BackgroundAnterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is the biggest concern for orthopedic surgeons who are involved in sports injuries, so most of ACL reconstruction surgeries are sports related. ACL injuries in female athletes are 2 - 8 times more common than male athletes in similar sport injuries.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to compare knee laxity changes in the menstrual cycle in female athletes referred to the orthopedic clinic of Imam Khomeini hospital in the north of Iran, Sari, 2013.Patients and MethodsThe present descriptive study was conducted on 40 female athletes that were referred to the orthopedic clinic. Hormone levels, such as estrogen and progesterone were assessed by one laboratory in 3 phases of the menstrual cycle. We used Lachman test and anterior drawer test for knee laxity rate. The descriptive statistics were calculated as indices of central distribution of bonds (x ± SD) and relative frequency distribution was used for qualitative variables.ResultsThe results of the current study showed that there is no significant difference in ACL laxity in female athletes in three phases of menstrual cycle; namely menstruation time, ovulation time and mid-luteal phase.ConclusionsDespite numerous studies and research in the field of knee laxity and effects of female hormones, many researchers do not agree about the effect of female hormones on knee laxity. The current study also reported no relationship between female hormones and knee laxity, while statistics show fundamental difference between male and female athletes.

Background:Tennis elbow is one of the most often diagnosed pathology of the upper extremity and different treatments have been suggested for this disease, so this study was to investigate the effects of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in Tennis elbow treatment. Materials and Methods:We design a before and after clinical trial study (registry number: IRCT2012072610405N1) and investigated 40 patients with tennis elbow disease. All patients received 2000 pulses extracorporeal shock wave by piezoelectric device (WOLF Company) daily for one-week. The severity of pain was the primary outcome and measured with visual analogue scale (VAS). Secondary outcome was the ability to perform daily activities using questionnaire’s quick DASH (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand). Primary and secondary outcomes at baseline, 30 and 60 days after intervention were measured.Results:The mean age of patients was 43.80±8.97 years and 28 patients (70%) were female. The mean duration of disease was 6.5 ± 7.9 month. The mean score of VAS pain score reduced from 7.25±1.54cm (median=7cm) before treatment to 2.76±2.08cm (median=2cm) at 60 days after the end of treatment (P<0.001). The Quick Dash score reduced significantly from 25.20±5.31 (median=25) before treatment to 8.69±8.32 (median=6) at 60 days after the treatment (P<0.001).Conclusion:For newly diagnosed patients with tennis elbow, extracorporeal shock wave therapy can reduce the severity of pain and improve daily activity.