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Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a single treatment vs serial dry needling (DN) treatments of the fibularis longus on individuals with chronic ankle instability and to determine the longevity of any effect found., Methods: Thirty-five adults with chronic ankle instability (24.17 ± 7.01 years, 167.67 ± 9.15 cm, 74.90 ± 13.23 kg) volunteered for a university laboratory repeated-measures study. All participants completed patient-reported outcomes and were objectively tested using the Star Excursion Balance Test (SEBT), threshold to detect passive motion (TTDPM) measurements, and single limb time-to-boundary measurements. Participants received DN treatment to the fibularis longus once weekly for 4 weeks on the affected lower extremity by a single physical therapist. Data were collected 5 times: baseline 1 week before initial treatment (T0), pre-treatment (T1A), immediately after the first treatment (T1B), after 4 weekly treatments (T2), and 4 weeks after the cessation of treatment (T3)., Results: Significant improvements were found for clinician-oriented (SEBT-Composite P < .001; SEBT-Posteromedial P = .024; SEBT-Posterolateral P < .001; TTDPM-Inversion P = .042) and patient-oriented outcome measures (Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Activities of Daily Living P < .001; Foot and Ankle Ability Measure-Sport P = .001; Fear Avoidance Belief Questionnaire P = .021) following a single DN treatment. Compounding effects from additional treatments exhibited improvement of TTDPM (T1B to T2). No significant losses were noted 4 weeks after cessation of treatment (T2 to T3)., Conclusion: For the participants in this study, outcomes improved immediately following the first DN treatment. This improvement was sustained but not further improved with subsequent treatments., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

➢: Blood flow restriction therapy (BFRT) involves the application of a pneumatic tourniquet cuff to the proximal portion of the arm or leg. This restricts arterial blood flow while occluding venous return, which creates a hypoxic environment that induces many physiologic adaptations., ➢: BFRT is especially useful in postoperative rehabilitation because it produces muscular hypertrophy and strength gains without the need for heavy-load exercises that are contraindicated after surgery., ➢: Low-load resistance training with BFRT may be preferable to low-load or high-load training alone because it leads to comparable increases in strength and hypertrophy, without inducing muscular edema or increasing pain., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSREV/A857)., (Copyright © 2022 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Background: Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of both stabilization and non-stabilization of the scapula during stretching in individuals with posterior shoulder tightness, but limited evidence exists in patients with shoulder pain., Hypothesis/purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of stabilized scapular stretching on patients with shoulder pain. The primary hypothesis of this study is that stabilized scapular stretching will improve glenohumeral motion and pain compared to non-stabilized stretch program. A secondary hypothesis of this study is that stabilized scapular stretching will produce greater improvement in function compared to the non-stabilized stretching program., Study Design: Randomized Clinical Trial., Methods: Sixteen patients with sub-acromial pain associated with tendinopathy and associated pathologies presenting to physical therapy were randomized into two groups (stabilized or non-stabilized scapular stretching). Baseline pain and range of motion were measured prior to and following each treatment session for three visits that occurred over the course five to seventeen days depending on the patients availability. The dependent measurements were stabilized horizontal adduction, stabilized internal rotation, stabilized shoulder flexion, non-stabilized shoulder flexion, and current pain level., Results: Patients in the scapular stabilization stretching group increased horizontal adduction 40° (CI 95 31, 48°) compared to the non-stabilization stretching group increase of 8° (CI 95 0, 17°) over the course of the three treatments ( p <0.001). Similarly, the stabilized stretching group increased internal rotation 48° (CI 95 26, 69°) compared to the non-stabilized stretching group increase of 26° (CI 95 4, 48°) ( p =0.001). Pain decreased in the stabilized stretching group by 1.4 points (CI 95 -0.4, 3.2) but increased slightly in non-stabilized group by -0.5 points (CI 95 -2.3, 1.3) which was not a clinically meaningful change. ( p =0.03)., Conclusion: Stabilized scapular stretching was more effective than non-stabilized stretching at gaining shoulder mobility in patients with shoulder pain. Benefits were immediate and sustained between treatment sessions. Stretching interventions improved range of motion but had limited effect on shoulder pain., Level of Evidence: 2.

»: Nonoperative treatment of a lateral patellar dislocation produces favorable functional results, but as high as 35% of individuals experience recurrent dislocations., »: Medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction is an effective treatment to prevent recurrent dislocations and yield excellent outcomes with a high rate of return to sport., »: Both nonoperative and postoperative rehabilitation should center on resolving pain and edema, restoring motion, and incorporating isolated and multijoint progressive strengthening exercises targeting the hip and knee., »: Prior to return to sports, both functional and isolated knee strength measurements should be used to determine leg symmetry strength and to utilize patient-reported outcome measures to assess the patient's perceived physical abilities and patellofemoral joint stability., Competing Interests: Disclosure: The Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest forms are provided with the online version of the article (http://links.lww.com/JBJSREV/A833)., (Copyright © 2022 by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated.)

Objective: To determine the relationship between postural sway performance during commonly utilized postural control assessments following a concussion, including the modified Balance Error Scoring System (mBESS), concussion balance test (COBALT), and sensory organization test (SOT) in healthy young adults., Approach: Twenty participants completed all balance testing. The mBESS conditions included double limb stance, single limb stance, and tandem stance. The COBALT was comprised of yaw plane head shake (HS) and vestibular ocular reflex cancellation conditions performed on firm and foam surfaces. Subjects performed 6 conditions of the SOT (C1-C6), which systematically perturbed sensory inputs. Postural sway performance was measured using a single force plate and quantified as a sway score for the mBESS and COBALT, and an equilibrium score for the SOT. Spearman rank correlations were used to examine the relationship between postural sway performance for each test., Main Results: There was a moderate positive correlation between mBESS-tandem stance and the HS on foam COBALT condition (r = .643, P = .002). There was a moderate negative correlation between mBESS-double limb stance and SOT-C6 (r = -.512, P = .021), and between mBESS-single limb stance and SOT-C6 (r = -.523, P = .018). The COBALT and SOT demonstrated numerous moderate to good negative correlations (r = -.448 to -.708, P ≤ .05), including a good negative correlation between HS on foam and SOT-C1 (r = -.725, P = .0003)., Significance: Performance on the mBESS had minimal relationship to performance on the COBALT and SOT, suggesting that the clinical standard may not challenge sensory integration at the same capacity as other tests. All COBALT conditions had fair to good associations to at least 2 SOT conditions, suggesting both assessments are representative of sensory integration. Further investigation of the current clinical approach is warranted as the COBALT may be a clinically feasible test of sensory integration.

Objectives: Poorer neurocognitive performance may increase lower extremity injury risk due to alterations in biomechanics. However, it is unclear if poorer neurocognitive function may be associated with altered dynamic postural stability. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between neurocognitive performance and dynamic postural stability in healthy collegiate athletes., Design: Cross-sectional cohort., Methods: Forty-five Division-I collegiate athletes (21 males, 24 females; age: 19.69 ± 1.50) completed neurocognitive assessments from the NIH Toolbox® (NIHTB). Three groups were established from the NIHTB composite score: high performers (HP), moderate performers (MP), and low performers (LP). Additionally, participants completed a dynamic hop-to-stabilization task. Accelerometer and gyroscopic data were recorded during landing through an inertial measurement unit (IMU) on the participant's low back. The root mean squared (RMS) of the accelerometer and gyroscope was calculated for the orthogonal planes and the resultant vector. Group differences for demographic variables, NIHTB composite scores, and IMU based measures were analyzed with one-way ANOVAs with Bonferroni post hoc analyses were performed. Cohen's d effect sizes were also calculated., Results: Post hoc tests determined the LP group had higher vertical acceleration RMS values (p = 0.013, d = -0.85) and lower anteroposterior acceleration RMS values (p = 0.005, d = 0.95) compared to the HP group., Conclusions: Neurocognitive performance may influence dynamic postural stability strategies in athletes. Higher neurocognitive performers may use different approaches to perform difficult postural tasks by adopting strategies associated with lower vertical and higher anteroposterior acceleration compared to lower neurocognitive performers., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patient-reported measures guide physicians in clinical decision making and therefore it is critical to determine what clinical factors are associated with these scores. Psychological and physical factors are commonly studied separately in patients with rotator cuff tears to determine their influence on outcomes. It is well established that psychological distress and scapular motion change in the presence of a symptomatic rotator cuff tear. However, these factors have not been studied simultaneously in a clinical setting to determine their association with shoulder outcome scores., Question/purpose: After controlling for relevant confounding variables, what physical and psychological factors are associated with better (1) American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores for function, (2) ASES pain scores, and (3) total ASES scores?, Methods: Fifty-nine patients with a potential symptomatic rotator cuff tear were recruited and agreed to participate in this cross-sectional study. Of those, 85% (50 of 59) met eligibility criteria for a primary diagnosis of an MRI-confirmed symptomatic partial-thickness or full-thickness rotator cuff tear without a history of shoulder surgery. Demographics, rotator cuff tear size, arm flexion, and clinical scapular motion during active arm flexion were evaluated by experienced examiners using standardized procedures. Patients completed the ASES questionnaire and the Optimal Screening for Prediction of Referral and Outcomes-Yellow Flag assessment form, which measures 11 different pain-related psychological distress symptoms. Three separate stepwise multiple linear regression analyses were performed for ASES pain, function, and total scores, with significance set at p < 0.05., Results: This model found that ASES function scores were associated with four factors: older age, increased arm flexion, increased percentage of scapular external rotation during arm flexion, and increased scores for acceptance of chronic pain (adjusted r2 = 0.67; p = 0.01). Those four factors appear to explain 67% of the observed variance in ASES function scores in patients with rotator cuff tears. Furthermore, increased percentage of scapular external rotation during arm flexion and decreased fear-avoidance beliefs related to physical activity scores (adjusted r2 = 0.36; p < 0.01) were associated with better ASES pain scores. And finally, better ASES total scores were associated with four factors: increased arm flexion, increased percentage of scapular upward rotation, increased scapular external rotation during arm flexion, and decreased fear-avoidance beliefs related to physical activity scores (adjusted r2 = 0.65; p < 0.001)., Conclusion: Our results favor adopting a comprehensive biopsychological clinical assessment for patients with rotator cuff tears that specifically includes humeral and scapular motion, fear-avoidance behaviors, and pain coping behaviors along with demographics. These particular physical and psychological variables were found to be associated with the ASES and, therefore, should be clinically examined simultaneously and targeted as part of a tailored treatment plan., Level of Evidence: Level II, prognostic study., Competing Interests: Each author certifies that neither he or she, nor any member of his or her immediate family, has funding or commercial associations (consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc.) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article. All ICMJE Conflict of Interest Forms for authors and Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research® editors and board members are on file with the publication and can be viewed on request., (Copyright © 2021 by the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons.)

Internal and external rotational knee stability is essential for sports performance and excessive rotation can lead to injury but is rarely assessed in injury risk analysis. The objectives of this study were to determine the between-session reliability, discriminant validity and potential sex differences of a dynamic postural stability (DPS) assessment that challenges transverse plane knee stability. Thirty-six individuals (21.7 ± 2.6 years) including 19 females (20.8 ± 1.3 years) and 17 males (22.6 ± 3.4 years) participated. We measured DPS during rotational jump tasks (RJT) over 2 test sessions utilising a force plate. Kinematic (motion analysis) and electromyographic measures were compared to a traditional anterior-posterior jump task (APJT) to assess the discriminant validity and comparisons were performed between sexes. The intraclass correlation coefficients were between 0.67 and 0.86. Significant differences in transverse rotation angle at initial contact transverse rotational velocity of the knee were observed between the 2 different RJT and between the RJT and the traditional APJT. No sex differences were observed. The new assessment had good between-session reliability and offers a different challenge than a traditional jump task. This RJT may offer a novel assessment of knee joint rotational stability in conjunction with traditional measures.

Background: Clinical tests should replicate the stressful positions encountered during sport participation. Evaluating the kinetic and electromyographical demands of clinical tests enables clinicians to choose appropriate tests for specific sports., Purpose: To describe the shoulder forces and muscle activation levels during closed chain functional tests of Line Hops (LH) and Side Hold Rotation (SHR)., Study Design: Descriptive biomechanical study., Methods: Ten asymptomatic participants were examined in a university laboratory. Two functional tests were evaluated using three-dimensional video analysis and electromyography to measure shoulder forces, moments, and muscular activity levels., Results: SHR produced a peak average posterior translation force of 4.84 N/kg (CI 95 4.32-5.36N/kg) and a peak average anterior translational force of 1.57 N/kg (CI 95 1.10-2.01N/kg). High levels of serratus anterior (98% maximum voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and infraspinatus (52 %MVIC) were recorded during SHR. LH produced a posterior translational force of 4.25 N/kg (CI 95 3.44-5.06N/kg). High levels of serratus anterior (105 %MVIC) and infraspinatus (87 %MVIC) were recorded during the push off phase of this activity., Conclusions: LH and SHR placed large posterior translational forces that approached half of a person's bodyweight on shoulder structures. SHR produced an anterior translation force at extremes of horizontal abduction placing approximately 18% of bodyweight on shoulder structures. The LH test required the serratus anterior to provide power to push the upper torso of the ground while both the serratus and the infraspinatus provides scapular and humeral stability, respectively., Level of Evidence: 4: Case series., Competing Interests: All authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Context: Deficits in reaction time, decreased self-reported knee function, and elevated levels of injury-related fear have been observed in individuals who sustain anterior cruciate ligament injury. Understanding the relationship between these variables may provide the impetus to further investigate effective intervention strategies to address these deficits in individuals after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR)., Objective: To examine the relationship between injury-related fear and lower-extremity visuomotor reaction time (VMRT) in individuals with a history of ACLR. A secondary purpose was to determine the relationship between self-reported knee function and lower-extremity VMRT in individuals with a history of ACLR., Design: Cross-sectional study., Setting: Laboratory., Participants: Twenty participants between the ages of 18-35 years, with history of unilateral ACLR within the last 10 years, who injured their knee playing or training for organized or recreational sports., Main Outcome Measures: Scores on the athlete fear avoidance questionnaire, the fear-avoidance beliefs questionnaire (FABQ), the knee injury and osteoarthritis outcome score, and reaction time (in seconds) on the lower-extremity VMRT task using the FitLight Trainer™, bilaterally. Spearman Rho correlations examined the relationship between the dependent variables., Results: There was a moderate positive correlation between VMRT and FABQ-total (r = .62, P < .01), FABQ-sport (r = .56, P = .01), and FABQ-physical activity (r = .64, P < .01) for the injured limb. Correlations between FABQ scores and VMRT for the uninjured limb were weak positive correlations (r = .36-.41, P > .05). Weak correlations between the osteoarthritis outcome score subscales, athlete fear avoidance questionnaire, and VMRT were observed for the injured limb (P > .05)., Conclusions: Individuals with a history of ACLR who exhibited elevated levels of injury-related fear demonstrated slower VMRT. There were no relationships between self-reported knee function and VMRT. Future research should explore interventions to address injury-related fear and VMRT in individuals after ACLR.