Publications by authors named "Andrea Demeco"

: Knee Osteoarthritis affects about 10% of people over 50, causing pain and functional limitation. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is crucial in regulating the osteocartilaginous matrix. Patients are usually assessed using clinical scores to examine symptoms and quality of life, and in this context, gait analysis could provide an objective assessment of walking patterns to identify any deficits.

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Introduction: Haemophilia is a severe hereditary bleeding disorder affecting ∼1 in 5000 males, caused by deficiencies in coagulation factors VIII or IX. Chronic pain from haemophilic arthropathy (HA), especially in target joints, reduces quality of life (HRQOL), range of motion (ROM) and daily function. While conventional treatment includes replacement therapy and rehabilitation, acupuncture has emerged as a complementary approach with potential pain-relief benefits and fewer side effects.

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: Dog agility is a rapidly growing sport involving a partnership between a dog and the handler, running through an obstacle course. Despite its increasing popularity and physical benefits, research on handler injuries remains limited. This study aimed to assess injury epidemiology of athletes practicing dog agility.

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ObjectivePadel, a high-intensity overhead sport, poses significant shoulder injury risks due to repetitive motions and microtrauma. This study utilized an inertial motion unit (IMU) and surface electromyography (sEMG) to identify kinematic and muscle activation patterns distinguishing injury-prone and non-prone players, emphasizing prehabilitation's role in preventing shoulder injuries and enhancing performance.MethodsMale padel players with ≥5 years of experience were assessed at the Rehabilitation Unit of the University Hospital "Renato Dulbecco" of Catanzaro, Italy, Participants were stratified into high-risk and low-risk groups based on prior shoulder tendinopathies.

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. Poor posture is a common musculoskeletal concern in children and adolescents and may lead to spinal discomfort and long-term structural issues. While excess weight has been linked to altered sagittal alignment, the impact of sports participation on spinal posture remains unclear.

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The term tendinopathy commonly describes a series of alterations in the tendon, leading in functional impairment and pain, treated with several approaches, including exercises, physical agents, and injection therapies. Among the latter, autologous tenocyte injection (ATI) involves harvesting tenocytes from a healthy tendon of the patients and then isolating the tenocytes and culturing for 4-5 weeks. To date, there is still a lack of consensus about the efficacy of ATI in improving pain and function; therefore, the present review aimed to assess the role of ATI in the treatment of chronic tendinopathies.

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BackgroundLow bone mineral density (LBMD) significantly contributes to loss of independence, gait impairment, and increased fall risk. Instrumental gait analysis provides an accurate evaluation of walking ability, that represent the first step for a personalized rehabilitation.ObjectiveTo collect and describe the available literature on the effect of LBMD on walking characteristics and the use of motion analysis systems in patients with LBMD.

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Background: Ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) present global health challenges. While physical activity is strongly recommended for secondary prevention of these clinical conditions, there's a massive gap between guidelines and the real world. This study aimed to assess the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of an exercise-based rehabilitation (EBR) program for patients with minor ischemic non-disabling stroke (MINDS) or TIA.

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BackgroundMixed reality (MR) is an emerging technology that has been employed in medicine, providing a holographic representation of patient anatomy.PurposeThe aim of this review is to examine the use of imaging-derived holograms in the management of musculoskeletal conditions.Research DesingA literature search was performed on PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar up to June 2023, a total of 31 studies were included.

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Urinary incontinence (UI) prevalence reaches the 80% rate in female athletes involved in high-impact sports. In this context, although conservative treatment represents the first therapeutic choice, there is still a lack of knowledge on the efficacy of conservative programs in young female athletes. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the role of pelvic floor rehabilitation in the treatment of UI in young nulliparous female athletes.

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This review critically examines the issue of thigh tendon reinjury in athletes, drawing on recent advancements and diverse perspectives in sports medicine. The findings underscore the paramount importance of an early and accurate diagnosis, which significantly influences treatment efficacy and rehabilitation outcomes. We explore the intricacies of tendon anatomy and the mechanisms underlying injuries, highlighting how these factors interplay with athlete-specific risk profiles to affect reinjury rates.

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Article Synopsis
  • Hand tendinopathies are common conditions that can cause significant disability, and treatments vary widely, leading to confusion about the best methods, particularly for infiltrative therapies.
  • This systematic review focused on the effectiveness of injection techniques for treating pain associated with hand tendinopathies by analyzing recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published over the last decade.
  • Out of 641 articles examined, 23 RCTs were included in the review, confirming that infiltrative therapy significantly helps reduce pain and improve hand functionality in conditions like trigger finger and de Quervain's tenosynovitis.
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Injuries represent a serious concern for football players, with a significant loss in terms of sport participation and long periods of rehabilitation. According to the 2019/20 UEFA Élite Club Injury Report, the average incidence of injuries during training is 2.8 per 1000 h of training, with an average absence from training of 20 days.

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Article Synopsis
  • * A systematic review was conducted, screening 399 articles, but only 6 met the strict inclusion criteria focused on DNY and myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in athletes.
  • * Initial findings indicate that DNY can significantly reduce pain and shoulder disability rapidly, although the optimal treatment frequency and intervals are still unclear.
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(1) Background: Computed tomography (CT) plays a paramount role in the characterization and follow-up of COVID-19. Several score systems have been implemented to properly assess the lung parenchyma involved in patients suffering from SARS-CoV-2 infection, such as the visual quantitative assessment score (VQAS) and software-based quantitative assessment score (SBQAS) to help in managing patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. This study aims to investigate and compare the diagnostic accuracy of the VQAS and SBQAS with two different types of software based on artificial intelligence (AI) in patients affected by SARS-CoV-2.

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Introduction: Cerebral palsy (CP) is the predominant cause of children disability. It is characterized by motor, sensory, and postural deficits due to a non-progressive injury to the developing central nervous system. In recent years, new rehabilitation techniques targeting the central representations of motor patterns have been introduced: the most used are action observation therapy (AOT), motor imagery (MI), and mirror therapy (MT).

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Stroke represents the third cause of long-term disability in the world. About 80% of stroke patients have an impairment of bio-motor functions and over half fail to regain arm functionality, resulting in motor movement control disorder with serious loss in terms of social independence. Therefore, rehabilitation plays a key role in the reduction of patient disabilities, and 3D printing (3DP) has showed interesting improvements in related fields, thanks to the possibility to produce customized, eco-sustainable and cost-effective orthoses.

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Muscle injuries and subsequent reinjuries significantly impact athletes, especially in football. These injuries lead to time loss, performance impairment, and long-term health concerns. This review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current understanding of muscle reinjuries, delving into their epidemiology, risk factors, clinical management, and prevention strategies.

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Background: Padel players commonly suffer from shoulder pain and the particularly high incidence is probably linked to the high frequency of strokes. In addition, due to the repetitive technical gesture, an adequate technique is essential in terms of performance and injury risk prevention. Aim of this study was to objectively evaluate shoulder kinematic during the athletic gesture to analyze the risk factors linked to padel strokes.

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Article Synopsis
  • Stem cells are being explored as a key treatment option for repairing and regenerating tissues in sports injuries.
  • The review covers various types of stem cells, how they work, and the results of their use in treating sports-related injuries.
  • It also highlights the challenges, ethical issues, and potential future uses of stem cell therapy in sports medicine.
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Amputation has a big impact on the functioning of patients, with negative effects on locomotion and dexterity. In this context, inertial measurement units represent a useful tool in clinical practice for motion analysis, and in the development of personalized aids to improve a patient's function. To date, there is still a gap of knowledge in the scientific literature on the application of inertial sensors in amputee patients.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study explores the use of fully immersive virtual reality (FIVR) in stroke rehabilitation, highlighting its immersive experience that may enhance recovery.
  • Researchers analyzed 12 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving 350 stroke patients to assess FIVR's effectiveness compared to standard rehabilitation methods.
  • Results indicate that FIVR significantly improves upper limb dexterity, gait performance, and dynamic balance, ultimately promoting patient independence and quality of life for stroke survivors.
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To evaluate the effects of visual feedback training on motor recovery in postoperative patients with a total knee replacement (TKR). The performance of 40 first-ever TKR patients (27 females; mean age: 70.5 (67.

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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.

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