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BMJ Case Rep 2021 May 6;14(5). Epub 2021 May 6.

Plastic Surgery, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India.

A 59-year-old woman was referred with weakness, paraesthesia, numbness and clawing of the little and ring fingers for the last 2 years. MRI of the cervical spine was normal and nerve conduction velocity revealed abnormality of the ulnar nerve. Ultrasound and MRI showed medial osteophytes and effusion of the elbow joint with stretched and thinned ulnar nerve in the cubital tunnel. Read More

Pol Merkur Lekarski 2020 Dec;48(288):410-414

Department of Orthopedics, Mazovian Rehabilitation Center STOCER, Konstancin-Jeziorna, Poland.

Spinal injuries can be divided into contusions, sprains of intervertebral joints, their dislocation and also damage to ligaments and muscles attachment, and fractures. Typical injuries of the cervical spine include trauma caused by a rapid hyperextension of the neck with the following hyperflexion, often referred to as "whiplash" injury, mostly as a result of traffic accidents. The annual incidence is estimated to be up to 600 per 100 000 inhabitants of Western Europe and North America. Read More

Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2021 Jan 21;130(1):18-23. Epub 2020 Jun 21.

Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Kaiser Permanente Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, CA, USA.

Objective: We describe the incidence and characteristics of patients with head and neck injuries from rock climbing who present to United States emergency departments and evaluate predictors of hospitalization.

Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried for rock climbing injuries to the head, face, mouth, neck, and ear under product code "mountain climbing" from the years 2009 to 2018. Demographics, injury characteristics, and disposition data were reviewed. Read More

Accid Anal Prev 2020 Jul 12;142:105571. Epub 2020 May 12.

Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands.

Background: Cervical spine injury is a common result of traffic crashes, and such injuries range in severity from minor (i.e. sprain/strain) to moderate (intervertebral disk derangement) to serious and greater (fractures, dislocations, and spinal cord injuries). Read More

J Athl Train 2019 Jul 23;54(7):780-786. Epub 2019 Jul 23.

Department of Exercise and Sport Science, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Context: Cervical muscle strains are an often-overlooked injury, with neck- and spine-related research typically focusing on spinal cord and vertebral injuries.

Objective: To examine the rates and distributions of cervical muscle strains in collegiate and high school football athletes.

Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Read More

J Chiropr Med 2019 Mar 7;18(1):48-55. Epub 2019 May 7.

Grannis Chiropractic Clinic, Aliso Viejo, California.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to describe the evaluation and management of a surfer who presented with concussion-like symptoms and was eventually diagnosed with an unstable cervical spine fracture.

Clinical Features: A young man presented to a chiropractic clinic 5 weeks after a surfing injury. He had mild lower cervical spine pain and complaints of cognitive disturbance. Read More

NASN Sch Nurse 2019 May 9;34(3):155-161. Epub 2019 Feb 9.

Professor, Departments of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, Penn State College of Medicine.

Illness and injury associated with sport and physical activities may occur in the school setting. Although most sport-related illness and injury in students are considered minor emergencies, life- and limb-threatening illnesses or injuries may occur, such as sudden cardiac arrest, heat stroke, status asthmaticus, catastrophic brain or cervical spine injuries, hypoglycemia, blunt chest/abdominal injuries, or extremity fractures requiring surgery. It is important for the school nurse to recognize potential life- and limb-threatening emergencies associated with sport and physical activity, to initiate stabilization of the student with life- and limb-threatening symptoms, and to triage these students to an appropriate level of care (back to the classroom, home with their guardian with follow up at their primary healthcare provider's office, or directly to the closest emergency department via emergency medical services). Read More

Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2018;118(11):30-34

Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education I.M. Sechenov First Moscow StateMedical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow, Russia.

Aim: An analysis of typical medical errors in the diagnosis and treatment of compression neuropathy of the median nerve at the level of the wrist (carpal tunnel syndrome - CTS).

Material And Methods: Previous diagnoses and treatment of 85 patients with CTS (14 men and 71 women), aged from 36 to 84 years (middle age 62±10.6 years), who underwent surgery in our clinics were evaluated. Read More

Aerosp Med Hum Perform 2018 Oct;89(10):896-904

Introduction: The prevalence of flight-related neck pain in all Royal Air Force (RAF) aircrew is 66% and 70% in UK fast-jet aircrew. The RAF Aircrew Conditioning Programme (ACP) has been designed to enhance pilot performance through reducing fatigue and strain injuries, particularly to the neck. Content validity of the ACP was assessed to determine the appropriateness for delivery to aircrew. Read More

JAMA Surg 2018 02 21;153(2):e174947. Epub 2018 Feb 21.

Division of Plastic Surgery and Reconstructive Surgery, Department of Surgery, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.

Importance: Physicians in procedural specialties are at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). This has been called "an impending epidemic" in the context of the looming workforce shortage; however, prevalence estimates vary by study.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of work-related MSDs among at-risk physicians and to evaluate the scope of preventive efforts. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2017 Nov;96(46):e8751

aJaseng Spine and Joint Research Institute, Jaseng Medical Foundation, Seoul bDepartment of Korean Rehabilitation Medicine, College of Korean Medicine, Dae-Jeon University, Daejeon cALS & MND Center at Wonkwang University Korean Medicine Hospital in Gwangju, Gwangju dDepartment of Cardiovascular and Neurological Diseases (Stroke Center), College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Neck pain is a highly common condition and is the 4th major cause of years lived with disability. Previous literature has focused on the effect of specific treatments, and observations of actual practice are lacking to date. This study examined Korean health insurance review and assessment service (HIRA) claims data to the aim of assessing prevalence and comparing current medical practice and costs of cervical disorders in Korea. Read More

Curr Sports Med Rep 2017 Sep/Oct;16(5):357-362

1Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL; 2Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Peconic Bay Medical Center/Northwell Health.

Injuries are common in ice hockey, a contact sport where players skate at high speeds on a sheet of ice and shoot a vulcanized rubber puck in excess of one hundred miles per hour. This article reviews the diagnoses and treatment of concussions, injuries to the cervical spine, and lower and upper extremities as they pertain to hockey players. Soft tissue injury of the shoulder, acromioclavicular joint separation, glenohumeral joint dislocation, clavicle fractures, metacarpal fractures, and olecranon bursitis are discussed in the upper-extremity section of the article. Read More

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017 Jul 16;47(7):450-461. Epub 2017 Jun 16.

Synopsis Chronic neck pain is a common condition and a primary clinical symptom of whiplash and other spinal injuries. Loading-induced neck injuries produce abnormal kinematics between the vertebrae, with the potential to injure facet joints and the afferent fibers that innervate the specific joint tissues, including the capsular ligament. Mechanoreceptive and nociceptive afferents that innervate the facet have their peripheral terminals in the capsule, cell bodies in the dorsal root ganglia, and terminal processes in the spinal cord. Read More

Hand (N Y) 2017 03 8;12(2):162-167. Epub 2016 Jul 8.

University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.

Carpal tunnel release (CTR) is commonly performed for carpal tunnel syndrome once conservative treatment has failed. Operative technique and anesthetic modality vary by surgeon preference and patient factors. However, CTR practices and anesthetic trends have, to date, not been described on a nationwide scale in the United States. Read More

J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2017 Mar 3;47(3):151-161. Epub 2017 Feb 3.

Study Design Randomized parallel-group trial. Background Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is a common pain condition that can be managed surgically or conservatively. Objective To compare the effectiveness of manual therapy versus surgery for improving self-reported function, cervical range of motion, and pinch-tip grip force in women with CTS. Read More

Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2016 Nov 6;29(6):927-936. Epub 2016 Oct 6.

Parma University, Parma, Italy (Department of Biomedical, Biotechnological and Translational Sciences (SBiBiT)).

Objectives: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome, which since the beginning of the seventies has been linked to the keyboard and visual display unit (VDU). The objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence and personal factors associated with CTS in female VDU workers in Italy.

Material And Methods: Participants in this study were female adult subjects, working ≥ 20 h/week (N = 631, mean age 38. Read More

Plast Reconstr Surg 2017 Jan;139(1):119-127

St. Louis, Mo.; and New York, N.Y.

Background: Double crush syndrome, the association between proximal and distal nerve lesions, has been established. This investigation compares the outcomes of nerve surgery in patients with isolated peripheral compression versus those with double crush syndrome treated with peripheral nerve and cervical spine operations.

Methods: This case-controlled study enrolled 80 patients: 40 underwent carpal or cubital tunnel surgery and cervical spine surgery (double crush group); and 40 controls, matched by age and sex, underwent only peripheral nerve decompression (peripheral nerve group). Read More

Int J Occup Saf Ergon 2016 Sep 19;22(3):340-9. Epub 2016 Apr 19.

b University of Bologna , Italy.

Manual activities of construction workers may induce musculoskeletal disorders. This study on a group of painters aimed to analytically characterize movements of the spinal column by both lumbar motion monitor and television cameras and to determine, using the Occupational Repetitive Actions (OCRA) Index method, the risk exerted by repeated movements of the upper limbs. The main results are: painting with a roller generally exposes workers to a lesser risk for upper limbs than painting with a brush; a roller-stick fixed at the wrong length can lead to stretching of the back at lumbar and cervical levels; to remain within the range of 'acceptable risk' (OCRA Index evaluation), a worker should not paint a vertical wall for over 3 h if using a roller and 2. Read More

Occup Med (Lond) 2015 Nov;65(8):632-7

Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, Italy.

Background: Occupational diseases data can guide efforts to improve worker's health and safety.

Aims: To describe MALPROF, the Italian system for surveillance of work-related diseases collected by the subregional Department of Prevention.

Methods: The MALPROF system started in 1999 with contributions from Lombardy and Tuscany and spread in the following years to collect contributions from 14 out of the 20 Italian regions. Read More

Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2015 Dec 24;96(12):2207-13. Epub 2015 Aug 24.

Center for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.

Objective: To evaluate median nerve excursion during conventional nerve gliding exercises and newly developed exercises, primarily comprising abduction and adduction of the fingers.

Design: Descriptive study.

Setting: Anatomical dissection facility. Read More

Med Probl Perform Art 2014 09;29(3):121-2

Med Probl Perform Art 2014 09;29(3):150-4

Fac. de Medicina Dentária, Rua Dr. Manuel Pereira da Silva, 4200-393 Porto, Portugal. Tel +351 934481115, fax +351 220901101.

Piano players, as well as other musicians, spend a long time training to achieve the best results, sometimes adopting unnatural body positions that may cause musculoskeletal pain. This paper presents the preliminary results of a study targeting the analysis of the head and cervical postures of 17 piano players during musical performance. It was found, as a common feature, that the players tilt the head to the right and forward towards the score and keyboard. Read More

Pol Orthop Traumatol 2014 Aug 8;79:132-7. Epub 2014 Aug 8.

Department of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, Brodnowski Hospital, Warsaw, Poland.

Whiplash injuries, also known as neck sprains and strains, are currently some of the most common injuries of the cervical spine. Mechanism of injury is still controversial and current treatment methods do not provide satisfactory results. In this article we present QTF classification of related disorders, epidemiological data and treatment methods. Read More

Sportverletz Sportschaden 2014 Jun 25;28(2):69-74. Epub 2014 Jun 25.

Introduction: The sales of recreational trampolines have increased during the past few years. Severe injuries are associated in part with trampoline sport in the domestic setting. Therefore, this study was conducted to confirm the hypothesis of an increase in trampoline-related injuries in conjunction with the increasing sales of recreational trampolines and to find out what kind of injuries are most frequent in this context. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2014 Sep;39(19):1542-8

Departments of *Bioengineering and †Neurosurgery, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA.

Study Design: In vivo study defining expression of the neurotrophins, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nerve growth factor (NGF), in cervical intervertebral discs after painful whole-body vibration (WBV).

Objective: The goal of this study is to determine if BDNF and NGF are expressed in cervical discs after painful WBV in a rat model.

Summary Of Background Data: WBV is a possible source of neck pain and has been implicated as increasing the risk for disc disorders. Read More

Med Probl Perform Art 2013 Dec;28(4):188-94

Clinical Electrophysiology Services, Texas Physical Therapy Specialists, 1324 Common Street, Suite 307, New Braunfels, TX 78130, USA. Tel 210-705-3441, fax 830-625-3228.

Purpose: Musicians have been reported as having a high prevalence of upper-extremity musculoskeletal disorders, including carpal tunnel syndrome. The purpose of this study was to determine the presence of median and ulnar neuropathies in U.S. Read More

J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 2013 ;26(3):267-371

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, School of Medicine, Suleyman Demirel University, Isparta, Turkey.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the upper extremity musculoskeletal complications in the patients who had been receiving hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

Material And Methods: The patients who had been receiving HD (n=17) or CAPD (n=15) were included to the study. The age, gender, duration of dialysis were recorded. Read More

Eur Spine J 2014 May 28;23 Suppl 2:150-6. Epub 2013 Apr 28.

Galway University Hospital, Newcastle Road, Galway, Ireland,

Background: Sub-axial cervical spine(C spine) distraction flexion injuries, known as cervical sprains, have been divided into either "benign" or "severe" sprains depending on the integrity of the posterior longitudinal ligament (PLL) of the spinal column. It is a very uncommon injury and rarely reported in the literature. Most of the reports in the literature discuss this injury in the adult age group and so the adolescent age group was also considered to follow the same model of progression of mechanical instability depending on the degree and extent of structures injured, including the PLL as a cutoff factor between a "stable" and an "unstable" injury. Read More

J Mech Behav Biomed Mater 2014 May 4;33:55-66. Epub 2013 Feb 4.

University of Waterloo, Mechanical Engineering, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1. Electronic address:

The rate of soft tissue sprain/strain injuries to the cervical spine and associated cost continue to be significant; however, the physiological nature of this injury makes experimental tests challenging while aspects such as occupant position and musculature may contribute to significant variability in the current epidemiological data. Several theories have been proposed to identify the source of pain associated with whiplash. The goal of this study was to investigate three proposed sources of pain generation using a detailed numerical model in rear impact scenarios: distraction of the capsular ligaments; transverse nerve root compression through decrease of the intervertebral foramen space; and potential for damage to the disc based on the extent of rotation and annulus fibre strain. Read More