RheumatologyNetwork Staff

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Patients with sports injuries frequently go online seeking help in making medical decisions, but the quality of information they obtain about the most common sports medicine diagnoses varies widely, according to a recent study.

The article “Physical activity plan recommends new 'vital sign'” (The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine, June 2010, page 233) caught my attention. Traditionally, every medical student introduced to physical examination and diagnosis as part of his or her clinical experience has been taught that the vital signs should be the recording of a patient’s body temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration, as well as the noting of body weight and height measurements.

The Osteoarthritis Research Society International's World Congress on Osteoarthritis concluded on April 21, with a clear focus on finding new ways to recognize the disease early and identify and slow progression. Conferences page on Musculoskeletal Network features reports on the latest in osteoarthritis research, including:OARSI Debates Whether to Focus on Tissue or Pain in OAMusculoskeletal Network, April 21, 2013OARSI Adopts Tests for Physical Function in Hip and Knee OAMusculoskeletal Network, April 20, 2013

Health care professionals should make physical activity a vital sign that they assess and discuss with their patients as part of the recently announced National Physical Activity Plan, according to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)

The STOP Sports Injuries campaign was launched recently by a coalition of organizations to educate athletes, parents, trainers, coaches, and health care professionals about the rapid increase in youth sports injuries currently taking place, the steps needed to reverse the trend, and the need to keep young athletes healthy. Program components include teaching proper prevention techniques and discussing the need for open communication. Featured are public service announcements; a Web site with information about sport-specific injuries; and “The Pledge” with which participants agree to become advocates for sports safety and adopt appropriate preventive measures.

With the introduction of the tumor necrosis factor α inhibitors for RA treatment, there is greater interest in securing the diagnosis early to ensure prompt initiation of therapy.

During a skin cancer screening, a 45-year-old male soldier was noted to have bilateral subcutaneous nodules on the dorsa of his feet.

Greater emphasis placed on working with experienced and educated fitness professionals in developing better health will be the top fitness trend of 2010, according to a recent American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) survey.

Body mass index (BMI) is a strong predictor of overall mortality above and below the apparent optimum of about 22.5 to 25 kg/m2. By avoiding a further increase from 28 kg/m2 to 32 kg/m2, for example, a person in middle age typically would gain about 2 years of life expectancy.

Even with advances in the way anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries are managed, the Lysholm score and Tegner activity scale are still valid outcome measures more than 25 years after they were developed. Originally used mostly by physicians to measure knee stability and function/activity level, respectively, after injury and surgical repair, the scores are now usually patient-administered.