Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise:
Rusinowski, J. W. Jr.
Section Editor(s): Berry, Michael J. Book Review Editor
Division of Physical Therapy, Department of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation, University of Miami School of Medicine, Coral Gables, Florida
$49.00, ISBN 0-632-03508-0, 228 pages
Published by: Blackwell Scientific Publications, Inc., 238 Main Street, Cambridge, MA, 1995
Soft Tissue Injuries in Sport, 2nd Edition
Sylvia Lachman and John R. Jenner
The purpose of this text is to familiarize the reader with the implications of soft tissue injuries in athletics. The intended audience covers all those involved with treating and preventing sports-related injuries. Those to benefit most from the book are students in athletic training, physical therapy, and physical education. Coaches and others who deal with athletes on a regular basis would also enjoy having this available as a resource. Although not comprehensive in scope, the book does serve a purpose for the reader by presenting a basic understanding of various sports-related connective tissue maladies.
The information presented appeared to be relatively up-to-date. Footnotes are not provided and all references are listed at the back of the text rather than at the end of each chapter. This does not allow for ease in knowing from where the related information may have been researched or the validity of some of the statements offered.
The writing style of the authors has a British flair and often has spellings that are slightly different from the ones we use in the United States. There are some misspellings, however, such as the word“osteochondritis,” being spelled three different ways within two pages. Also, an in-appropriate use of the word “sprain” for the word “strain” was found. This causes a little confusion about what is being discussed at that point. The organization of the text is logical, with the first section covering general considerations, connective tissue inflammation and repair, the role of physical therapy and other treatments, general effects on athletes and performance, and injuries at different ages. The second section goes into the regional problems seen with connective tissue injuries.
Other worthwhile features of this book include detailed illustrations of related material, black-and-white photographs of various radiological images, and other examples of injuries or treatment techniques. Several tables and appendices are also presented that reinforce information in the text. For those unfamiliar with the incidence of connective tissue injuries in sports, this provides a brief snapshot of where and how these occur.
As mentioned above, this book will serve the novice who is reading about this type of material for the first time and may even be understood by the lay person. It is too basic for anyone who has formal training or a background in sports medicine, such as athletic trainers, physical therapists, or physicians. If considered as a supplemental text for instructional use, then perhaps it would best serve those in an introductory course.