Knee remains achilles' heel for many athletes despite improved therapy
Article Abstract:
A common athletic injury, particularly for football players, is a tear to the menisci, the two bands of cartilage in each knee joints. The case of a 32-year-old football player who recently underwent his tenth knee operation for torn menisci is described. Over the years this player sustained damage to all four menisci and developed degenerative arthritis in his knees. Research on the regeneration of meniscal cartilage has been successful in experiments with pigs and dogs and may be useful in humans. The technique involves the insertion of a collagen-base polymer template (which stimulates cell growth) into the knee joint. The development of advanced techniques to treat sports-related injuries is not only beneficial to athletes, but may have a variety of other therapeutic uses. Ligamental tears are not always readily detectable. The lack of standardized criteria and measurement tools for evaluation and diagnosis is a problem for effective physician management regarding this and other orthopedic conditions. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), an imaging technique that utilizes magnetic waves, is an excellent method of diagnostic evaluation of many sports-related injuries. A three-dimensional volume anatomy atlas has recently been published to aid diagnosis; the physician can compare this model, representing a healthy knee, to imaging results. The importance of accurate diagnosis of ligament injuries is illustrated by the high rate of deterioration observed (86 percent) if these injuries are left untreated.
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1990
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Some unusual hurdles en route to fitness
Article Abstract:
At the annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, reports of medical conditions brought on by exercise were presented. A particularly interesting case described a woman, with a long history of exercising regularly on a stationery bicycle, who developed a rash and light-headedness when she worked out. The condition was diagnosed as an exercise allergy (exercise-induced anaphylaxis), a phenomenon that is insufficiently appreciated in medicine, according to one speaker at the meeting. In fact, one study collected data regarding 500 patients with exercise-induced anaphylaxis. Other complications of exercise include bone fractures in older women who may have osteoporosis, but put too much stress on their bones. A final case study was presented of a man who developed rhabdomyolysis (an often fatal disease in which muscle tissue is destroyed) after participating in an exercise program at a fitness center for two days. The man survived, but his complaint of inability to get out of bed after the first day's program was met only with advice to come in and ''loosen up''. Even fitness, it appears, has its complications. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)
Publication Name: JAMA, The Journal of the American Medical Association
Subject: Health
ISSN: 0098-7484
Year: 1990
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