DeLee & Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, ed 2 (Vols 1 and 2).

DeLee & Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, ed 2 (Vols 1 and 2) DeLee JC, Drez D Jr, Miller MD, eds. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Saunders, 2003, hardcover, 2,798 pp, illus, ISBN: 0-7216-8845-4, $299.

The second edition of this well-known text is an improvement over the initial version because of its expanded coverage of sports medicine topics and its inclusion of the pediatric sports medicine component that was a separate, third volume in the first edition. Although it is directed at orthopedic surgeons, this text has wide-ranging application to several health care specialties. The 2-volume text contains 30 chapters, and most of these chapters are subdivided into sections with a specific area of focus. For example, chapter 25, "Hip and Pelvis," contains 2 sections: one for hip and pelvic injuries in adults, and the other for injuries in young athletes. Because of the length of this book, this review will primarily focus on the chapters that have specific relevance for physical therapists.

Chapters 1 and 2 provide comprehensive information on the basic science of muscles, tendons, ligaments, articular cartilage, menisci, and bone injuries. Biomechanics are covered in substantial detail with an introductory chapter (chapter 4) as well as specific sections on biomechanics in the chapters on the shoulder (chapter 21), elbow and forearm (chapter 23), knee (chapter 28), and foot and ankle (chapter 30).

Chapter 8, which is devoted to rehabilitation, spans more than 100 pages and is divided into 3 sections: "The Language of Exercise and Rehabilitation," "Open and Closed Chain Exercises," and "Therapeutic Modalities." The section on therapeutic modalities is further subdivided to cover electrical stimulation, cold and heat modalities, exercise modalities, continuous passive motion, stretching, the role of proprioception in functional joint stability, and functional training progressions for the prevention of anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes. This chapter contains a moderate amount of information but is not sufficient as a stand-alone reference for rehabilitation.

Brief discussions of rehabilitation are included in almost every chapter and specialized section. Given its comprehensive coverage of orthopedic injuries, this book provides an outstanding resource for locating information from recognized leaders in the field, and it serves as a starting point in implementing rehabilitation plans for a variety of conditions and diagnoses. Most sections provide broad coverage of treatment options (surgical and nonsurgical) with references to previously published literature. addition, many sections include the authors' preferred method of treatment. In some instances (eg, postoperative rehabilitation of posterolateral corner injuries, post-operative rehabilitation following meniscal repair, and postoperative rehabilitation of posterior capsular shift), the rehabilitation information and supporting references are limited.

Although the intent of my review is to focus on the rehabilitation aspects of this text, I would be remiss if I did not mention the other qualities that elevate this text to the "must have" status for most medical libraries. This text provides superb coverage of nonorthopedic conditions (eg, diabetes mellitus, viral disease, altitude stress), sports psychology, sports pharmacology, nutrition for sports, and surgical conditions. Extensive coverage is also given to specific patient populations leg, athletes with orthopedic disabilities and pediatric and adolescent athletes). More than 1,000 illustrations serve as a wonderful complement to the chapters by highlighting imaging studies, surgical techniques, evaluation techniques, and exercises. In particular, the sections on imaging of the glenohumeral joint, the knee, and the foot and ankle are very informative.

The book has few problems. A couple of the sections ("Stretching" in chapter 8 and "Preparticipation Evaluation of the Young Athlete" in chapter 17) were adapted from other sources originally published in the early 1990s and, therefore, lack some of the current literature or information. The chapters covering the cervical spine and thoracolumbar spine (chapters 20 and 97, respectively) are relatively brief and would need to be supplemented with another text for comprehensive coverage. Keep in mind that the text is written for orthopedic surgeons, and, therefore, the emphasis is not on rehabilitation (though most chapters provide, at a minimum, a starting point for treatment). Although postoperative rehabilitation information is limited in some area of the text, each chapter contains an extensive and current bibliography.

This 2-volume text has many strengths. Foremost is the breadth of information on almost every topic related to sports medicine. Furthermore, the sections were written by recognized experts in sports medicine. I highly recommend this text for any health care professional who deals with myriad orthopedic and sports medicine conditions.

Michael Rosenthal, PT, DSc, SCS, ECS, ATC Naval Special Warfare Center San Diego, Calif

Dr Rosenthal is the Director of Physical Therapy and specializes in the management of patients with orthopedic and sports-related injuries.