Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2026 · 11 new studies, 10 reviews · Sports Medicine archive · All weeks
The new Sports Medicine research The Reduction sent the week of Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2026, with the week’s most recent reviews, each with a one-line summary.
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In 124 patients undergoing ATFL reconstruction, using the AITFL distal fascicle as a landmark gave more consistent fibular tunnel placement than the fibular obscure tubercle, especially when the tubercle was poorly visualized, making it a useful alternative landmark.
In collegiate pitchers, repeated pitching significantly reduced elbow varus (valgus-restraining) muscle strength over innings while valgus loads stayed constant, suggesting increasing reliance on the UCL as fatigue sets in.
Over 13 years, arthroscopic MACI for femoral condyle cartilage defects maintained strong patient-reported outcomes and satisfaction with a low 4.4% failure rate, despite gradual MRI-detected graft deterioration after 5 years.
Simultaneous versus Staged Bilateral Shoulder Replacement: A Matched Cohort Study.
In carefully selected patients, simultaneous bilateral shoulder arthroplasty shortens total hospital stay versus staged surgery while achieving equivalent outcomes, satisfaction, and complication rates.
A new 5-type morphology-based classification for radial meniscal tears showed excellent inter- and intraobserver reliability and strong validity against arthroscopy, supporting its use for standardized reporting and treatment planning.
At ≥5-year follow-up, coracoclavicular ligament reconstruction for AC joint dislocation yields excellent function, high satisfaction and return to sport, though arthroscopic/synthetic techniques show more recurrence and implant complications.
Cadaveric robotic testing showed isolated posterolateral corner injury causes only modest hyperextension/external rotation, so a positive recurvatum test likely requires combined posterior capsule, ACL, and PLC injury—favoring dial and varus tests for isolated PLC injury.
This network meta-analysis of 63 RCTs found interscalene block remains the most effective nerve block for reducing opioid use after shoulder arthroscopy, though combined blocks offer some early pain-control advantages.
The AI video tool Maia measured shoulder ROM as accurately as motion capture and more reliably than surgeon visual estimation, though it showed high individual variability for internal rotation.
In healthy collegiate pitchers, dominant-arm rotator cuff tendon thickening was associated with fewer years of pitching rather than greater external rotation motion, suggesting complex, hypothesis-generating tendon adaptation patterns.
At minimum 10-year follow-up, preserving comma tissue during isolated subscapularis repair reduced long-term supraspinatus tear progression and yielded better clinical scores than margin disruption technique.
This review offers upper extremity surgeons a practical guide to shoulder girdle physical examination and differential diagnosis across common pathologies like rotator cuff tears, instability, and impingement syndromes.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Return-to-Sport Decision-Making: A Scoping Review.
This scoping review finds athletic performance assessments (mostly agility tests) are underused and inconsistently linked to return-to-sport or reinjury rates after ACL reconstruction, highlighting a research gap.
Pickleball: A Standard Review of Injury Prevalence and Prevention in a Rapidly Growing Sport.
This review of pickleball injuries finds muscle strains, sprains, and fractures are most common, with men more prone to strains/sprains and women more prone to fractures, highlighting the need for injury prevention strategies as the sport grows.
Batter's Shoulder: Diagnosis, Management, and Outcomes.
This review covers diagnosis (history, exam, MRI) and treatment of batter's shoulder posterior instability, noting arthroscopic labral repair yields favorable return-to-play outcomes.
The Clinical Significance of the Lowest Instrumented Vertebra in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.
This review examines how choice of lowest instrumented vertebra in AIS fusion affects range of motion, return to sports, adjacent disk degeneration, and long-term clinical outcomes.
Tendon transfers for the management of irreparable subscapularis tears.
This review outlines tendon transfer options (pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, pectoralis minor, upper trapezius) for irreparable subscapularis tears, noting latissimus dorsi transfer may offer better outcomes than the more established pectoralis major transfer.
Biologics in rotator cuff repair.
This review summarizes current evidence on biologic augmentation strategies aimed at improving rotator cuff healing and reducing retear rates after repair.
Scoping review finds augmented glenoid components offer a practical alternative to bone grafting for correcting glenoid wear in shoulder arthroplasty, though no single augment design has proven superior.
An international Delphi consensus recommends individualized hamstring injury rehab guided by athlete capacity and symptoms, with pain-free sprinting as a key return-to-sport criterion, though optimal loading and adjunct therapies remain undefined.
Management of Stress Fractures in Ballet.
This review summarizes risk factors for stress fractures in ballet dancers—including low energy availability, low bone density, low body fat, biomechanical and genetic factors, and high training loads—to guide prevention and treatment.
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