognitive and sleep function in pre-clinical animal models of mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (TBI), to date, no studies have been performed evaluating the efficacy of BCAAs in concussed adolescents and young adults. The goal of this pilot trial was to determine the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of varied doses of oral branched chain amino acid (BCAA) supplementation in a group of concussed adolescents and young adults...

Children with Marfan (MFS) and Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) report limitations in physical activities, sports, school, leisure, and work participation in daily life. This observational, cross-sectional, multicenter study explores associations between physical fitness and cardiovascular parameters, systemic manifestations, fatigue, and pain in children with MFS and LDS. Forty-two participants, aged 6-18 years (mean (SD) 11.5(3.7)), diagnosed with MFS (n = 36) or LDS (n = 6), were enrolled...

Healthy movement behaviours are associated with various physical and mental wellbeing; however, little is known about such associations in low- and middle-income countries. The aim of this study was to examine adherence to 24-hour (h) movement guidelines and their relationship with depressive symptoms in adolescents. Data were from 312 Bangladeshi adolescents aged 13-17 years (42% female). Meeting the guidelines was defined as: energy expenditure for physical activity (PA) ​≥ ​1 680 Metabolic Equivalent of Task (MET)-min/week, ≤ 2 ​h/day of recreational screen time (ST), and 8-10 ​h/night of sleep...

Sudden cardiac death in children is a rare event, but of great social significance. Generally, it is related to heart disease with a risk of sudden cardiac death (SCD), which may occur with cardiovascular symptoms and/or electrocardiographic markers; thus, a primary care paediatrician (PCP) could detect them. Therefore, we proposed a study that assesses how to put into practice and conduct a cardiovascular assessment within the routine healthy-child check-ups at six and twelve years of age; that reflects cardiovascular signs and symptoms, as well as the electrocardiographic alterations that children with a risk of SCD in the selected population present; and that assesses the PCP's skill at electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation...

Pediatric obesity is a global concern with distressing comorbid conditions, including mood disturbance, cardiovascular changes, endocrine imbalance, liver disease, sleep apnea, and orthopedic conditions. The primary treatment of this condition includes physical activity. Participating in organized sports has been shown to reduce weight and the complications of pediatric obesity more effectively than individual exercise.