Background. Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is a major foot and ankle overuse injury which has been reported to be prevalent in running and jumping sporting activities, especially football which has witnessed increased participation in recent times. However, there are no epidemiological data on tendinopathy in footballers in Nigeria. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Achilles tendinopathy and associated intrinsic risk factors among Nigerian footballers. Methods. Participants were 151 registered football players recruited from various football clubs in Lagos State, Nigeria. Selected intrinsic factors of age, gender, body mass index (BMI), random blood glucose and bilateral ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion were evaluated. AT was determined with the Royal London Hospital Test and ultrasonography. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to determine the association between AT and selected intrinsic risk factors and significance set at p < 0.05. Results. The prevalence of AT was 15.9%. There were significant associations between elevated BMI (p = 0.027), left ankle dorsiflexion (p = 0.035) and right ankle plantarflexion (p = 0.008) with Achilles tendinopathy. No significant association (p > 0.05) was found between Achilles tendinopathy and blood glucose level. Conclusions. Elevated body mass index, reduced ankle dorsiflexion and plantarflexion are risk factors for Achilles tendinopathy.

Background: Trauma, diabetes mellitus and peripheral vascular disease are age old known risk factors associated with amputation. However, at the Nongu Kristi U Sudan hen Tiv (NKST) Rehabilitation hospital, Mkar, Gboko, Benue state Nigeria, HIV/AIDS is increasingly becoming a major risk factor for upper limb amputation, and this is investigated in this study. Objectives: To determine the risk factors involved in amputation in a referral hospital located in Benue State Nigeria. Methods: A Descriptive cross sectional study design was adopted for this study where the preoperative assessments for HIV testing, serum Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS) level, Full Blood Count (FBC), CD4 counts, Hepatitis B and C antigens were carried out using standard laboratory Original Research Article 2 = 13.1; p= 0.01). Lower limbs 49 (81.7%) amputations were more than upper limbs 11 (18.3%) amputations. This study revealed that HIV/AIDS ranked second as an indication for upper limb amputations although trauma was the main indication for most upper limb amputations. Conclusion:This study showed that trauma remains the predominant risk factor for amputation, however HIV/AIDS is emerging as a major indication for upper limb amputation.