Meniscal Injuries in the Olympic and Elite Athletes

Excessive Knee Internal Rotation during Grand Plié in Classical Ballet Female Dancers

Classical ballet dancers are exposed daily to physically demanding movements. Among these, the Grand Plié stands out for its biomechanical complexity, particularly the stress applied to the knee joint. This study investigates the knee kinematics of healthy professional classical ballet dancers performing the Grand Plié. Twenty dancers were evaluated with a motion analysis system using a marker-based protocol. Before measurements, the self-reported Global Knee Functional Assessment Scale was delivered for the knees' functional ability, and the passive range of knee motion was also assessed. The average score on the Global Knee Functional Assessment Scale was 94.65 ± 5.92. During a complete circle of the Grand Plié movement, executed from the upright position, the average maximum internal rotation of the knee joint was 30.28° ± 6.16°, with a simultaneous knee flexion of 134.98° ± 4.62°. This internal rotation observed during knee flexion exceeds the typical range of motion for the joint, suggesting a potential risk for knee injuries, such as meniscal tears. The findings provide an opportunity for future kinematic analysis research, focusing on the movement of the Grand Plié and other common ballet maneuvers. These data have the potential to yield valuable information about the knee kinematics concerning meniscus damage.

Characteristics of Sports Injuries in Athletes During the Winter Olympics: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background

Athletes in the Winter Olympic Games are subject to high injury rates given the physical demands of sports. Comprehensive data regarding injury characteristics in these athletes are limited.

Purpose

To summarize and analyze data regarding the incidence and characteristics of sports injuries occurring in the Winter Olympic Games.

Study Design

Scoping review; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods

A systematic review of the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure databases was conducted. Included were studies reporting the incidence of sports injuries during the Winter Olympics Games from 1995 through 2021. From 168 studies initially retrieved, 4 studies (8824 athletes, 1057 injured athletes) were included. A single-group meta-analysis of sports injury characteristics was performed, with subgroup analysis performed according to the different sports, injury locations, and injury types. Injury severity (time lost from sport) and mechanism were also assessed.

Result

The overall injury incidence rate (IIR) during the Winter Olympic Games was 9.6% (95% CI, 4.1%-19.8%). Snow sports were associated with the highest IIR (11.3%), with the top 3 events being the snowboard cross event in snowboarding (31.4%), the aerials event in freestyle skiing (28.6%), and the slopestyle event in snowboarding (27.7%). The most common injury locations were the knee (IIR = 20.0%; 95% CI 17.9%-22.0%), head (IIR = 10.6%; 95% CI, 9.4%-11.9%), and ankle (IIR = 8.2%; 95% CI 7.8%-8.7%). The most common injury types were contusion/hematoma/bruise (IIR = 29.9%; 95% CI 29.7%-30.0%), sprain (dislocation, subluxation, instability, ligamentous, rupture) (IIR = 21.9%; 95% CI 21.4%-22.3%), and strain (muscle rupture, tear, tendon rupture) (IIR = 11.3%; 95% CI 11.0%-11.6%). Regarding injury severity, most athletes had no time lost from sport (64.5%); 24.0% lost fewer than 7 days, and 11.5% lost more than 7 days. The most common injury mechanism was noncontact-related injury (63.3%).

Conclusion

In Winter Olympics sports, snow-sport injuries were more common than those associated with other sports, and the most common injury location was the knee. Most injuries did not require time loss, and the most were noncontact-related injuries.

Pharmacological Treatment for Acute Traumatic Musculoskeletal Pain in Athletes

Pain management is a crucial issue for athletes who train and compete at the highest performance levels. There are still evidence gaps for the use of analgesics for sports injuries despite the growing interest in training and competition settings. However, high-quality research is needed to determine the most appropriate and optimal timing and formulations in non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug and opioid management, particularly given the strictness of anti-doping regulations. Indeed, the role of pharmacological therapy in reducing acute traumatic pain in athletes should still be addressed to minimize the timing of return to sport. Therefore, the aim of this comprehensive review was to summarize the current evidence about pain management in the setting of acute injury in elite athletes, providing the most informed strategy for pain relief and performance recovery.

Bony injury associated with ramp lesion and a double meniscal injury - A hidden terrible triad of the posteromedial knee

Ramp lesions are important injuries that are difficult to detect on MRI and pose a challenge to diagnose on arthroscopy since they require inspection of the posteromedial compartment. No bony injury has been reported in the literature as an associated injury with the ramp lesion. We report a rare case of complete ramp tear of the posterior capsule-meniscal junction associated with fracture of the rim of the posterior medial tibial plateau and a double injury to the posterior medial meniscus forming a terrible triad with poor prognosis. This report has implications on the classifications of ramp lesions, posterior root injuries of the medial meniscus and meniscal tears as fracture of the rim adds a new dimension to these injuries.