Publications by authors named "Giorgio Zeppieri"

Background & Purpose: The Latarjet procedure is a well-established method for surgical stabilization in the case of recurrent anterior shoulder instability. The purpose of this case report was to describe the post-operative physical therapy progression and outcome of a Division I women's basketball player following an open Latarjet procedure. # Case Description The subject was a 23-year-old female Division I collegiate basketball player who had experienced multiple shoulder dislocations during basketball-related activities.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Fastpitch softball participation continues to rise, yet there is minimal research into universal pitch count regulations for pitchers. The only current guidelines published by American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) in conjunction with the National Council for Youth Sports (NCYS), are based on pitch counts for youth baseball. The aim of this study was to quantify the total number of pitches thrown by high school fastpitch softball pitchers during a game outing to estimate the true workload experienced by the pitchers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The incidence of rotator cuff pathology in adolescent athletes is incredibly rare, consisting of only 1% of upper extremity injuries in those under the age of 20. Most rotator cuff injuries in this population are of the supraspinatus with few being of the subscapularis. The subscapularis aids with internal rotation and stabilization of the glenohumeral joint.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Adductor-related groin pain involves an injury to the common aponeurosis connecting the rectus abdominus and adductor longus to the pubis. It commonly occurs in sports that require cutting and pivoting and can result in significant loss of playing time. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is often indicated for treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and may represent an alternative treatment for patients with adductor-related groin pain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • A Division I baseball pitcher experienced chronic forearm pain in his throwing arm, specifically with tenderness in the radial tunnel area.
  • An MRI after pitching showed swelling around the posterior interosseous nerve, leading to a diagnosis of radial tunnel syndrome.
  • The pitcher had surgery to relieve nerve pressure, which completely resolved his symptoms and allowed him to return to playing baseball.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) injuries continue to be a major source of morbidity in gymnastics. The gold standard is to perform an ACL Reconstruction (ACLR). However, injuries to the proximal femoral attachment of the ACL have demonstrated an ability to regenerate.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The COVID-19 pandemic created a unique situation to study the effects of sudden detraining on softball players, resembling what might happen after an injury.
  • The study involved NCAA Division 1 softball players and measured changes in shoulder and hip range of motion and strength at three different time points: before the pandemic, after the initial lockdown, and before the 2021 season.
  • Results indicated significant changes in shoulder range of motion and strength over time, particularly highlighting decreases during the lockdown and subsequent increases when training resumed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Case: A 53-year-old man presented with simultaneous, bilateral proximal hamstring ruptures. He underwent open, staged surgical repair of the proximal hamstrings, followed by a modified course of rehabilitation. At 2-year follow-up, the patient reports excellent outcomes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to determine whether Olympic weightlifting (OW) exercises would improve sprint performance when compared to a control intervention, (no training, standard sport-specific training, traditional resistance training, or plyometric training). Medline, Web of Science, SportDiscus, CINAHL, and Biological Science from inception to September 2022 was searched. Two authors independently selected the included studies, extracted data, and appraised the risk of bias.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Although fastpitch softball participation continues to rise, there is a lack of established pitch count guidelines, potentially putting young female athletes at risk of overuse injuries. In addition to coaches, caregivers' ability to recognize and employ safe pitching guidelines plays an important role in athlete safety.

Purpose/hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to assess caregivers' knowledge of their child's pitching practices and their familiarity with softball pitching recommendations.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to investigate differences in preseason lower extremity range of motion (ROM), flexibility, and strength in collegiate gymnasts to determine if these factors contribute to injury risk during the competitive season.
  • Over four seasons, 15 female gymnasts were screened on their joint ROM, muscle flexibility, and strength, while tracking any overuse injuries that required medical attention during the season.
  • Results showed that gymnasts who sustained injuries had significantly lower hip flexion ROM and hip abduction strength compared to non-injured athletes, suggesting that these factors may impact their performance and risk of injury.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - Blood flow restriction training (BFRT) has primarily been used for strengthening lower body muscles, but this study explored its effects on shoulder muscles in two female athletes with subacromial pain.
  • - Both athletes underwent BFRT during isotonic exercises, leading to personalized loading progression monitored with strength measurements using a handheld dynamometer.
  • - After completing their treatment sessions, both athletes showed significant improvements in shoulder function, range of motion, muscle strength, and overall upper extremity performance, suggesting BFRT could enhance standard rehabilitation for shoulder pain.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Evidence informed management of individuals presenting with subacromial impingement syndrome (SAIS) includes strengthening exercises directed at the shoulder musculature. Patients with subacromial impingement syndrome (SAIS) can present with pain during and after completion of heavy resistance training limiting the applicability of this recommended treatment approach. Blood flow restriction (BFR) training is indicated for patients who have pain while completing heavy resistance training and may represent an important treatment modification for patients with SAIS unable to fully participate in a strengthening exercise program.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Many studies have been done on the strength and mobility of the shoulder and hip in baseball players, but fewer studies have examined these metrics in softball players.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to observe and analyze changes in range of motion (ROM) and strength at the hip and shoulder that occur over the course of a competitive season, to describe preseason ROM and strength at the hip and shoulder in healthy college softball players through side-to-side comparison, and to compare measurements between pitchers and position players.

Study Design: Descriptive Cohort Study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Identifying patients with musculoskeletal pain who are at risk for additional health care use is important for improving the value of physical therapists' services. We previously identified three subgroups based on the importance attached by patients to improvements in outcome domains including a (1) Pain and Function Outcomes Important subgroup; (2) Pain Important subgroup; and (3) Multiple Outcome Domains Important subgroup.

Objective: The primary aim was to determine whether subgroups based on patient-determined outcomes of importance predicted any additional pain-related health care use after an episode of physical therapy.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: As more athletes participate in youth baseball, there has been an associated increase in upper extremity injuries. Knowledge of baseball injury prevention guidelines continues to be developed and defined as throwing-related injuries rise. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how knowledgeable youth baseball caregivers were about safe pitching guidelines and secondarily determine pitching practices which may be associated with increased risk of player injury.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Hip range of motion (ROM) during baseball pitching is associated with trunk rotation and shoulder kinematics, which has shown to influence medial elbow valgus loading and pitching performance. The purpose of this study was to measure the relationship between hip rotational ROM and kinematic variables that influence elbow valgus loads in Division 1 collegiate pitchers.

Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Gymnastics is a demanding sport that places unique forces on the upper extremity. The repetitive nature of the sport and the high-impact forces involved may predispose the gymnast to overuse injuries. Risk factors for injuries in gymnastics are not well understood.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Patient-centered care models allow for the ability to tailor treatment to outcomes of importance to patients.

Objective: The purposes of this study were to (1) define patient subgroups based on outcomes of importance; (2) determine whether patient subgroups based on outcomes of importance differed in demographic, clinical, and psychological measures; and (3) determine whether outcome domain subgroups differed in treatment responses.

Design: This was a prospective, longitudinal observational study.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A significant number of adolescent athletes throughout the world participate in various throwing-dominant sports, including but not limited to baseball, cricket, handball, softball, track and field throwing events, and water polo. Due to the unique stresses placed on the throwing arm and entire body in these sports, a robust volume of literature has highlighted concerns about sport specialization in these athletes and an associated increased risk of injury, particularly to the dominant shoulder and elbow, with sport specialization. This review will highlight the evidence-based literature for this athletic niche, focusing on risk factors for injury, national and international organizations' recommendations for limiting overuse injuries, principles of conditioning and rehabilitative programs, and potential future areas of research to curb the growing incidence of throwing-related injuries among adolescent throwing athletes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

A 15-year-old high school football player sustained direct impact to his anteromedial left knee by a teammate's helmet during practice. The physician referred the athlete immediately to an after-hours clinic for imaging to rule out a fracture. Radiographs of the knee showed a nondisplaced Salter-Harris type II fracture.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: The tennis serve is a complex skill requiring appropriate energy transfer to maximize serve speed. As the only independently powered shot in tennis, it is important to understand what characteristics contribute to a player's serve.

Hypothesis: Upper extremity and lower extremity power variables will be predictive of serve speed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Throwing injuries are common in high school baseball. Known risk factors include excessive pitch counts, year-round pitching, and pitching with arm pain and fatigue. Despite the evidence, the prevalence of pitching injuries among high school players has not decreased.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Study Design Observational, prospective cohort. Background Musculoskeletal pain is a common reason to seek health care, and earlier nonpharmacological treatment and enhancement of personalized care options are 2 high-priority areas. Validating concise assessment tools is an important step toward establishing better care pathways.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to compare levels of kinesiophobia (fear of movement) and how they relate to health-related quality of life in patients with musculoskeletal injuries.
  • It involved a retrospective analysis of 853 outpatient therapy patients who completed specific questionnaires about their fear of movement and general health within a week of their first visit.
  • Results showed no significant differences in kinesiophobia based on injury location, but overall, higher kinesiophobia levels were linked to lower health-related quality of life, suggesting the need for physical therapists to routinely assess and address fear of movement in treatment.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF