The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS) formally named the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) as Science Partner on Friday, Nov 16, during APTA’s “Preview 2020″ conference, Nov 16-18 in Phoenix, Arizona.

“The President’s Council recognizes and values APTA’s commitment to elevating the application of science to physical therapist practice,” said Melissa Johnson, executive director of PCPFS. “We look forward to working in close collaboration to improve the health, physical activity, and fitness levels of Americans of all ages and abilities.” APTA and PCPFS will work together on the development and dissemination of strategies for promoting the value of physical fitness.

“This new partnership has great potential, and we are honored to be included in this prestigious group,” said APTA President R Scott Ward, PT, PhD. “As experts in movement and function, physical therapists help to prevent the loss of mobility by developing fitness- and wellness-oriented programs for healthier and more active lifestyles,” added Ward. APTA is the fifth organization to receive this designation and the largest organization to date.

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is an advisory committee of volunteer citizens who advise the president through the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services about physical activity, fitness, and sports in America. PCPFS supports the president’s HealthierUS initiative, which encourages Americans to be physically active every day.

Preview 2020 is a clinical practice and practice management conference for physical therapists. The 21/2-day conference offers intensive clinical education opportunities in a variety of topic areas.

The American Physical Therapy Association is a national organization representing more than 73,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students nationwide. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapist education, practice, and research. Consumers can access “Find a PT” to find a physical therapist in their area, as well as physical therapy news and information at apta/consumer.

American Physical Therapy Association

Many people with back pain do not know what is causing it and they do not receive effective treatment, but learning to move in a more integrated way makes a big difference, reveals research from the Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

“People with long-term back pain often protect themselves by unconsciously limiting their movements,” says physiotherapist Christina SchГ¶n-Ohlsson. “Such inefficient movement patterns gradually become habituated even though the original injury or strain is no longer present.”

The answer to the problem is sensory motor learning, where patients are guided to find out how they are moving and how they can free themselves from self-imposed limitations. This process leads patients to develop their bodily awareness and to trust in their bodily sensations again.

In one of the studies 40 patients were randomly divided into two groups to compare experiences of two different types of treatment: exercise therapy and sensory motor learning.

“The patients in the sensory motor learning group said that they had learned to trust in themselves and now felt able to handle their low back pain themselves without seeking further medical help,” says SchГ¶n-Ohlsson.

This contrasted with the patients in the exercise group, who expressed insecurity and felt dependent on advice from back-pain experts.

The overall purpose of the thesis was to evaluate how sensory motor learning, which has its roots in the Feldenkrais method, affected patients with long-term back pain who had previously not been helped by any treatment. The patients’ subjectively experienced positive physical and psychological changes coincided with objectively assessed improvements in movement capacity.

Schön-Ohlsson draws the conclusion that sensory motor learning helps patients to learn to listen to their body so that they can take care of their back problems themselves.

Back Pain

As many as one in five Swedes suffer from back pain at some point each year, and although the pain often disappears, it turns into a long-term problem for around 200,000 people. In 80 per cent of these cases the pain cannot be attributed to a specific injury or illness. When the pain can be traced it is most often caused by a slipped disc, stenosis or osteoporotic fractures, and occasionally other conditions.

Source: University of Gothenburg

All-terrain vehicles (ATVs) pose a serious risk of injury and even death, according to the largest study ever conducted of ATV injuries in children. The findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

“Our experience shows that children’s use of ATVs is dangerous and should be restricted,” said Chetan C. Shah, M.D., radiology fellow at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock.

ATVs — motorized vehicles with large, low-pressure tires, designed for off-highway use — can weigh up to 600 pounds and travel up to 75 miles per hour. While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under the age of 16 be prohibited from operating ATVs, no laws are in place in most states. ATV accidents are seldom reported because the vehicles are unlicensed and typically operated off-road or on private land.

According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), ATV-related injuries in children under the age of 16 more than doubled from 1995 to 2005 with 40,400 children treated in hospital emergency rooms nationwide in 2005. This figure represents nearly one-third of all ATV-related injuries treated that year. Child fatalities resulting from ATV accidents have also nearly doubled since 1995 with 120 reported deaths in 2005.

“There is nothing ‘recreational’ about a trip to the emergency room,” Dr. Shah said.

ATV-associated injuries can be caused by crashes, rollovers, ejections or even disregard of simple safety precautions. But according to Dr. Shah, ATV use by children is intrinsically dangerous because of the instability of the vehicles and the small size of children. While reducing the size and power of the vehicles and wearing helmets and protective clothing might limit some of the injuries, there still remains the issue of whether children should be riding ATVs at all.

“The question is a little like asking, ‘How can we make motorcycle use safer for five-year-olds?’” Dr. Shah said. “The problem is that five-year-olds should not be using motorcycles under any circumstances.”

The study included 500 consecutive children admitted to Arkansas Children’s Hospital following ATV accidents. The children ranged in age from six months to 19 years (mean age 11.5 years) and included 345 boys and 155 girls. Head injuries included 85 skull fractures, 66 cases of hemorrhage and 59 brain injuries. Spinal injuries included 21 spine fractures and five spinal cord injuries. Lung injuries were present in 36 children. Injuries to the spleen, liver, kidneys or pancreas were found in 70 children. Extremity fractures occurred in 208 children with broken legs being the most common. There were 12 amputations, including nine partial foot amputations, one upper limb amputation and one below-knee amputation. There were six fatalities and several cases of long-term disabilities. The fatalities represent only the children who died at the hospital, not those who died at the accident site.

“The youngest patient in our series was a six-month-old infant who was riding with his mother. His thigh bone was fractured,” Dr. Shah said. “Other patients included a two-year-old who was driving a ‘child-size’ ATV and had traumatic amputation of four toes, and another two-year-old driver who was found unconscious beside a flipped ATV. She had a severe brain hemorrhage that left her with permanent disability,” he said.

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Co-authors are S.T. Bhutta, M.D., S. Greenberg, M.D., and D.N. Parnell-Beasley, M.Sc.

RSNA is an association of more than 41,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists committed to excellence in patient care through education and research. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill. (RSNA)

Source: Linda Brooks

Radiological Society of North America

Due to a number of strangulation deaths and significant injuries in children worldwide, Health Canada, the U.S. Consumer Product Commission (CPSC), and DG Sanco (the European Commission’s health and consumer directorate general) have joined together to call for stronger international standards for window coverings.

The three safety agencies are urging standards development organizations and manufacturers to create comprehensive worldwide safety standards to reduce the number of deaths and injuries caused by corded window coverings. This is the first time the three safety agencies, representing consumers in 29 countries, have united in their demand for stronger safety standards on a specific product.

“The health and safety of our children is of paramount importance,” said the Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health. “Canada’s requirements for corded window coverings are already among the strictest in the world. However, I believe changes need to be made to further protect children from the dangers posed by these products.”

It is anticipated that this internationally coordinated effort will lead to cost-effective product development, testing and manufacturing processes that put children’s safety first. More stringent worldwide standards will also support Canada’s own regulatory requirements.

Canada’s current Corded Window Covering Regulations place restrictions on the formation of cord loops and require warning labels. However, they do not address certain hazards posed by Roman shades and roll-up blinds. Health Canada is now taking steps to further strengthen these regulations and has recently completed a consultation process to solicit stakeholder input on proposed changes.

Health Canada has received reports of 28 strangulation deaths and 23 near-strangulations due to corded window coverings since 1986. In the United States, CPSC staff is aware of 120 fatalities and 113 non-fatal incidents related to corded window coverings since 1999. In seven member states of Europe, 90 children were reported to have visited hospital emergency departments for injuries caused by corded window coverings in 2002. More recently, at least six children in Europe have died from corded window coverings since 2008.

Health Canada issued advisories on the strangulation hazards associated with corded window coverings in November 2008 and again in December 2009. Twelve voluntary recalls on roman shades and roll-up blinds have been conducted since 2009 and have involved millions of products.

The Government recently re-introduced the proposed Canada Consumer Product Safety Act as Bill C-36 in the House of Commons. If this bill is passed, it would prohibit the manufacture, importation, advertisement and sale of products, including corded window coverings, that pose an unreasonable danger to health or safety.

Health Canada continues to urge parents and caregivers to be vigilant concerning the strangulation hazards posed by these products and to make sure the cords on their window coverings are not accessible.

Source
Health Canada

Advanced Recovery Rehabilitation Center in Sherman Oaks, California, has been awarded a trademark for their unique treatment protocol for aphasia. Aphasia Rehabilitation with Re-learning using Constraint Principles (ARRC-P) is the first trademarked aphasia treatment approach based on Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy.

Aphasia is a language problem often associated with stroke and head injuries. People with aphasia may have trouble speaking, understanding what is being said, reading, and/or writing. There are estimated to be 1 million people living with aphasia today. That number rises by about 80,000 annually.

Designed for people with strokes and head injuries, ARRC-P applies the principles of constraint-induced movement therapy (intensity, massed practice, and constraint of compensatory strategies) to improve language skills by primarily focusing on speech. By working almost 4 hours a day exclusively on language skills, even clients who have had a stroke or head injury years before can improve their ability to speak in 2-3 weeks. The protocol was originally based on findings in a German study published in 2001. Over the last 4 years, Advanced Recovery refined the approach for use in an outpatient rehab clinic.

Advanced Recovery was formed in 2002 and specializes in neurological rehabilitation. They provide physical and occupational, and speech therapy. For more information contact Jennifer Brown, MS, CCC-SLP at Advanced Recovery Rehabilitation Center, 818-386-1231 or visit their website at advancedrecovery.

Female athletes experience dramatically higher rates of specific musculoskeletal injuries and medical conditions compared to male athletes, according to exercise physiologist Vicki Harber in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta.

According to her paper, depending on the sport, there can be a two- to sixfold difference in these types of injuries between male and female athletes. That’s because many training programs developed for female athletes are built on research using young adult males and don’t take the intrinsic biological differences between the sexes into account.

Harber has authored a comprehensive guide for coaches, parents and administrators, entitled The Female Athlete Perspective, and published by Canadian Sport for Life (CS4L), which addresses these and other medical issues known to influence women’s participation in sport.

The paper is based on a thorough review of the current literature on the subject, Harber’s extensive knowledge as a researcher in female athlete health and her work in the development of female athletes.

Musculoskeletal injuries, particularly knee and shoulder injuries, are most prevalent, with increased probability of re-injury, says Harber, noting that many of these injuries are preventable. Building awareness about appropriate support for young female athletes and changes to training programs are critical to help them reach their athletic and personal potential, injury-free.

Harber found the risk of the Female Athlete Triad – three separate but interrelated conditions of disordered eating, amenorrhea and osteoporosis – is another area that urgently needs attention for young female athletes.

For female athletes to thrive injury-free, attention must be paid to their proper nutrition to ensure both the athletic performance and healthy reproductive performance associated with bone health and overall wellbeing, Harber found.

Source:
Jane Hurly
University of Alberta – Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation

When physical therapists guide older individuals through balance training exercises that focus on position sense, the elderly are less likely to fall than if they participated in programs that focus only on education, a new study finds.

The results of the study suggest that it is possible for physical therapists to help individuals train their central nervous system to respond to sensory challenges so that they can maintain balance better and in doing so, prevent falls.

However, the study pointed to a need for ongoing balance training with a physical therapist as a means to improve balance and generalized postural responses within various environments.

According to the National Safety Council, falls are a major problem for individuals age 65 and older, with one-third suffering from a fall each year. Falls are the number one cause of hospital trauma admissions, injuries and accident-related deaths in this age group. In 2002, fall-related injuries were the cause of death for approximately 13,000 Americans.

The National Safety Council expects the number of people over age 65 to double by the year 2030, which will potentially double the number of falls in this age group.

“Maintaining balance is a complex process that relies on multiple sensory systems working together,” said lead author Kelly Westlake, PT, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at the Biomagnetic Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology at University of California, San Francisco. “These include vision, a sense of position in space (proprioception), and the vestibular system, which is a mechanical fluid system located in the inner ear that helps the body maintain equilibrium as the head moves.”

To stay balanced, a person must adjust continually to changing sensory information. With aging, altered sensory systems make it more difficult to adapt to these changes and sustain a stable posture.

Physical therapists led participants through hour-long sensory-specific balance classes three times per week for eight weeks using the FallProof Program exercise program. The therapists individualized the program – developed by Debra Rose, PhD, professor in the division of kinesiology and health promotion and co-director of the Center for Successful Aging at California State University at Fullerton – to each patient’s needs and abilities.

The training emphasized static and dynamic balance exercises in differing sensory conditions. A physical therapist guided each individual through exercises that involved standing or walking on various support surfaces such as rocker boards, foam or narrow beams and various positions such as standing in a tandem, semi-tandem, on one leg or in a feet together position.

To increase the difficulty of the tasks, the physical therapists altered visual and vestibular cues. To alter visual cues, participants closed their eyes, performed a reading or tracking task or performed balance tasks with a distracting background. To change vestibular cues, participants tilted their heads backward or moved their heads from side to side and up and down.

The study appears in the October 2007 issue of Physical Therapy, the official journal of the American Physical Therapy Association.

“The most important finding in this study is that it is possible to train an individual’s central nervous system to help them maintain balance and prevent falls,” said Westlake. “Most functional activities require quick processing and constant reassessing as new challenges are met. For some people, walking on uneven surfaces can lead to imbalance and falls. That there is a possibility to train our brains to recognize and respond quickly to these altered sensory signals could lead to decreased fall-related injuries and an increased quality of life.”

The study included 36 participants over the age of 65, who researchers randomly assigned to either a balance exercise group or a falls prevention education group.

The main outcome measure was the center-of-pressure (COP) velocity change score, which measures the difference in the rate of a person’s postural sway with and without a sensory challenge. Participants in the balance exercise group remained more stable than did participants in the education only group.

Participants who received education only had a decrease in balance confidence and there were no changes seen in balance confidence in the balance exercise group.

“Balance training is something physical therapists can teach older adults to practice at home by altering support surfaces to increase awareness of sensory cues using tools like those we used such as rocker boards, narrow beams or foam, as well as practicing balance on one leg,” Westlake says. “Vision can be eliminated with a blindfold, engaged with a reading task or distracted with a pattern on the floor. Older adults can challenge their vestibular system by moving their heads from side to side while speaking to another person or looking at various objects.”

She said that since most falls occur after a slip or a trip, upcoming projects will assess if training can improve balance in these circumstances, as well as if physical therapists can use sensory-specific balance training to help adults who already have some balance difficulties.

The American Physical Therapy Association is a national organization representing more than 73,000 physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, and students nationwide. Its goal is to foster advancements in physical therapist education, practice, and research. Consumers can access “Find a PT” to find a physical therapist in their area, as well as physical therapy news and information at www.apta/consumer.

American Physical Therapy Association

Congress must act immediately to restore access to rehabilitative services for Medicare beneficiaries as many senior citizens and people with disabilities are nearing arbitrary limits (also known as therapy caps) on services provided by physical therapists and other health care providers in outpatient health care settings, says the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). The Medicare program began enforcement of the $1,860 limit on outpatient rehabilitation services on January 1.

“With many Medicare beneficiaries approaching the arbitrary $1,860 cap, it’s imperative that Congress act now to ensure coverage for necessary services,” said APTA President R. Scott Ward, PT, PhD. “The most vulnerable patients-those with chronic conditions or with multiple comorbidities, who experience stroke, hip fracture, or who have Parkinson disease or osteoporosis-are most likely to soon be negatively affected by this arbitrary payment cap.”

Immediate action is required by Congress to prevent thousands of Medicare beneficiaries from exceeding the therapy caps on outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services. APTA urges Congress to move legislation to remedy this concern as it also considers legislation to address the reimbursement concerns of health care professionals under Medicare’s Part B Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) (also known as the physician fee schedule). APTA feels strongly that Congress should address the therapy caps in conjunction with the RBRVS fee schedule to ensure that America’s seniors and people with disabilities have access to high quality care rehabilitative services.

Imposed by the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, the therapy caps end Medicare’s coverage of outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech-language pathology services once a beneficiary has received $1,860 of services in a calendar year. The caps apply to Medicare beneficiaries in all outpatient health care settings, with the exception of hospital outpatient departments. Thus, beneficiaries who receive services within a skilled nursing facility, a therapist’s or physician’s practice, a home health agency, or a rehabilitation agency are subject to the arbitrary caps.

Each year, approximately 13% of Medicare beneficiaries who receive rehabilitation services exceed the arbitrary limit on coverage. Once that limit has been reached, beneficiaries who require additional services are responsible for 100% of the cost. Individuals with disabilities and senior citizens with the most significant medical needs will have to decide between foregoing necessary care, changing providers of care, or paying 100% of the cost out-of-pocket. Also, those beneficiaries who experience more than one episode of illness or injury in a 12-month period would risk needing more therapy than that covered under the $1,860 payment limit.

Congress has responded six separate times in the past to prevent Medicare beneficiaries from being negatively impacted by the therapy cap policy. However, the 111th Congress failed to prevent the therapy cap from going into effect on January 1. While both the House and Senate versions of health care reform legislation addressed the therapy cap by extending the exceptions process temporarily, failure to enact reform has put beneficiaries who require rehabilitation after an illness or injury at considerable risk.

Reps Xavier Becerra (D-CA) and Roy Blunt (R-MO) have authored legislation to repeal the therapy caps (HR 43). A companion bill introduced by Sens John Ensign (R-NV), Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) was introduced in the Senate (S 46). HR 43 has the support of 139 cosponsors; S 46 has the support of 26.

Source
American Physical Therapy Association

After osteoporosis (brittle bones), Paget’s disease is the second most common type of bone disease. The disease is named after Sir James Paget, the British surgeon who first described it in 1877.

Paget’s disease is known as a bone remodeling disorder. Bone may seem like a very inactive tissue, but bone is constantly undergoing ‘turnover’ or replacement. New bone is formed, and old bone is absorbed. This process is known as bone remodeling.

In most people this remodeling process occurs without problems. However, the process can go awry and create abnormalities of the bone. In Paget’s disease, the bone remodeling process is disregulated. New bone is placed where it is not needed, and old bone is removed where it is needed. This disregulation can distort the normal skeletal architecture. The excessive breakdown and formation of bone tissue that occurs with Paget’s disease can cause bone to weaken, resulting in bone pain, arthritis, deformities, and fractures.

Paget’s disease is more common in certain geographical locations, specifically England, Western Europe, and the United States. It is very uncommon in Scandinavia, China, and India. Paget’s disease is most commonly diagnosed in the sixth decade, and increases in prevalence as age increases. Paget’s disease is very uncommon in individuals under 40 years of age. It is estimated that 1-2% of white adults who are over 55 years of age have Paget’s disease. This figure rises to 5-8% for white people who are over 80 years of age.

In most cases, Paget’s disease is a mild disease that does not cause any problems or complications. In fact, about 80% of individuals are diagnosed with Paget’s disease following an x-ray performed for an unrelated reason.
What are the symptoms Paget’s Disease?
A symptom is something the patient senses and describes, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor notice. For example, drowsiness may be a symptom while dilated pupils may be a sign.

Many patients do not know they have Paget’s disease because they have a mild case with no symptoms. Sometimes, symptoms may be confused with those of arthritis or other disorders. In other cases, the diagnosis is made only after complications have developed.

In individuals who do experience symptoms from Paget’s disease, the most common complaints relate to bone or joint pain. Other common symptoms include swelling of joints, tenderness or redness over the affected areas, and occasionally individuals will not know of Paget’s disease until experiencing a fracture through a weakened area of bone.

The most common bones affected by Paget’s disease are the pelvis, femur (thigh bone), spine, skull, and tibia (shin bone).

Many of the major nerves in your body run through or alongside your bones. Therefore, abnormal bone growth can result in a bone compressing, ‘pinching’ or damaging a nerve.
What are the causes of Paget’s Disease?
The cause of Paget’s disease is not entirely known, but it is thought to be caused in part from a childhood virus. A virus particle, known as a paramyxovirus nucleocapsid, has been identified within the bone cells of individuals with Paget’s disease. This virus particle is not found in normal bone. While this relationship has been identified, a clear connection between the virus and the cause of Paget’s disease is not known.

An estimated 15% of people who have Paget’s disease have a close family member who also has the condition. If one has a first degree relative with Paget’s disease, such as a parent, brother or sister, risk is elevated and a person is seven to eight times more likely to develop the condition.

The evidence that environmental factors may play a role in Paget’s disease is based on the fact that the number of people who are affected by the condition has fallen sharply over the last 50 years. If Paget’s disease was only caused by genetic mutations, the number of new cases that are recorded by the authorities each year would either stay relatively stable or would increase.

One suggested environmental factor is the measles virus. The virus may lay dormant for many years before being ‘re-activated’ and attacking the osteoclast cells, causing them to malfunction. Therefore, the fall in the number of cases of Paget’s disease could be because of a corresponding fall in the number of measles infections owing to the measles vaccination programmes.
Diagnosing Paget’s Disease
Diagnosis of Paget’s disease is made by physical examination, x-rays, and laboratory studies. The physical examination may show abnormalities of the skeletal shape or bone deformities. X-rays commonly show abnormalities of bone turnover, including areas of increased and areas of decreased bone deposition. Laboratory studies will invariably show an increased level of alkaline phosphatase, a byproduct of bone formation. Calcium levels within the body are usually normal.
What are the treatment options for Paget’s Disease?
In general, patients with Paget’s disease should receive 1000-1500 mg of calcium, adequate sunshine, and at least 400 units of vitamin D daily. This is especially important in patients being treated with bisphosphonates; however, taking oral bisphosphonates should be separated from taking calcium by at least two hours, because the calcium can inhibit the absorption of the bisphosphonate. Patients with a history of kidney stones should discuss calcium and vitamin D intake with their physicians. Both these Paget’s disease treatment medications prevent the weak parts of bone that cause deformity and are at high risk for being fractured.

Sometimes surgery is needed if there is a significant bone deformity or if there is a break in the bone. Fractures are most common in the femur (thigh bone) and tibia (shin bone), and are usually treated with an intramedullary rod, a rod that is inserted within the marrow cavity in the center of the bone. Unfortunately, fractures often take a long time to heal in patients with Paget’s disease because of the abnormalities in bone turnover.

Another common surgery in patients with Paget’s disease is called an osteotomy. In this procedure a wedge of bone is removed to correct a malalignment. This procedure is often necessary when the bones of the legs become misshapen in the later stages of this disease.

The outlook with Paget’s disease is generally good, particularly if treatment is given before major changes have occurred in the affected bones. Treatment can control Paget’s disease and lessen symptoms but is not a cure.
Preventing Paget’s Disease
Paget’s Disease is unavoidable in most cases, however exercise is very important in maintaining skeletal health, avoiding weight gain, and maintaining joint mobility.

Since undue stress on affected bones should be avoided, patients should discuss any exercise program with their physician before beginning.

Sources: National Health Service (NHS), UK, The Mayo Clinic, Wikipedia, HHS (Department of Health and Human Services USA), NIH (National Institutes of Health, USA).

Sy Kraft (B.A.)

Springer will launch Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine (CRMM) in March 2008. The new journal will cover orthopedics, sports medicine, physical medicine and rehabilitation and will be published under the Humana Press imprint. CRMM will provide up-to-date, evidence-based standard of care information for the full array of musculoskeletal disorders.

Published quarterly, Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine will be primarily composed of evidence-based review articles. In addition, special sections will present editorials from leading thinkers in the field discussing controversial topics as well as breaking news in musculoskeletal medicine. The entire spectrum of musculoskeletal care will be discussed, including initial evaluation, conservative management, surgical referral and the pros and cons of different surgical options. The editors-in-chief are Grant Cooper, MD, of the New York Presbyterian Hospital and University Hospitals of Columbia and Cornell and Joseph E. Herrera, DO, of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, NY.

Frances Louie, Editor, Clinical Medicine, at Humana Press, said, “We are extremely excited to launch this important, cutting-edge journal with such outstanding editors and editorial board members. Along with our expanding book program in musculoskeletal medicine, Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine represents Humana’s deep commitment to providing musculoskeletal medicine physicians with the most comprehensive, state-of-the-art content possible.”

Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine will be published electronically and in print. It will be available free of charge on Springer’s online information platform springerlink/ until the end of 2009. Features will include fast, electronic publication in Online First™, as well as Cross Reference Linking and Table of Content Alerts. In addition, all potential authors have the option, via the Springer Open Choice™ program, of publishing their articles using the open access publishing model.

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Springer (springer/) is the second-largest publisher of journals in the science, technology, and medicine (STM) sector and the largest publisher of STM books. Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media, one of the world’s leading suppliers of scientific and specialist literature. The group publishes over 1,700 journals and more than 5,500 new books a year, as well as the largest STM eBook Collection worldwide. Springer has operations in over 20 countries in Europe, the USA, and Asia, and some 5,000 employees. Humana Press, a publisher of medical and scientific books and journals, was acquired by Springer in September 2006.

Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine
ISSN: 1935-973X (print version)
ISSN: 1935-9748 (electronic version)

Source: Joan Robinson

Springer