Published online Mar 18, 2023. doi: 10.5312/wjo.v14.i3.146
Peer-review started: October 17, 2022
First decision: January 3, 2023
Revised: January 11, 2023
Accepted: February 27, 2023
Article in press: February 27, 2023
Published online: March 18, 2023
At present, sports medicine is of particular importance in the regular medical-biological support of people engaged in physical exercise and sports. Of particular importance is the detection of connective tissue pathology, which determines the increased sensitivity to mechanical stress, creates injury predisposition and impairs connective tissue recovery in the posttraumatic period, causing further injury recurrence.
This study was created because existing methods often do not take into account differentiated approaches to dysplasia sign assessment and connective tissue pathology diagnosis in men and women and is therefore aimed at filling this gap and creating approaches that complement existing ones.
The purpose of this work was to establish pathognomonic sex-specific injury phenotypes for consideration when designing exercise programs that support optimal physical activity in men and women. The results of the study were conceived as an addition to the existing methods of assessing the risk of further injury recurrence.
In our study, we measured 117 participants with recurrent musculoskeletal injuries that occurred during normal physical activity in the absence of a pronounced traumatic factor. Musculoskeletal injuries of varying severity included sprains and ruptures of the joint ligament apparatus, dislocations and tendon tears. Anthropometric parameters and indices indicating the presence of signs of connective tissue dysplasia were studied. An analysis was also performed to identify differences in the presence of signs between sexes. A validated questionnaire was used to screen the connective tissue state.
In our research, we studied the ranking of the most commonly revealed dysplasia signs depending on their clinical significance, making it possible to establish pathognomonic sex-specific phenotypes that indicate a particular susceptibility to injuries.
The study results are of particular importance in the context of physical culture and sport safety and emphasize the importance of a differentiated approach of medico- biological support of sports activities in men and women.
To further develop these findings, it is possible to conduct a larger-scale study with a larger number of participants. Further refinement of the sex-specific dysplasia phenotypes is needed for clarification and, possibly, expansion of these findings. With satisfactorily refined results, it is possible to introduce the proposed methodology into practice for a clinical trial.