The 2013 Sisk Awards

E ach spring, the editors of Sports Health have the pleasure of selecting the winning manuscripts for the annual T. David Sisk Awards. These awards commemorate the life of Dr T. David Sisk, our colleague and mentor, who chaired the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Medical Publishing Board during the development of Sports Health. Dr Sisk enthusiastically fostered the development of the journal because he believed in the multidisciplinary approach to sports medicine. He was a team physician at Memphis, where he practiced this team approach in the care of athletes. Dr Sisk grew up in a very humble environment, excelling in sports and later in sports medicine. He taught us a lot about teamwork—in good times and in others. He really was a team player! So it's a special opportunity to award these 3 groups of investigators that have contributed to the success of Sports Health. Evangelos Pappas, PhD, authored a systematic review with meta-analysis on the prospective predictors of patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). 3 The meta-analysis included age, weight, height, sample size, patient type (military vs civilian), follow-up, diagnostic methods, and criteria. Not surprising, lower knee extensor strength was the only variable that was predictive of PFPS (P ≤ 0.01). Anthropometric variables were not associated with PFPS. For musculoskeletal clinicians who frequently treat this malady, confirmation of this factor is instructive. Not surprisingly, many painful adolescent knees do get better with exercise. Screening for these strength deficits, especially in young athletes, before the symptoms develop is well worth the effort, knowing how difficult it can be to reverse this painful process once it begins. reported on the clinical outcomes in return to sports participation for 50 soccer players after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction utilizing a sports-specific rehabilitation protocol. 2 The assessment of these players included the Knee Outcome Survey-Sports Activity Scale as well as isokinetic and aerobic fitness tests. The mean start of the on-field rehabilitation process was 90 ± 26 days from surgery, and the mean time for return to competition was 185 ± 52 days. The addition of the on-field rehabilitation component appears to have completed the functional rehabilitation process, allowing transition from surgical recovery to competitive sports participation. Especially for soccer players, who are highly susceptible to ACL injuries, this functional progression program offers much insight into the process and timing of returning this high-risk group of athletes to sports competition. The …