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Focused Clinical Question: Does the application of kinesiotape compared with standard treatments result in greater/faster postoperative edema reduction after total knee replacement or anterior cruciate ligament repair?Clinical Bottom Line: There was sufficient evidence to support the application of kinesiotape to reduce postoperative edema brought on by a total knee replacement or anterior cruciate ligament repair. Patients who received kinesiotaping, applied to the skin with a pattern to enhance lymphatic drainage, showed significant decreases in postoperative knee circumference measurements and pain levels. Kinesiotaping application under these acute conditions offers an evidence-based approach for clinicians to optimize the physiological environment and promote progress through a patient’s phases of healing.

Focused Clinical Question: What are the effects of the Mulligan Concept combined with traditional physiotherapy on lateral elbow pain and grip strength in adults with lateral epicondylalgia (LE) compared with traditional physiotherapy? Clinical Bottom Line: Grade B evidence supports positive effects of the Mulligan Concept combined with traditional physiotherapy on LE compared with traditional physiotherapy alone. However, the effects of the Mulligan Concept as a standalone intervention in the treatment of LE are not well known. Therefore, additional research is warranted to determine the individual effects of the Mulligan Concept compared with its use in a comprehensive rehabilitation protocol to treat LE in adults.

Grit is a construct measuring increased perseverance for long-term goals. Research suggests that healthcare students with higher grit scores perform better academically and professionally. Grit has not been assessed in athletic training students. A total of 756 athletic training students completed the survey. Over 90% of students intended to work as an athletic trainer. Grit was a predictor of a student’s intention to practice as an athletic trainer. Females and graduate students were also more likely to enter the field of athletic training. A student’s grit score could help predict their intention to practice as an athletic trainer.

This crossover trial aimed to investigate whether additional loading of unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise on a sloped platform would increase the biceps femoris long head electromyographic activity. Participants were randomly allocated to unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise under three conditions: bodyweight only (BW) or BW with an added weighted ball of 3 kg (BW + 3 kg) or 6 kg (BW + 6 kg), respectively. The biceps femoris long head electromyographic activity was significantly higher for BW + 6 kg (p < .001) than for BW and BW + 3 kg (p < .01). Therefore, adding a load to unilateral Nordic hamstring exercise on a sloped platform might be effective for rehabilitation and prevention of hamstring strain injury recurrence.

Screening for behavioral health (BH) concerns is important for early identification, referral, and management. The purpose of this study was to examine collegiate athletic trainers use of BH screening tools. We used a cross-sectional design with a web-based survey. Approximately 49% (n = 198/405) of participants used BH screening tools in their practice; the most used tools were PHQ-9 (n = 112/198, 56.6%) and GAD-7 (n = 54/198, 27.3%). Practice integration considerations and practice advancements occurred as a result of BH screening. Given rising incidence and severity of BH conditions in collegiate athletics, more training on screening and prevention is needed.

This study investigated whether the directional balance and reach with and without rotation is a reliable screening tool to measure dynamic balance and ability to control motion in three planes. Twenty healthy, collegiate athletes participated. The directional balance and reach exhibited good to excellent levels of intra- and interrater reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = .77–.99). The directional balance and reach provides clinicians with a reliable method that requires minimum financial, spatial, and temporal costs to administer in small and large screening, training, and evaluation programs to recognize asymmetries and deficits in assessing dynamic balance in all three planes of motion.

The nuances of swimming make the application of traditional return-to-play progressions following concussion challenging. Our purpose was to describe athletic training services and concussion management protocols among National Collegiate Athletic Association swim programs and compare them between the National Collegiate Athletic Association divisions. We surveyed 228 athletic trainers assigned to or with knowledge of their institution’s swim programs from a convenience sample of 539 (response rate = 42.3%) athletic trainers. Athletic training services were provided to 98.6% (214/217) of the programs. Nearly 80% (164/207) of the programs administered baseline concussion testing to swimmers, with differences observed between divisions (p < .001). No differences (p = .108) in the number of concussions sustained by swimmers in the past academic year were noted between divisions. Specific return-to-swim protocols were reported by 51.8% (115/222) of respondents with no differences in the presence of a specific return-to-swim protocol between divisions (p = .790). While concussions are reported less frequently in swimming than other sports, appropriate medical care, including a specific return-to-swim protocol, is warranted and provided for future use.