35 research outputs found
Child – parent agreement on reports of disease, injury and pain
BACKGROUND: Studies on school students are indicating that somatic complaints and pain have increased during the past decades. Throughout this period there has been a change in methodology from proxy reports by parents to having the students themselves act as the respondents, possible explaining some of the increase in prevalence. The aim of this study was to compare the agreement of answers from students with answers given by their parents regarding the students' medical background and subjective rating of perceived health with specific focus on frequency of headache, musculoskeletal pain and tiredness. METHODS: The participating students came from eleven different schools in Sweden. The schools were a sub sample of randomly selected schools originally participating in a larger multidisciplinary base study. Those 8(th )grade students present at school on the test date became the subjects of the investigation. A total of 232 students answered, assisted by the test leader, a specially designed self-complete questionnaire at school. Their parents were, at the same time, contacted and 200 answered a similar mailed-out questionnaire. One hundred and eighty-six (186) corresponding student-same parent questionnaires were registered for which comparisons of answers could be made and analysis conducted. RESULTS: When a child is in good health, in absence of diseases, pain and injuries, his or her assessment matches up with their parent. Children and parents also showed agreement in cases of severe injuries and frequent (daily) complaints of knee pain. Less frequent headaches, back- and musculoskeletal pain and other complaints of minor injuries and less wellbeing, such as students' tiredness, were all under-reported and under-rated by their parents. CONCLUSION: When assessing the perceived health and wellbeing of students, their own expressions should be the basis for the data collection and analysis rather than relying entirely on parental reports
Type of acute hamstring strain affects flexibility, strength, and time to return to pre‐injury level
Background: Acute hamstring strains are common injuries in different
sports. They are often serious, causing long rehabilitation times and a
proneness for re-injury. Preliminary observations indicate that the
injuries can be of at least two types, one occurring during high-speed
running and the other during motions where the hamstring muscles reach
extreme lengths.
Aims: To investigate the possible existence of different types of acute
hamstring strains in two specific athletic groups, namely sprinters and
dancers, as well as the generality of these findings in other sports.
Methods: In the first project, 18 sprinters and 15 dancers with acute
first time hamstring strains were prospectively included. All subjects
were examined, clinically and with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), on 4
occasions after injury: at day 2-4, 10, 21 and 42. The follow-up period
was 2 years. In the second project, 30 subjects from 21 different sports
were prospectively included. All subjects were examined clinically and
with MRI. The follow-up period lasted until the subjects returned to
sport or finished their sport activity due to the injury.
Results: All sprinters sustained their injuries during competitive
high-speed running. In contrast, all dancers encountered their injuries
during slow-speed stretching type of exercises. The initial loss of
strength and flexibility was significantly greater in sprinters than in
dancers. At 42 days after injury, both groups could perform more than 90%
of the test values of the uninjured leg. All the sprinters injuries were
primarily located in biceps femoris long head, whereas the dancers
injuries were mainly (87%) involving the proximal free tendon of
semimembranosus. For the sprinters, involvement of the proximal free
tendon, as estimated by MRI, and proximity to the ischial tuberosity, as
estimated both by palpation and MRI, were associated with significantly
longer time to return to pre-injury level. In the dancers, there were no
significant correlations between clinical or MRI parameters and time to
return to per-injury level. The time to pre-injury level was
significantly longer (median 50 weeks, range 30-76) for the dancers
compared to the sprinters (16, 6-50). In the second project, all injuries
occurred during movements reaching a position with combined extensive hip
flexion and knee extension. They were all located close to the ischial
tuberosity and 83% involved the proximal free tendon of semimembranosus.
Fourteen subjects (47%) decided to end their sport activity and for the
remaining 16 subjects the median time back to sport was 31 (range 9-104)
weeks. There were no significant correlations between clinical and MRI
parameters and time to return to sport.
Conclusions: There seems to be a link between the injury situation and
the two types of acute hamstring strain in sprinters and dancers with
respect to clinical findings, injury location, muscles and tissues
involved, and time to return to pre-injury level. Proximity of the injury
to the ischial tuberosity, as estimated both by palpation and MRI, is
associated with longer recovery time. Also in other sports, an injury
situation where the hamstrings reach extensive lengths caused a specific
injury to the proximal posterior thigh similar to that described in
dancers. Due to the prolonged recovery time associated with this type of
injury, correct diagnosis based on history, clinical and MRI
investigation, and adequate information to the athletes are essential