The effect of pelvic tilt and cam on hip range of motion in young elite skiers and nonathletes

Anna Swärd Aminoff,1 Cecilia Agnvall,2,3 Carl Todd,1 Páll Jónasson,4 Mikael Sansone,1 Olof Thoreson,1 Leif Swärd,1 Jon Karlsson,1 Adad Baranto1 1Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden; 2Sports Medicine Åre, Åre, Sweden; 3Åre Ski Academy, Åre, Sweden; 4Orkuhúsið Orthopedic Clinic, Reykjavik, Iceland Background: Current knowledge of the effect of changes in posture and the way cam morphology of the hip joint may affect hip range of motion (ROM) is limited. Purpose: To determine the effect of changes in pelvic tilt (PT) on hip ROM and with/without the presence of cam. Study design: This was a cross-sectional study. Materials and methods: The hip ROM of 87 subjects (n=61 young elite skiers, n=26 nonathletes) was examined using a goniometer, in three different seated postures (flexed, neutral, and extended). The hips of the subjects were further subgrouped into cam and no-cam morphology, based on the magnetic resonance imaging findings in the hips. Results: There was a significant correlation between the hip ROM and the seated posture in both extended and flexed postures compared with the neutral posture. There was a significant decrease in internal hip rotation when the subjects sat with an extended posture with maximum anterior PT (p<0.0001). There was a significant increase in internal hip rotation when the subjects sat with a flexed posture with maximum posterior PT (p<0.001). External rotation was significantly decreased in an extended posture with maximum anterior PT (p<0.0001), but there was no difference in flexed posture with maximum posterior PT. The hips with cam morphology had reduced internal hip rotation in all three positions, but they responded to the changes in position in a similar manner to hips without cam morphology. Conclusion: Dynamic changes in PT significantly influence hip ROM in young people, independent of cam or no-cam morphology. Keywords: hip, cross-sectional studies, rotation, hip joint, range of motion (articular), pelvis, posture, magnetic resonance imagin

Percutaneous interspinous spacer vs decompression in patients with neurogenic claudication: An alternative in selected patients?

BACKGROUND: Standalone interspinous process devices (IPDs) to treat degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis with neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC) have shown ambiguous results in the literature. OBJECTIVE: To show that a minimally invasive percutaneous IPD is safe and noninferior to standalone decompressive surgery (SDS) for patients with degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis with NIC. METHODS: A multicenter, international, randomized, controlled trial (RCT) was conducted. One hundred sixty-three patients, enrolled at 19 sites, were randomized 1:1 to treatment with IPD or SDS and were followed for 24 mo. RESULTS: There was significant improvement in Zurich Claudication Questionnaire physical function, as mean percentage change from baseline, for both the IPD and the SDS groups at 12 mo (primary endpoint) and 24 mo ( 1232.3 \ub1 32.1, 1237.5 \ub1 22.8; and 1237.9 \ub1 21.7%, 1235.2 \ub1 22.8, both P < .001). IPD treatment was not significantly noninferior (margin: 10%) to SDS treatment at 12 mo (P= .172) but was significantly noninferior at 24 mo (P = .005). Symptom severity, patient satisfaction, visual analog scale leg pain, and SF-36 improved in both groups over time. IPD showed lower mean surgical time and mean blood loss (24 \ub1 11 min and 6 \ub1 11 mL) compared to SDS (70 \ub1 39 min and 189 \ub1 148 mL, both P < .001). Reoperations at index level occurred in 18.2% of the patients in the IPD group and in 9.3% in the SDS group. CONCLUSION: Confirming 3 recent RCTs, we could show that IPD as well as open decompression achieve similar results in relieving symptoms of NIC in highly selected patients. However, despite some advantages in secondary outcomes, a higher reoperation rate for IPD is confirmed

Low back pain in adolescent female rowers : a multi-dimensional intervention study

The aim of this study was to determine whether a multi-dimensional intervention programme was effective in reducing the incidence of low back pain (LBP) and the associated levels of pain and disability in schoolgirl rowers. This non-randomised controlled trial involved an intervention (INT) group consisting of 90 schoolgirl rowers from one school and a control (CTRL) group consisting of 131 participants from three other schools. All participants in the INT group underwent a multi-dimensional programme that consisted of an individualised exercise programme based on an individual musculoskeletal screening (Week 1) and a LBP education session conducted by a physiotherapist (Week 2) and performed an off-water-conditioning programme conducted by a Physical Education teacher. All exercises were undertaken during the season. Primary outcome variables collected at Start-season, Mid-season, End-season and Post-season included the incidence of LBP and related levels of pain and disability. Secondary outcome variables from the bio-psycho-social domain were measured at Start-season and End-season in the INT group only. The INT group had a lower incidence of LBP at Mid-season and End-season and displayed significantly better results than the CTRL group for improvers and non-improvers with respect to the levels of pain and disability. The INT group following the intervention also displayed improved physical fitness levels, sat with significantly less anterior tilt of the pelvis and lumbar kyphosis when in their usual sitting posture and demonstrated positive changes in their behaviour.The multi-dimensional approach to reducing the incidence of LBP, pain and disability in schoolgirl rowers in this study was effective. Several secondary outcome variables measured in the INT group considered to be of importance in LBP significantly improved. These included physical fitness (aerobic conditioning, lower limb and back muscle endurance and sit and reach flexibility) and seated posture (usual and slump sitting)