Physical Rehabilitation of the Injured Athlete, ed 3.

Physical Rehabilitation of the Injured Athlete, ed 3. Andrews JR, Harrelson GL, Wilk KE, eds. Philadelphia, PA 19106, Saunders, 2004, hardcover, 680 pp, illus, ISBN: 0-7216-0014-X, $99.

The third edition of this text is an outstanding resource for health care professionals involved with the rehabilitation of musculoskeletal injuries. Individual chapters are written by recognized leaders in the field of physical rehabilitation. The primary changes in this edition include updated rehabilitation protocols, new chapters, an expansion of other chapters, and incorporation of the vast amount of research conducted over the past decade to support the content. Although primarily intended for the practicing clinician, the text also can serve as an exceptional text for students.

The text includes 21 chapters and 3 appendixes. New chapters were added to the third edition, such as "Cervical Spine Rehabilitation," "Biomechanics of Shoulder and Knee Rehabilitation," and "Female Considerations in Rehabilitation." Topics covered in the second edition, which have now been expanded to individual chapters, include: "Proprioception and Neuromuscular Control," "Plyometrics," and "Functional Training and Advanced Rehabilitation." The 3 appendixes are "Throwers' Ten Exercise Program," "Interval Rehabilitation Program," and "Upper Extremity Plyometrics."

Each chapter begins with well-written and challenging chapter objectives. "Clinical Pearls," sidebars that highlight important considerations of care, complement many of the book's comprehensive chapters. Numerous figures and tables add clarity to the text, and a concise summary concludes each chapter. The inclusion of numerous training programs and protocols serve as useful tools for the clinician, as well. Most chapters include an extensive bibliography that provides information on early foundational articles along with recent peer-reviewed literature.

Chapters 1 through 13 provide a thorough amount of foundational information for the joint-specific chapters that follow. The joint-specific chapters, chapters 14 through 21, include sections on anatomy, biomechanics, evaluation, pathology, and intervention. Treatment recommendations are presented in tabular format, and the exercises are illustrated with numerous figures.

Although the authors are to be commended for this outstanding resource, the text is not without limitations and omissions. For example, chapter 14, "Foot and Ankle Rehabilitation," does not include substantial information on extracorporeal shock wave therapy or on taping and bracing. Chapter 15, "Knee Rehabilitation," presents minimal information on the use of continuous passive motion (CPM) units, patellofemoral realignment procedures, and rehabilitation. Furthermore, the lateral release protocol does not include references. Additional areas that are given limited coverage include stress fractures, upper-and lower-extremity nerve injuries commonly encountered with athletic injuries, and a lack of supporting peer-reviewed references for the information provided in the appendixes. A more extensive presentation of examination techniques in chapters 19 and 21 would have enriched the comprehensive coverage. Selective use of figures to present findings on imaging studies (eg, radiographs, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography scans) and injuries (eg, Boutonnirre injury) would have broadened the scope of coverage and enhanced the utility of this text as a reference and educational resource.

The authors have done a wonderful job of melding the art and science of rehabilitation. This is a thorough text that undoubtedly meets the authors' intentions to provide a useful text for the clinician as well as the student. The text also could be helpful in patient education. I believe this text would be most useful for physical therapists, physical therapist assistants, certified athletic trainers, and strength and conditioning professionals.

Michael Rosenthal, PT, DSc, SCS, ECS, ATC, CSCS 

Naval Special Warfare Center 

San Diego, Calif

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