Abstract des Autors

The goal of this study, based on a clinical research was to define the short-term natural history of athletes who present with a prolonged burner syndrome. We have evaluated over the course of a single football season the burner syndrome attendance. Two clinical condition were evidenced. The short-term form in which the symptoms had abated within 5 minutes of injury and the prolonged one. Only 4 of 13 players had burners that displayed a prolonged neurologic recovery with reported heaviness or deadness in the extremity, weakness, burning pain, paresthesies throughout the upper extremity. These players were examined and evaluated with isokinetic testing (Cybex at 3 to 5 days post injury and again 4 weeks later) and electrodiagnostic studies at 4 weeks after injury. No correlation was found between the initial physical examination findings and the results of electrodiagnostic testing. Evidence of muscle weakness at 72 hours post injury best correlated with positive electrodiagnostic findings. Isokinetic strength evaluation demonstrated many relative strength differences that were difficult to discern with manual muscle testing. Based on our findings we can suggest that the return of a player to athletic competition should largely be based on the clinical examination. A regular clinical test is a guide for return to competition, we also have to protect the athlete against repeated injury. To protect against reinjury we reinforce the shoulder pads to limit the lateral and posterior neck motion and we recommend a neck-strengthening regimen. The burner syndrome is a frequent trauma, although the American football isn't very popular in Italy, in fact we can find the same etiopathology in numerous sports and streets crushes. Verf.-Referat