Injuries to the pectoralis major muscle are relatively infrequent but result in pain, weakness, and deformity of the upper extremity. The usual injury mechanism is during eccentric shortening of the pectoralis major under heavy load, such as when performing a bench press exercise. The ability to detect and treat a pectoralis major rupture is important for both the clinician and the patient and is aided with knowledge of the anatomy, the clinical findings, and results of nonoperative and operative care. It is important to understand the physical demands and desires of the patient as well as to understand the outcomes of both nonoperative and operative care to make an informed decision regarding optimal treatment. This article highlights the importance of the clinical examination in identifying the injury, examines various surgical techniques to repair the rupture, and reports on potential complication and reinjury rates.

There is an increased risk for melanomas and keratinocyte cancers in those who have served on active duty in the US Military. We believe that an increased exposure to UV radiation, minimal sun-protective strategies, and a paucity of education regarding the risks of UV exposure are primarily responsible for the increased prevalence of skin cancer in this population. Although mitigating these risks is important, it cannot come at the expense of combat effectiveness and military mission readiness. This review proposes education of individual military servicemembers regarding skin cancer prevention and identification, increasing the utilization of sun-protective clothing, and promoting the increased use of sunscreen as measures to decrease the overall risk of cutaneous malignancies in US Military servicemembers.

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Objective: To review the literature and place into a quantified context the relationship of Parkinson’s disease diagnosis to a subsequent diagnosis of malignant melanoma, and to briefly explore potential molecular associations between the two diseases. Methods: The Medline database was queried with terms related to Parkinson’s disease (PD) and malignant melanoma, with use of Boolean operator AND to identify studies involving both diseases. Studies were divided into primary and meta-analyses, with exclusive evaluation of those quantifying risk of malignant melanoma after an established diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease. Critical studies were identified using Medline searches to identify established quantified risk metrics between classic melanoma risk factors and subsequent development of malignant melanoma. Results: Twelve primary studies and three meta-analyses were evaluated and their risk metrices tabulated. Three studies offered estimated risk of development of malignant melanoma in patients with classic melanoma risk factors. These metrices were also tabulated and compared with the metrices established by the twelve primary studies. This demonstrated a similarity in overall risk of developing malignant melanoma in a patient with a diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease as compared to a patient with classical melanoma risk factors. Limitations: Relatively few studies identified specifically quantified the classic risk factors for melanoma, and relatively few studies specifically quantified the degree of risk for developing melanoma after an established Parkinson’s disease diagnosis. Conclusion: It is wise to consider the presence of Parkinson’s disease in a patient as one factor when clinicians decide on the appropriateness of regular full body screening examinations.