JOSPT Insights

“If we’ve learned anything from all these different studies, it’s that different meniscus tears behave differently, require different treatment, and ultimately have a different prognosis.” Dr James Dreese is an orthopedic surgeon at MedStar Health in Baltimore, MD, who joined Chelsea and Dan to share his thoughts on how different meniscus tears in different locations in the meniscus might influence the choices you make in rehabilitation.

How do you start a clinical consultation, and what do you do with the information that comes from the patient’s story? Jo Belton and Professor Pete O’Sullivan are tireless advocates for patient-centered care in the truest sense of the phrase. They share their insights on building authentic connections with patients—how to be a human to a human.

The Dutch COMPARE trial landed in BMJ at the end of February 2021, adding much needed weight to the nuanced discussion of best treatment for ACL injury: early surgery versus exercise therapy first with the option for late ACL reconstruction if needed. Leading clinician-researcher Dr Hege Grindem dissects the key results and shares her views on who succeeds without ACL reconstruction.

When 2 in every 3 people with a musculoskeletal condition also have at least one other underlying health condition, it’s time for rehabilitation clinicians to up our game in understanding complex health needs. Thankfully, Professor Søren Skou is here to help. Who is best placed to help patients manage their complex health needs? And is exercise—the veritable polypill—always the answer?

Link to the START trial: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33591346/

Dr Claire Minshull joins Drs Dan Chapman and Chelsea Cooman to unpack rate of force development (RFD): what it is, what it isn’t, and how to measure it. We take a deep dive into how fatigue affects RFD, differences between the sexes, potential implications for injury, and the best ways to incorporate RFD training into your rehabilitation plans.

Join IFOMPT Vice President Paolo Sanzo for his interview with IFOMPT President Laura Finucane on assessing and managing red flags in practice, and how you can add the international framework for screening for serious spine pathology to your practice tomorrow. Over 50,000 people have downloaded the framework for free from the JOSPT website (https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2020.9971). Thanks to IFOMPT and World Physiotherapy for their partnership with JOSPT—together we’re bringing you coverage of important issues in global musculoskeletal healthcare.

Sports podiatrists and researchers Dr Katrine Kryger and Dr Athol Thomson raise the profile of footwear for improving athletes’ health and performance. Today’s episode jumps into the impact of footwear in sport—how the right footwear can help athletes avoid injury, what athletes should look for when selecting footwear, and the long overdue investment in footwear specifically for women athletes.

A healthier society for less cost? Value-based health care aims to achieve just that by focusing on what matters to patients. Dr Chuck Thigpen from ATI Physical Therapy unpacks value in musculoskeletal care, the rehabilitation clinician’s role in delivering best care, and why you need to be a good team player.

What happens when your ACL rehabilitation plan isn’t going as well as you hoped? In this follow up to episode 25, Dr Erik Meira shares his thoughts on some of the more challenging issues in ACL reconstruction and rehabilitation. We discuss rehab after second and third ACL tears, sleepy quads, underdosing, and concurrent meniscus repair, and aim to help you find concrete solutions.

If you thought concussion was all about big hits in collision sports like rugby and American football, then think again. Dr Kerry Peek—

physical therapist, strength and conditioning coach, and researcher—is committed to protecting the next generation of young soccer/football players. Tune in for the latest on exercise programs to prevent concussion in youth athletes.