Pathogenesis of Fifth Metatarsal Stress Fractures in College Soccer Players

Category: Sports Introduction/Purpose: The pathogenesis of fifth metatarsal stress fractures remains uncertain. We hypothesized that physical characteristics and environmental factors, which have received limited attention in the literature thus far, might be involved in the development of such fractures. To test our hypothesis, we performed a medical checkup and a survey of the living environment of athletes in college soccer teams, and subsequently, we investigated the existence of fifth metatarsal stress fractures, and examined the differences between the injury group and the non-injury group. Methods: The survey and measurements were conducted in 273 male athletes from the same college soccer team between 2005 and 2013. A medical checkup, comprising assessment of stature, body weight, body mass index, arch height ratio, toe-grip strength, quadriceps angle, leg-heel angle, functional reach test, one-leg standing time with eyes closed, straight leg raise test, finger-floor distance, heel-to-buttock distance, ankle joint range of motion, and general joint laxity test, and a questionnaire survey were performed once a year. A survey was conducted at the time of injury that resulted in fifth metatarsal stress fractures. The study participants were separated into an injury group and a non-injury group, depending on whether they had a fifth metatarsal stress fracture. The measurement items and survey items were compared, and the association between the presence or absence of injury and the measurement items was analyzed. Results: Toe-grip strength was significantly weaker in the injury group, compared with the non-injury group, suggesting that a weak toe-grip is associated with fifth metatarsal stress fracture (p < 0.05). In addition, injury on the non-dominant leg was more frequent in the fifth metatarsal stress fracture injury group (p < 0.05). Between-group comparisons of the other items showed no statistically significant differences. Conclusion: The association between weak toe-grip strength and fifth metatarsal fracture suggests that a weak toe-grip may lead to an increase in the load applied onto the lateral side of the foot; this may cause mechanical stress on the bone. In addition, the effect of the non-dominant leg on the fifth metatarsal bone may need to be studied further

Advancement of Periosteal and Capsular Complexes With or Without Augmentation Using a Free Graft From Lower Extensor Retinaculum: A Comparative Study With Propensity Score Matching

Background: This study compared the outcome of the L-shaped (L-AD) advancement of the periosteal and capsular complexes with or without augmentation using a free graft of the lower extensor retinaculum (AUG) in patients with chronic lateral ankle instability. Methods: A matched pair analysis was performed of retrospectively collected medical records of patients undergoing lateral ankle ligament repair who had completed at least 2 years of follow-up. Patients who underwent L-AD with AUG and patients undergoing L-AD alone were matched for age, sex, stress radiography findings, and body mass index. Patients with general joint laxity, osteoarthritic changes in the ankle, and subtalar symptoms and who underwent simultaneous surgical treatment for conditions other than that for lateral ankle ligament were excluded. A total of 46 patients were included in the study (23 patients in each group). Clinical outcome scores and postoperative mechanical instability were compared. Results: The median American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) score improved significantly ( P  < .001) from 72 to 97 in the L-AD alone group and from 77 to 100 in the L-AD with AUG group. The mean (±SD) talar tilt angles improved significantly from 11.1 to 4.7 degrees postoperatively ( P  < .001) in the L-AD alone group vs 9.7 to 5.2 degrees ( P  < .001) in the L-AD with AUG group. The mean anterior drawer distances were improved significantly postoperatively from 6.4 to 4.7 mm ( P  < .001) in the L-AD alone group, and from 6.5 to 4.5 mm ( P  < .001) in the L-AD with AUG group. Conclusion: The L-AD technique significantly improved AOFAS scores and mechanical instability of ankles with chronic lateral instability with a very low complication rate. Additional augmentation using a free graft showed no advantages in the ankle with a talar tilt of <20 degrees. Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective case-control series

Imaging an intrapulmonary solitary fibrous tumor with CT and F-18 FDG PET/CT

Intrapulmonary solitary fibrous tumors (SFTs) are extremely rare neoplasms. We report a case of an intrapulmonary SFT and describe the findings of computed tomography (CT) and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. The case indicates that a benign intrapulmonary SFT can present as a ground-glass nodule in the early stages of disease and may appear as a well-defined, lobular, homogeneously enhanced mass with slow growth on chest CT images. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the natural course of an intrapulmonary SFT over 16 years based on the findings of chest CT and F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/CT. Keywords: Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT), Intrapulmonary, Computed tomography (CT