Pujalte, George

BACKGROUND: Telehealth evaluations of musculoskeletal conditions have increased due to the stay-at-home policies enacted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Back pain is one of the most common complaints in primary care. While telehealth may never supplant in-person evaluation of back pain, it is imperative in a changing world to learn to perform this evaluation via telephone or video. Virtual visits rely on history-taking and patient self-reported descriptions of pain elicited from self-palpation or specific movements while on the telephone with the clinician. Video examinations provide a unique way of evaluating the lower back compared to telephone because of the ability to visualize the actions of the patient. OBJECTIVE: To create an evaluation pathway for examination of the lumbar spine via telehealth. METHODS: Our group has created a step-by-step evaluation pathway to help physicians direct their patients through typical lumbar examination elements, including inspection, palpation, range of motion, and strength, special, and functional testing. RESULTS: We have developed a table of questions and instructions and a glossary of images of each maneuver to facilitate lumbar spine examination via telemedicine. CONCLUSIONS: This paper provides a guide for extracting clinically relevant information while performing telemedicine examinations of the lumbar spine.

AbstractBackgroundTelemedicine plays a very important role in our society by allowing providers to treat patients who do not have easy access to a healthcare facility, especially in the setting of the COVID‐19 pandemic.ObjectiveWe aimed to create an extensive, yet concise guide for medical providers to virtually evaluate patients with foot concerns.MethodsThis article outlines how to conduct a well‐planned virtual consultation with specific questions, instructions, and examination manoeuvres to navigate musculoskeletal foot problems.ConclusionWith this narrative review, we have provided a guide with suggestions, questions and interpretations of answers to help physicians new to the practice of telemedicine have successful virtual encounters with patients suffering from foot musculoskeletal ailments.

Stress fractures are injuries frequently seen in high-performance athletes, especially runners. In the femur, the most commonly affected locations are the femoral neck, condylar area and proximal shaft. Intertrochanteric fractures are much more common in the elderly population, especially among those with osteoporosis, but they can also be a result of high-energy repetitive mechanisms. We present a case of an intertrochanteric stress fracture in a young male runner. The diagnosis was suspected after persistent pain following his first marathon, and it was confirmed with an MRI. Operative fixation of the fracture was performed 22 days after the pain started, which allowed the patient to return to his activities, including 50 km marathon 4 months following the surgery.

Although calcific tendinopathy of the shoulder is a relatively common clinical diagnosis, calcific tendinopathy of the rectus femoris tendon near its origin at the anterior inferior iliac spine is rare. We present a case of a 53-year-old female avid runner with left hip pain. Clinical evaluation and X-ray imaging led to a diagnosis of calcific tendinopathy of the rectus femoris tendon. The patient was treated conservatively with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, physical therapy and rest. Calcific tendinopathy of the rectus femoris tendon can occur rarely in active patients and may be a cause of hip pain, responsive to conservative management, but with other treatment options possible if recalcitrant.

AbstractCutaneous larva migrans is typically reported in tropical and subtropical regions of the world. However, cutaneous larva migrans cases are spreading and should now be recognized even in urban, nontropical settings.

An adolescent, right hand-dominant, baseball pitcher presented to sports medicine clinic with posterolateral right elbow pain over 4 months. He rated his pain as 8/10 with pitching, especially at the late cocking phase of throwing. Prior to consult, he had rested 3 months from pitching, progressing to strengthening exercises, with no pain relief. On physical examination, he had 120° of active external rotation, 80° of active internal rotation, mild tenderness to palpation over the capitellum and normal elbow radiography. Magnetic resonance arthrogram of the right elbow revealed subtle, posterolateral joint capsular tear and adjacent synovial hypertrophy. The patient was diagnosed with elbow synovial fold syndrome that was causing impingement at the radiocapitellar joint and was referred to an orthopaedic surgeon. Arthroscopy revealed redundant tissue; scar formation at the radiocapitellar joint was debrided. The patient participated in physical therapy for 2 months and was able to start throwing 3 months later.