Orthopedics/Sports - May 2014 Archives

PHOENIX —  David Dodick, M.D., a neurologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and an expert in concussion care and research, joined other medical experts and President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., at the White House Healthy Kids & Safe Sports Concussion Summit today. The summit is a White House initiative to raise awareness of the increasing rate of concussions among young athletes, and to develop an action plan to protect the safety and health of youth athletes who participate in sport. Medical experts, coaches, parents and players joined President Obama to talk about safe sports.

Eye movement test detects concussions and possible 'silent' concussions PHOENIX — A rapid, easy-to-administer eye movement test is showing great promise as a sideline concussion test for youth sports, a Mayo Clinic study finds. In the study, Mayo Clinic researchers assessed high school hockey players using the King-Devick test. The test requires an athlete to read single-digit numbers displayed on cards. After suspected head trauma, the athlete is given the test, which takes about two minutes, and the results are compared to a baseline test administered previously. If the time needed to complete the test takes longer than the baseline test time, the athlete should be removed from play until evaluated by a medical professional. About 150 high school hockey players received preseason testing to establish a baseline time in the study. During the subsequent season, 20 athletes had a suspected concussion. All 20 had a prolonged King-Devick test, and all were later clinically diagnosed with a concussion. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_CKo6l9Hss&feature=youtu.be   “Youth athletes are at a higher risk for concussion and a longer recovery time than adults,” says Amaal Starling, M.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist and a co-author of the study. “While the test has already been clinically validated for detecting concussion in collegiate and professional athletes, we wanted to ensure it was also validated in adolescents.”

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: My daughter, 17, was hit while playing soccer last fall and had a mild concussion. Her doctor says it is okay for her to play again in the spring, but I’m worried. Isn’t she more likely to get another concussion if she’s had one already? Does having had one concussion affect her long-term? ANSWER: You are wise to be concerned. Every injury to the brain, including a mild concussion, needs to be taken very seriously. That said, as long as all of her concussion symptoms go away, it is likely your daughter can safely return to playing soccer. It is true that your daughter’s risk of sustaining another concussion is higher after already having one, so you need to be alert to that possibility. At this time, the specific long-term effects of sustaining one concussion are not well-understood. But the likelihood of serious, lasting problems due to a mild concussion is low.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5aKyoFH7Us According to the National Golf Foundation, more than 28 million Americans love to hit the links. However, after a day on the course, some may wonder ...

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A recent Mayo Clinic Proceedings article links some nerve damage after hip surgery to inflammatory neuropathy. Historically, nerve damage from hip surgery has been attributed to mechanical factors caused by anesthesiologists or surgeons, such as positioning of the patient during surgery or direct surgical injury of the nerves. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZyNOqN7N76c&hd=1 In this study, researchers examined patients who developed inflammatory neuropathies, where the immune system attacks the nerves, leading to weakness and pain. Inflammatory neuropathies may be treated with immunotherapy. “Neuropathy after surgery can significantly affect postsurgical outcomes,” says Nathan Staff, M.D., Ph.D., Mayo Clinic neurologist. “The good news is that if we’re able to identify patients experiencing postsurgical inflammatory neuropathy, rather than damage caused by a mechanical process, we may be able to provide treatment immediately to mitigate pain and improve overall outcomes.”