Profile of dance aerobic instructors’ injuries, part I

Dance aerobic has been increasingly popular in the last years, engaging people of all ages, improving cardiovascular system and ameliorating psychological mood. Dance aerobic instructors guide, organize and entertain all classes suffering, thus, from a number of frequently appearing injuries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence of muscular-skeletal injuries in female dance aerobic instructors in Greece. The sample of the study was constituted of 273 female aerobic instructors who were educated in public and state colleges of physical education and sports in Greece and were observed over a period of three years (2006-2009). For the statistical treatment of the data, the method used was the analysis of frequencies and the nonparametric test X2. According to the results, 57.1% of the instructors were injured, most of them (19.8%) were injured once, 69.2% twice and 11% three times. The injury rate was 0.18 injuries per aerobic instructor per year. Out of all injuries, 79.5% was overuse syndromes. The most frequent site of injury was the leg (33.7%) followed by the knee (27.5%) and the back (22.9%). Tendonitis (22.1%), compartment syndrome (15.6%), low back pain (13.4%), and sprain (16.3%), were the most common diagnoses. Further research is needed to correlate the injury rate in aerobic instructors to the external risk factors, in order to prevent the high injury rate that the present study has recorded. In conclusion lowering the risk of injuries still further will benefit both female dance aerobic instructors and participants by enabling a greater enjoyment of the sport, better fitness, and less cost to the individual and the community

Effects of a soccer training session fatigue on balance ability

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of a soccer training session on the balance ability of the young soccer players. Participants were twenty-six young soccer players. Standard testing balance boards and Biodex Stability System were used to assess balance ability before (pre-training) and immediately after (post-training) the completion of a soccer training session. Also, Isokinetic knee joint moment measurements (60°/sec and 180°/sec) were carried out pre- and post-soccer training. The results revealed that no differences (p>0.05) were found in balance ability and knee joint moment production between pre- and post-soccer training. Result is in contrast to the notion of a link between fatigue induced by a soccer training session or game and injury caused by impaired balance

Dance aerobic instructors’ injuries in relation to external risk factors, part II

Dance aerobic instructors guide, organize and entertain all aerobics classes suffering, thus, from a number of frequently appearing injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine the musculoskeletal injuries in professional female dance aerobic instructors in relation to external factors such as frequency of participation per day or week, intensity of exercise, the type of aerobic dance, the footwear or the equipment used generally. The sample constituted of 273 female aerobic instructors who were educated in public and state colleges of physical education and sports in Greece. The most important external factors that influence injury appearance were the excessive working hours per day and per week, the mixed and high intensity classes, the different dance aerobic styles, the resilient floor and the inadequate shoes. In conclusion, the present study, in order to eliminate the external injury factors, suggests that dance aerobic instructor should not work for more than three hours a day or more than six hours a week, not participate in a variety of different dance styles, use proper footwear and work on a wooden floor. Finally, further research is needed to monitor all these innovations and the incidence and nature of injuries that are associated with them and to inform instructors of injury prevention developments

Navigation of Pedicle Screws in the Thoracic Spine with a New Electromagnetic Navigation System: A Human Cadaver Study

Introduction. Posterior stabilization of the spine is a standard procedure in spinal surgery. In addition to the standard techniques, several new techniques have been developed. The objective of this cadaveric study was to examine the accuracy of a new electromagnetic navigation system for instrumentation of pedicle screws in the spine. Material and Method. Forty-eight pedicle screws were inserted in the thoracic spine of human cadavers using EMF navigation and instruments developed especially for electromagnetic navigation. The screw position was assessed postoperatively by a CT scan. Results. The screws were classified into 3 groups: grade 1 = ideal position; grade 2 = cortical penetration <2 mm; grade 3 = cortical penetration ≥2 mm. The initial evaluation of the system showed satisfied positioning for the thoracic spine; 37 of 48 screws (77.1%, 95% confidence interval [62.7%, 88%]) were classified as group 1 or 2. Discussion. The screw placement was satisfactory. The initial results show that there is room for improvement with some changes needed. The ease of use and short setup times should be pointed out. Instrumentation is achieved without restricting the operator’s mobility during navigation. Conclusion. The results indicate a good placement technique for pedicle screws. Big advantages are the easy handling of the system

A New Electromagnetic Navigation System for Pedicle Screws Placement: A Human Cadaver Study at the Lumbar Spine.

Technical developments for improving the safety and accuracy of pedicle screw placement play an increasingly important role in spine surgery. In addition to the standard techniques of free-hand placement and fluoroscopic navigation, the rate of complications is reduced by 3D fluoroscopy, cone-beam CT, intraoperative CT/MRI, and various other navigation techniques. Another important aspect that should be emphasized is the reduction of intraoperative radiation exposure for personnel and patient. The aim of this study was to investigate the accuracy of a new navigation system for the spine based on an electromagnetic field.Twenty pedicle screws were placed in the lumbar spine of human cadavers using EMF navigation. Navigation was based on data from a preoperative thin-slice CT scan. The cadavers were positioned on a special field generator and the system was matched using a patient tracker on the spinous process. Navigation was conducted using especially developed instruments that can be tracked in the electromagnetic field. Another thin-slice CT scan was made postoperatively to assess the result. The evaluation included the position of the screws in the direction of trajectory and any injury to the surrounding cortical bone. The results were classified in 5 groups: grade 1: ideal screw position in the center of the pedicle with no cortical bone injury; grade 2: acceptable screw position, cortical bone injury with cortical penetration ≤ 2 mm; grade 3: cortical bone injury with cortical penetration 2,1-4 mm, grad 4: cortical bone injury with cortical penetration 4,1-6 mm, grade 5: cortical bone injury with cortical penetration >6 mm.The initial evaluation of the system showed good accuracy for the lumbar spine (65% grade 1, 20% grade 2, 15% grade 3, 0% grade 4, 0% grade 5). A comparison of the initial results with other navigation techniques in literature (CT navigation, 2D fluoroscopic navigation) shows that the accuracy of this system is comparable.EMF navigation offers a high accuracy in Pedicle screw placement with additional advantages compared to other techniques. The short set-up time and easy handling of EMF navigation should be emphasized. Additional advantages are the absence of intraoperative radiation exposure for the operator and surgical team in the current set-up and the operator's free mobility without interfering with navigation. Further studies with navigation at higher levels of the spine, larger numbers of cases and studies with control group are planned

Navigation Planning Tool.

<p>Navigation Planning Tool.</p

EM-Field Generator.

<p>EM-Field Generator.</p

Patient Tracker.

<p>Patient Tracker.</p