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Published on: September 17, 2013
Acceptability and Practicality of a Quick Musculoskeletal Examination into Sports Medicine Pre-Participation
Stefano Palermi1, Giada Annarumma1, Alessandro Spinelli1
1Public Health Department, University of Naples Federico II, 80131 Naples, Italy.
Insights
The pediatric Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine (pGALS) examination is a practical and acceptable musculoskeletal screening tool for sports medicine pre-participation evaluations (PPE). It can be effectively performed by non-experts, identifying common MSK findings in children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Musculoskeletal Health
- Sports Medicine
- Clinical Screening
Background:
- Childhood musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases are prevalent and can lead to long-term health impairments.
- Italian pre-participation evaluations (PPE) screen numerous children annually.
- Assessing the feasibility and acceptability of pGALS within routine PPE is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the pediatric Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine (pGALS) screening examination.
- To determine if pGALS can be integrated into routine sports medicine pre-participation evaluations (PPE).
Main Methods:
- pGALS was added to the routine clinical examination for school-aged children attending sports medicine screenings.
- Practicability (time taken) and patient acceptability (discomfort) were recorded.
- 654 children were evaluated.
Main Results:
- The average pGALS examination time was 4.26 minutes.
- 97% of parents found the time adequate, and 94% of children reported little to no discomfort.
- Abnormal musculoskeletal findings were frequently observed.
Conclusions:
- pGALS is a practical and acceptable tool for sports medicine PPE, even when administered by non-MSK specialists.
- Abnormal MSK findings identified by pGALS require interpretation within the broader clinical context.
- The study supports the integration of pGALS into routine pediatric sports screenings.
Background:
Child musculoskeletal (MSK) diseases are common and, even if often benign, sometimes can lead to significant impairment in the future health of children. Italian pre-participation evaluation (PPE), performed by a sports medicine physician, allows for the screening of a wide range of children every year. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the feasibility and the acceptability of pGALS (pediatric Gait, Arms, Legs and Spine) screening, a simple pediatric MSK screening examination, when performed as part of a routine PPE.
Methods:
Consecutive school-aged children attending a sports medicine screening program were assessed with the addition of pGALS to the routine clinical examination. Practicability (time taken) and patient acceptability (discomfort caused) were recorded.
Results:
654 children (326 male, mean age 8.9 years) were evaluated through pGALS. The average time taken was 4.26 min (range 1.9-7.3 min). Acceptability of pGALS was deemed high: time taken was "adequate" (97% of parents) and caused little or no discomfort (94% of children). Abnormal MSK findings were common.
Conclusions:
pGALS is a practical and acceptable tool to perform in sports medicine PPE, even if performed by a non-expert in MSK medicine. Although common, abnormal MSK findings need to be interpreted in the global clinical context and assessment.
