Faculty Bibliography

An injury that causes a dancer to take time away from training or performance can be career ending, and thus it is important for dancers to have accurate expectations when considering treatment options. Thus far, few studies have reported functional outcomes after injury in dancers, which may be different than for the general athletic population. Therefore, our study sought to determine functional outcomes in dancers after operative and non-operative treatment for common dance injuries. Our outcome measures included a subjective assessment of the degree to which a dancer had returned to his or her previous level of dance, the SF-12 survey, and the WHO functional outcome scale modified for dance. We also compared these as outcome measurement tools for return to full function in dance. Secondarily, we sought to assess factors that may have contributed to poorer functional outcomes. We reviewed the charts of 675 dancers seen at our physical therapy facilities between 2006 and 2010 and identified 416 adult dancers who had experienced a dance-related injury that we categorized as "common," based on surveys of injuries among dancers (with back injuries excluded). One hundred and sixty-four dancers completed a tele- phone survey about their recovery after injury. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and linear regression were then used to identify factors associated with poor functional outcomes. Sixty-three percent of the participants had a full return to their pre-injury level. No variables were found to be significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with poorer outcomes by linear re- gression. However, there was a trend to- ward better outcomes when dancers were younger, their injuries were not chronic, and their recovery was not limited by fear. The three measurement tools were all highly correlated with one another (p = 0.000) and found to be useful determinants of functional return to dance. Given that there were few strongly correlated outcome factors, we concluded that poorer functional outcomes in dance resulted from a combination of many factors, including those of a psychosocial nature. We believe these results can be used to better advise dancers who are considering treatment options, provide better estimates of possible limitations and time needed to return to dance, and potentially promote easier recoveries and better functional outcomes.

The female athlete triad/ hypothalamic amenorrhea and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) are both common causes of irregular periods in young women. A 26-year-old woman presented with right hip pain after performing for 2 months in her first Broadway show. She was diagnosed with a left inferior (compression) femoral neck stress fracture by MRI scan. Because she had no history of fracture but had irregular periods, she was sent to endocrinology for evaluation. Her menarche was at 13-years-old. She had irregular periods throughout high school and she reported missing approximately 2-3 menstrual cycles a year. She took isotretinoin (Accutane) for acne in college and reported excess body hair, but was never worked up for PCOS. She denied weight changes and any eating disorder. Her food journal revealed an average intake of 1395 kcal per day with restriction of carbohydrates. Her food intake did not increase during periods of intense activity because of not taking time to plan ahead for meals and not wanting to eat before performing. Her weight was 98 pounds with a BMI of 19.83 kg/m². Her exam showed mild hirsutism (Ferriman-Gallwey score of 12) and cystic acne. Her blood work was unremarkable except her total testosterone was 40 ng/dL (nl: 9-55) and her dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) was elevated at 428 ug/dL (nl: 65-380). Her bone density revealed an AP spine Z-score of-3.0, left femoral neck Z-score of-2.6, and right femoral neck Z-score of-2.9, all consistent with low bone mass for age. Her irregular periods provided a clue for underlying hormonal dysfunction and eating patterns that resulted in her low bone mass and fracture. While she did not have an overt eating disorder with anorexia or bulimia, long term exposure to restrictive eating patterns led to poor bone health and affected her accrual of peak bone mass. Her case also highlights that biochemical and physical evidence of elevated androgen levels often seen in PCOS may occur simultaneous with the female athlete triad and these symptoms may lead to challenges in the appropriate diagnosis

BACKGROUND: An os trigonum is a potential source of posterior ankle pain in dancers, often associated with flexor hallucis longus (FHL) pathology. Options for operative excision include open excision, subtalar arthroscopy, and posterior endoscopy. The purpose of this paper was to present a series of dancers who underwent excision of a symptomatic os trigonum via an open posteromedial approach. METHODS: This study is a retrospective case series of 40 ankles in 38 dancers who underwent os trigonum excision via an open posteromedial approach with FHL tenolysis between 2000 and 2013. All patients were interviewed and charts retrospectively analyzed. Collected variables included pre- and postoperative pain level, time to return to dance, and subjective satisfaction. The average age was 19.2 years; ballet was the primary dance form in 36 (95%) of patient-cases. Eight (20%) of the patient-cases were professional dancers, and 30 (75%) were students or preprofessional dancers. RESULTS: Average preoperative pain level was 7.7/10, which decreased to 0.6/10 postoperatively. Seventeen (42.5%) experienced concurrent preoperation-associated FHL symptomatology, all of whom experienced relief postoperatively. The average time to return to dance was 7.9 weeks, and time to pain-free dance was 17.7 weeks. Of the 37 patient-cases desiring to return to dance, 35 (94.6%) returned to their preoperative level of dance. There were no neurovascular or other major complications. Four (10%) had minor wound complications that resolved, and 38 cases (95%) considered the procedure a success. CONCLUSION: Open posteromedial excision of an os trigonum in dancers provided satisfactory pain relief, return to dance, and complication rates compared to other approaches, and allowed for identifying and treating any associated FHL pathology. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, retrospective case series.

Despite recent improvements in their concussion knowledge, athletes still demonstrate risky concussion behaviors (e.g., playing while concussed or not reporting a concussion). Little has been published about dancers' concussion knowledge and behaviors, but research in dance contending with questions about injury in general has found that dancers often avoid physician consults and ignore the signs of injury. In the present study, an IRB approved anonymous online survey, it was hypothesized that dancers would demonstrate concussion knowledge deficits, fail to report concussions, and have difficulty adhering to management guidelines. In addition, it was hypothesized that dancers in companies or schools with an onsite health care practitioner present would demonstrate improved concussion knowledge and safer concussion behaviors compared with those that do not have onsite health care. Concussion knowledge and behavior questions were modified for a dance sample based on validated sports-specific tools developed by other investigators. One hundred fifty-three subjects were recruited to complete the survey from an urban orthopaedic clinic specializing in dance medicine and via Facebook, email, and newsletter announcements. Dancers in this sample had good foundational knowledge of concussion; however, this knowledge did not correlate with safe, self-reported concussion care behaviors. Future research should focus on determination of dance-specific barriers to practicing safe behaviors and seeking care for concussive injury, as well as further identifying dance concussion epidemiology and outcomes.