Sudden cardiac death and coronary artery anomalies in the athletes: A narrative review

Sudden cardiac death (SCD) in the athletes is an unexpected dramatic event. The mechanism underneath SCD is often represented by a ventricular tachyarrhythmia arising as complication of a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases, with a silent clinical course. Therefore, SCD often represents the onset manifestation of an underlying heart disease. To prevent SCD in the athletes, several international guidelines proposed pre-participation screening protocols to identify high-risk subjects. Behind atherosclerotic diseases, other structural or functional conditions have been related to SCD, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, QT-long syndrome, arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia, and others. Among these, the coronary artery anomalies represent almost the 20% of all cases. The coronary artery anomalies can be classified into anomalies of origin, course and termination and can be isolated or associated with other congenital cardiac defects. Some of them are rarely symptomatic. Others could impair heart function and determine SCD. Some others determine secondary cardiovascular diseases such as increased risk of endocarditis, secondary aortic valve diseases, myocardial ischemia, and others. Innovative diagnostic and therapeutic options allowed to recognize the different coronary artery anomalies, preventing SCD in athletes. The aim of this review was to analyse coronary artery anomalies to understand their implications in SCD in athletes

Acceptability and Practicality of a Quick Musculoskeletal Examination into Sports Medicine Pre-Participation Evaluation

Background: Child musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases are common and, even if often benign, sometimes can lead to significant impairment in the future health of children. Italian pre-participation evaluation (PPE), performed by a sports medicine physician, allows for the screening of a wide range of children every year. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility and the acceptability of pGALS (pediatric Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine) screening, a simple pediatric MSK screening examination, when performed as part of a routine PPE. Methods: Consecutive school-aged children attending a sports medicine screening program were assessed with the addition of pGALS to the routine clinical examination. Practicability (time taken) and patient acceptability (discomfort caused) were recorded. Results: 654 children (326 male, mean age 8.9 years) were evaluated through pGALS. The average time taken was 4.26 min (range 1.9–7.3 min). Acceptability of pGALS was deemed high: time taken was “adequate” (97% of parents) and caused little or no discomfort (94% of children). Abnormal MSK findings were common. Conclusions: pGALS is a practical and acceptable tool to perform in sports medicine PPE, even if performed by a non-expert in MSK medicine. Although common, abnormal MSK findings need to be interpreted in the global clinical context and assessment

Acceptability and Practicality of a Quick Musculoskeletal Examination into Sports Medicine Pre-Participation Evaluation

Background: Child musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases are common and, even if often benign, sometimes can lead to significant impairment in the future health of children. Italian preparticipation evaluation (PPE), performed by a sports medicine physician, allows for the screening of a wide range of children every year. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility and the acceptability of pGALS (pediatric Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine) screening, a simple pediatric MSK screening examination, when performed as part of a routine PPE. Methods: Consecutive schoolaged children attending a sports medicine screening program were assessed with the addition of pGALS to the routine clinical examination. Practicability (time taken) and patient acceptability (discomfort caused) were recorded. Results: 654 children (326 male, mean age 8.9 years) were evaluated through pGALS. The average time taken was 4.26 min (range 1.9–7.3 min). Acceptability of pGALS was deemed high: time taken was “adequate” (97% of parents) and caused little or no discomfort (94% of children). Abnormal MSK findings were common. Conclusions: pGALS is a practical and acceptable tool to perform in sports medicine PPE, even if performed by a non-expert in MSK medicine. Although common, abnormal MSK findings need to be interpreted in the global clinical context and assessment

Enhancing vertical jump performance through real-time biofeedback: A randomized controlled trial in healthy individuals

Real-time biofeedback (Rt-Bf) has gained substantial recognition in recent years as an invaluable tool in the fields of rehabilitation and sports medicine. Its application has piqued the interest of professionals across a wide spectrum of sports settings, making it a pivotal focus of research. The primary objective of this study was to investigate how the integration of biofeedback into training programs could impact the vertical jump and balance outcomes in healthy subjects, in direct comparison to traditional approaches such as verbal instructions (VER) and video observation (VO). A total of 262 active healthy subjects were randomized into three groups: VER, VER + VO, and VER + Rt-Bf. The subjects underwent a vertical jump test (squat jump) and a balance test (single-leg squat) following a pre-established protocol. After a 5-min rest period, the tests were repeated. During the rest period, each group received specific interventions: VER group received verbal instructions, VO group watched a video execution, and Rt-Bf group received real-time biofeedback. Gyko® technology was employed as the measuring tool, capturing and analyzing all relevant parameters associated with both the jump and balance protocols. The Rt-Bf group exhibited a significantly higher improvement in jump height (2.3 cm) compared to the other groups (p < 0.001). While the Rt-Bf group also demonstrated enhancements in various parameters of the single-leg squat, these improvements were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The findings suggest that incorporating an Rt-Bf protocol alongside VER significantly enhances vertical jump performance. Although balance parameter improvements were also observed in the Rt-Bf group, they did not reach statistical significance (p > 0.05). These findings reaffirm the pivotal role that Rt-Bf plays in augmenting physical performance in healthy individuals, offering a promising avenue for future research and application. © JPES