Objective: To present athletic trainers with recommendations for the content and administration of the preparticipation physical examination (PPE) as well as considerations for determining safe participation in sports and identifying disqualifying conditions.Background: Preparticipation physical examinations have been used routinely for nearly 40 years. However, considerable debate exists as to their efficacy due to the lack of standardization in the process and the lack of conformity in the information that is gathered. With the continuing rise in sports participation at all levels and the growing number of reported cases of sudden death in organized athletics, the sports medicine community should consider adopting a standardized process for conducting the PPE to protect all parties.Recommendations: Recommendations are provided to equip the sports medicine community with the tools necessary to conduct the PPE as effectively and efficiently as possible using available scientific evidence and best practices. In addition, the recommendations will help clinicians identify those conditions that may threaten the health and safety of participants in organized sports, may require further evaluation and intervention, or may result in potential disqualification.

We developed a distance-based interval throwing program for Little League-aged athletes (9 to 12 years) to be used in training and rehabilitation. The timing and repetition parameters were developed from data collected during 400 innings of organized baseball during a single season, and short toss distance from Little League rules for field dimensions. There were 1022 boys from organized baseball teams in the four studies. Maximal distance and speed measurements were recorded for 853 boys. We developed a mathematical model from these data to predict maximal throwing distance from maximal throwing speed. This model was then tested on a second sample of 114 players. We compared the predicted distance with the actual maximal throwing distance; the correlation coefficient was 0.92. Forty players aged 9 to 12 participated in a study to assess degradation of speed and distance. The average variability of the speed was small (< 5 mph), but the variability in distance was large (22.4 feet). Fifteen boys then threw the entire throwing program as designed. These results show that healthy young athletes can be expected to be able to throw the predicted value of this practical progressive interval throwing program for Little League-aged athletes. The appropriate program can be assigned from age and known preinjury pitch speed.

No abstract

No abstract

Diagnostic ultrasound is a valuable imaging tool that is slowly gaining in popularity among sports medicine clinicians. Commonly referred to as "musculoskeletal ultrasound," its valuable role in assisting with sports medicine diagnoses has been to date underused for a variety of reasons. Effective clinical usage for sports medicine diagnoses includes commonly seen conditions such as rotator cuff disease, ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow injury, and internal derangement of the knee, among many others. Limitation of clinical usage has been deterred by the cost of the unit, perception of time associated with assessment procedures, and the lack of formal training associated with diagnostic implementation. However, when properly used, musculoskeletal ultrasound can increase the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment, improve time to treatment intervention, and improve patient satisfaction. The purpose of this paper is to review the fundamentals of musculoskeletal ultrasound and present its specific diagnostic uses.