Robert C. Schenck Jr., editor. Rosemont, Illinois: American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 1999. $75.00 (members)
or $95.00 (nonmembers), 925 pp.
This text, now in its third edition, is intended to be a resource
for sports-medicine caregivers including athletic trainers, physical
therapists, primary-care physicians, and orthopaedic surgeons. Therefore,
it is diverse in content and broad in scope. The contributors include
athletic trainers, orthopaedic surgeons, and a variety of other
sports-medicine specialists.
The text is divided into five sections. Some sections and chapters
will appeal and prove valuable to specific types of care providers;
others will have broader applications. For example, orthopaedic
surgeons will find the section on regional pathology useful for
the excellent overviews on nonorthopaedic topics such as head and
facial injuries, but the broad overview of musculoskeletal injuries
in sports will appeal more to trainers, physical therapists, and
primary-care physicians. The chapter on legal issues in sports medicine
is recommended for all sports-medicine providers, as are the chapters that
cover the topics of sports psychology, sports nutrition, sudden
death, and substance abuse.
The "focused topics" within each chapter provide well-written
summaries of key subject matter. These will be useful as quick reference
sources.
Although the photographs provided throughout the text are not
particularly noteworthy, the medical illustrations are generally
well done and enhance the discussions of the associated topics.
In summary, this edition is a substantial improvement compared
with the two previous well-written editions. Because it offers something
for everyone, it will serve as an important (if not essential) reference
for athletic trainers, sports therapists, and primary-care physicians,
with much valuable information for orthopaedic surgeons as well.
Leslie S. Matthews, MDUnion Memorial Hospital
Baltimore, Maryland