Competitive Gymnast Research Articles

Historical aspects of cheerleading as a popular sport for students

Relevance. This article is devoted to the history of the emergence and formation of cheerleading as a separate sport. This sport is aimed at comprehensive physical, intellectual and spiritual development and contributes to the improvement of motor and moral-volitional qualities.Purpose. Analysis of the current state of the "cheer dispute". Special attention was paid to the historical aspect of the development of this sport and the analysis of it as popular among students.Methodology and organization of the research. In the course of our research, the main method was the analysis of documentary sources, as well as conversations with representatives of this sport.The results of the research. Cheerleading originated in the USA in the 1870s and became most widespread by the middle of the XX century. In the student life of the 1860s, encouraging athletes during competitions became popular, and soon it spread as a separate sport. As a result of the conducted research, a significant increase in the number of people engaged in this sport is shown. There is also data on the doubling of the number of national national teams over 10 years of international competitions in cheer sports. A comparative analysis of cheerleading and competitive gymnast was conducted, their similarities and differences were indicated.Conclusions. Cheerleading is a sport that includes elements of gymnastics and acrobatics, building pyramids. For stronger motivation, it is necessary to develop this sport, scale up competitions.

Internal Bracing Augmentation of the Ulnar Collateral Ligament on a Level 10 Competitive Gymnast: A Case Study

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries have become increasingly more common over the years. Reconstruction and nonoperative treatment have been the conventional treatment for athletes, especially for overhead athletes. This case study presents a 16-year-old female, competitive Level 10 gymnast, with a complete distal tear of her UCL with a full thickness, Grade 3, ulnar sided avulsion off of the sublime tubercle. She underwent medial UCL repair with internal brace augmentation with the goal of faster return to gymnastics. To the author’s knowledge, this is the second gymnast reported in the literature to have an internal brace augmentation completed on the UCL.

Repair of an Acute Latissimus Dorsi Tendon Rupture Using Bicortical Button Fixation

Acute latissimus dorsi tendon rupture is a rare injury, occurring nearly exclusively in athletes engaging in overhead motions. Given this patient population, return to elite function is a goal of treatment, often requiring surgery. When planning surgery, one finds a lack of sufficient evidence to recommend a specific fixation technique. We report a case of acute rupture of the latissimus dorsi in a competitive gymnast. Initial magnetic resonance imaging confirmed the injury and showed that the tendon had retracted 6 cm. Primary repair using bicortical button fixation, a novel fixation technique, was performed. The patient successfully returned to competition and reported personal best scores on high bar and parallel bars. Cadaveric studies comparing cortical buttons to sutures and suture anchors for tendon reattachment found cortical buttons to have higher loads to failure. Overall, this suggests the technique described here may provide superior outcomes for a patient population who will stress the repair at elite levels. Level of Evidence: Level V.

Perfil dermatoglífico y potencialidades físicas de niñas de gimnasia artística de competencia: Comparación con no gimnastas

Objetivo: Identificar las potencialidades físicas, a través de perfiles dermatoglíficos, de niñas gimnastas de competencia comparadas con niñas no gimnastas.
 Método: Se midieron niñas no gimnastas (n=50) y niñas gimnastas (n=50) participantes en el Campeonato Regional de bases 2018, Zona 1 Norte de México, de los estados de Sonora, Sinaloa, Baja California, Baja California Sur y Chihuahua. Lo anterior a través del método dermatoglífico informatizado, sobre la base del protocolo propuesto por Cummins y Midlo, que consiste en la toma de las huellas de los 10 dedos de las manos.
 Resultados: Las gimnastas exhiben mayor coordinación motora, agilidad y resistencia, ya que presentan valores más altos en marcas dactilares como verticilos y delta 10. Absolutamente todas las formulas encontradas en las gimnastas presentan verticilos (coordinación y agilidad), aunque en diferente proporción. Las fórmulas que más se repiten en ambos grupos son presillas > verticilos (gimnastas 48% y no gimnastas 44%) y verticilos > presillas (gimnastas 26% y no gimnasta 16%). Notando que, aunque en las niñas no gimnastas también aparecen dichas formulas, en este grupo tienden a diversificarse de forma clara.
 Conclusiones: Se logra definir que los verticilos, que correlacionan con coordinación y agilidad, son huellas de suma importancia en la práctica de la gimnasta, que junto con un delta 10 (promedio) de 14 y un alto conteo de líneas en los dedos de la mano izquierda, como elementos indispensables en el perfil dermatoglífico en la gimnasia.

Arthroscopic Debridement of Pediatric Accessory Anterolateral Talar Facet Causing Impingement

Symptomatic subfibular and/or lateral talocalcaneal impingement in pediatric patients may result from an accessory anterolateral talar facet (AALTF). This impingement may cause pain and disability and may limit athletic performance in high-level athletes. We report the case of a 12-year-old female competitive gymnast who had refractory, lateral-sided right ankle pain for 4 months and underwent right ankle arthroscopic resection of the AALTF causing impingement. Standard medial and anterolateral portals with the addition of an accessory anterolateral-distal portal were used in conjunction with a 30° 2.7-mm-diameter arthroscope. The AALTF was resected with a combination of a shaver and a motorized rasp. Intraoperative fluoroscopy was used to verify successful debridement of the bony facet. This case illustrates that arthroscopic debridement is a technique to treat subfibular and/or talocalcaneal impingement associated with an AALTF.

Nonsustained Ventricular Tachycardia Resolving Under General Anesthesia

A 14-year-old competitive gymnast presented for a left distal femur epiphysiodesis. She had previously sustained a right femur fracture and was noted to have asymptomatic NSVT perioperatively, which improved while under general anesthesia (GA). Holter monitor showed NSR with uniform ventricular ectopy occurring 30% of the time, including during sleep. Echocardiography was normal and exercise testing was negative. While under GA with isoflurane, her NSVT terminated and resumed on emergence. She returned eleven months later for a right distal femoral osteotomy. Her baseline NSVT again improved after induction, and returned five minutes after emergence.

Conversion disorder: Not a malingering matter

A 12-year-old girl was seen by her family physician with a chief complaint of seizures. Over the past several weeks, she has suffered from attacks of bilateral arm jerking, followed by bilateral leg jerking. Often, her head shakes violently from side to side and her eyes are seen to roll back in her head. These spells are not accompanied by bladder or bowel incontinence, but often the patient bites her tongue and kicks over tables or strikes family members during an episode. These incidents typically follow episodes of emotional outburst and can wax and wane for 20 min to 30 min with varying intensity. She has no significant medical history and takes no medications. Her school performance is excellent. She is a competitive gymnast who spends 15 h per week training. On examination, her vitals signs are normal, without orthostatic hypotension, and her neurological evaluation is unremarkable. Medical investigations including glucose, electrolytes, a urine toxin screen and an EEG are all within normal limits.

Index of Suspicion * Case 1: Status Epilepticus, Hypertension, and Tachycardia in a 5-year-old Boy * Case 2: Cardiopulmonary Arrest During Gymnastics Practice in a Teenage Girl * Case 3: Acute Renal Failure in a Teenage Boy Who Has Autism and Pica

* ALT: : alanine aminotransferase AST: : aspartate aminotransferase BUN: : blood urea nitrogen CBC: : complete blood count CNS: : central nervous system CSF: : cerebrospinal fluid CT: : computed tomography ECG: : electrocardiography ED: : emergency department EEG: : electroencephalography ESR: : erythrocyte sedimentation rate GI: : gastrointestinal GU: : genitourinary Hct: : hematocrit Hgb: : hemoglobin MRI: : magnetic resonance imaging WBC: : white blood cell A 5-year-old boy is brought to the ED by emergency medical services in status epilepticus after a 3-day history of headaches. This morning he had a generalized tonic-clonic seizure, and paramedics administered lorazepam at his home. He continues to seize and requires a second dose of lorazepam on arrival to the ED. Once he is stabilized, a history is obtained from the parents. They describe the headaches as generalized, they start suddenly, and nothing seems to alleviate them. The headaches are not worse in the early morning and not associated with vomiting or vision changes. The boy has had no recent illnesses and has been eating well and acting well between the headaches. In the ED, his blood pressure is 137/106 mm Hg, heart rate is 109 beats/min, respiratory rate is 20 breaths/min, and temperature is 37.8°C. On physical examination, he is postictal but has no focal signs. All other physical findings, including on funduscopic examination, are normal. Results of laboratory evaluation, including CBC, basic metabolic panel, urinalysis, thyroid panel, complement assessment, antistreptolysin O titer, and cardiac enzymes, are within normal limits. CT scan of the brain also yields normal results, as does echocardiography. The patient is admitted to the intensive care unit. Further imaging studies reveal the diagnosis. A 13-year-old previously healthy competitive gymnast collapses while climbing a rope during practice. She exhibits cyanosis and apnea, and cardiopulmonary resuscitation is started immediately. An automated external defibrillator is connected by emergency personnel. The monitor shows a shockable rhythm (Fig. 1), and she is defibrillated once. Thereafter, she develops agonal respirations and sinus tachycardia. She remains unresponsive, has a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 5, and is endotracheally intubated. She has no history of fainting in the past, and her family history is negative for any sudden cardiac deaths, arrhythmias, or …

Hip Joint Capsule Disruption in a Young Female Gymnast

The patient was an 11-year-old competitive gymnast with a 6-month history of left anteromedial hip pain and an internal snapping sensation, after experiencing pain and a deep “pop” in her hip after performing a hip hyperabduction maneuver. Hip radiographs taken at the time of the injury were normal. Despite activity modification, the patient's symptoms persisted. The patient was then referred to an orthopaedic surgeon who ordered magnetic resonance imaging of the patient's left hip, which was interpreted as normal. The orthopaedic surgeon recommended conservative management by a physical therapist. Following 2 months of treatment by the physical therapist, strength testing of the left hip was normal; however, hip range-of-motion findings were unchanged, and the patient was not able to return to gymnastics secondary to persistent pain, prompting referral to the orthopaedic surgeon. A magnetic resonance arthrogram was obtained, which revealed a possible capsular perforation or partial detachment of the dist...

Sternal stress fracture in a gymnast: A case report and literature review

No Abstract.

Bilateral Pulmonary Emboli in a Competitive Gymnast

Bilateral Pulmonary Emboli in a Competitive Gymnast

Magnetic Resonance Study of Lumbar Disks in Female Dancers

Background Previous imaging studies have shown that degenerative disk disease is more common in the competitive female gymnast than in asymptomatic nonathletic people of the same age training to any degree. However, results of exposure-discordant monozygotic and classic twin studies suggest that physical loading specific to occupation and sport has a relatively minor role in disk degeneration, beyond that of upright postures and routine activities of daily living. Hypothesis Intensive, regular, and prolonged dancing causes strain on the lumbar spine and can trigger or accelerate the development of degenerative diskopathy. Study Design Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods Forty volunteer female dancers (20 ballet and 20 flamenco) aged between 18 and 31 years (mean = 24.2) underwent magnetic resonance imaging of the lumbar spine. They were compared against a control group of 20 women of the same age. A descriptive analysis was done, and the 2 groups were compared by contingency table analysis using the Pearson chi-square test complemented by an analysis of residuals. Results Nine of the 20 women (45%) in the control group had disk degeneration compared with 13 of the 40 (32.5%) women in the dancer group, with a chi-square of 0.897 (not significant). There were 12 degenerated disks of the 100 explored (12%) in the control group compared with 21 of the 200 explored (10.5%) in the dancer group (chi-square = 0.153; not significant). Conclusion Dancing cannot be considered a risk factor for lumbar disk degeneration in women. Clinical Relevance The present study indicates that dancing has no negative effect on the development of degenerative diskopathy.

Elite Male Adolescent Gymnast who Achieved Union of a Persistent Bilateral Pars Defect

An adolescent 15-yr-old male competitive gymnast presented to a university-based multidisciplinary spine institute with a persistent low-back pain for 18 mos. Although the results of x-rays were negative, his pain rendered him unable to compete in his sport any longer. A computed tomography scan was performed, which showed a bilateral pars fracture at L5, without spondylolisthesis. A nuclear medicine bone scan revealed negative findings, confirming chronic nonunion. The patient completed a 4-wk course of physical therapy 6 mos before our intervention, without any relief of pain or radiologic evidence of healing. The patient was treated with a bone stimulator for 4 hrs/day and was recommended to wear a warm-and-form-type brace. Isometric core trunk exercises were also initiated. Only after 6 wks of treatment, the subject showed clinical improvement at the follow-up visit. Computed tomography scan performed 12 wks after the initial scan showed complete union of the fracture correlating with clinical improvement. Two years later, the athlete remains completely pain-free, is training regularly, and is able to compete on a national and, possibly, international level.

An unusual case of urinary retention in a competitive gymnast

Hydrocolpos is the accumulation of blood behind an imperforate hymen. Patients often present in early adolescence with cyclic abdominal pain. We present the case of an elite gymnast who, after 6 months of symptoms and a series of incorrect diagnoses, was diagnosed with hydrocolpos. It is likely that the patient’s extraordinary training regimen contributed to the difficulty in diagnosis.

Thoraco-Lumbar Flexion-Distraction Injury in a Competitive Gymnast: A Case Report

Thoraco-Lumbar Flexion-Distraction Injury in a Competitive Gymnast: A Case Report

Lumbar spine MRI in the elite-level female gymnast with low back pain

Previous studies have shown increased degenerative disk changes and spine injuries in the competitive female gymnast. However, it has also been shown that many of these findings are found in asymptomatic athletic people of the same age. Previous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies evaluating the gymnastic spine have not made a distinction between symptomatic and asymptomatic athletes. Our hypothesis is that MRI will demonstrate the same types of abnormalities in both the symptomatic and asymptomatic gymnasts. Olympic-level female gymnasts received prospectively an MRI exam of the lumbar spine. Each of the gymnasts underwent a physical exam by a sports medicine physician just prior to the MRI for documentation of low back pain. Each MRI exam was evaluated for anterior apophyseal ring avulsion injury, compression deformity of the vertebral body, spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, degenerative disease, focal disk protrusion/extrusion, muscle strain, epidural mass, and bone-marrow edema. Nineteen Olympic-level female gymnasts (age 12-20 years) were evaluated prospectively in this study. All of these gymnasts were evaluated while attending a specific training camp. Anterior ring apophyseal injuries (9/19) and degenerative disk disease (12/19) were common. Spondylolysis (3/19) and spondylolisthesis (3/19) were found. Focal bone-marrow edema was found in both L3 pedicles in one gymnast. History and physical exam revealed four gymnasts with current low back pain at the time of imaging. There were findings confined to those athletes with current low back pain: spondylolisthesis, spondylolysis, bilateral pedicle bone-marrow edema, and muscle strain. Our initial hypothesis was not confirmed, in that there were findings that were confined to the symptomatic group of elite-level female gymnasts.

Chondrolysis Following Arthroscopic Thermal Capsulorrhaphy to Treat Shoulder Instability

Despite the paucity of long-term supportive studies, the use of thermal energy for the treatment of shoulder instability has become increasingly popular during the last decade. Axillary nerve injury, recurrent instability, capsular obliteration, and adhesive capsulitis are known complications of thermal capsulorrhaphy that have been documented in the literature1-5. A recent report highlighted the complication of chondrolysis following shoulder arthroscopy in three patients6; however, none of these patients had chondrolysis severe enough to warrant arthroplasty. We present the cases of two young athletes who had severe chondrolysis following thermal capsulorrhaphy for the treatment of shoulder instability. Our patients were informed that data concerning each case would be submitted for publication. Case 1. A nineteen-year-old right-hand-dominant competitive gymnast and diver presented with symptoms of left-sided shoulder instability, which had first developed when he was fifteen years of age and had been treated conservatively for three years; he had no dislocations. Physical examination demonstrated 2+ anterior load and shift, 2+ posterior load and shift, a 2+ sulcus sign7, positive apprehension and relocation tests, and no signs of generalized ligamentous laxity. A magnetic resonance imaging-arthrogram demonstrated a normal glenohumeral joint and a patulous capsule (Fig. 1). Despite nonoperative management, including activity modification, physical therapy, and treatment with anti-inflammatory medications, the instability pattern persisted and the patient elected to proceed with arthroscopic surgery. The intraoperative findings demonstrated a patulous capsular pouch. The treating surgeon believed that thermal capsulorrhaphy was indicated on the basis of the preoperative examination and the intraoperative findings and treated the capsule thermally with the “zebra-striping” technique, which is designed to leave normal strips of capsular tissue intertwined with the thermally altered tissue. A monopolar radiofrequency device (Oratec ORA-50; Oratec Interventions, Menlo Park, California) was used with the standard settings of 67°C …

Lateral Plantar Nerve Entrapment in a Competitive Gymnast

Lateral Plantar Nerve Entrapment in a Competitive Gymnast

Gymnast's wrist (pseudorickets growth plate abnormality) in adolescent athletes: findings on plain films and MR imaging.

A 13 1/2-year-old boy, who was a competitive gymnast, had pain in both wrists; the pain was worse in the left wrist than in the right. The patient had worked out as much as several hours a day, 5 days a week, over the previous 2 years. The pain primarily was dorsal and radial and was exacerbated most by hanging from the rings and high bar. Physical examination showed full range of motion, pain on fullforced dorsiflexion and palmar flexion, and slight tenderness over the radial aspect of the wrist. Radiographs obtained at another institution were considered normal (Fig. 1A), The bone age was 1 year behind the chronologic age. The patient continued his exercise routine with the use of splints. He returned 3 months later with continued pain, despite treatment with nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. Plain radiographs (Fig. 1 B) showed widening and irregularities of the distal radial physes, which were more prominent in the left radius than in the right. Simiar, but less extensive, changes were present in the distal ulnar physes. The wrist joints and carpal bones had no abnormalities. Bone age still was slightly delayed. Ti-weighted (600/17) MR images corroborated widening ofthe growth plate and the irregularity of the bordering metaphysis (Fig. 1C). On T2weighted gradient echo (600/22, 35 flip angle), most of the metaphyseal irregularity had low signal intensity. However, an additional fine, irregular line near the open growth plate had the same high signal intensity as the growth plate (Fig. 1D). The MR imaging had been requested by the orthopedist in view of the continuing pain and seemingly normal plain films (Fig. 1A) that were obtained 3 months previously (the MR image actually was obtained before the repeat plain films) (Fig. 1B). The patient was advised to discontinue wrist weight-bearing activities. Radiographs ofthe wrist obtained 6 months later showed interval resolution of the growth plate abnormalities. Repeat MR images were not obtained. The patient planned to return to gymnastic training.

Genes and gymnastics: A case study of triplets

The purpose of this study was to examine the growth pattern and sexual maturation rate of identical triplets, one of whom was a highly ranked competitive gymnast who subsequently retired from the sport 8 months into the study. Baseline measurements were conducted when the sisters were 11.5 years of age. They were then repeated 18 and 24 months later. The gymnast had been in training and competition for 5 years at the time of the initial measurements. At the time of baseline measurements on the three girls, the gymnast's height fell between that of her two sisters, but at the 18‐month measurement, which was 10 months after she retired, she had grown 10.2 cm, compared with 4.9 and 5.8 cm for her sisters. Likewise, during this same time frame, she gained 13.6 kg, while sister 1 gained 10.9 kg and sister 2 gained 5.9 kg. At baseline, the gymnast was at the 68th percentile of weight for age, and her sisters were at the 83rd and 95th percentiles, respectively. Eighteen months later, the gymnast had increased to...