In this article, I would like to present two illustrative case studies involving the immediate use of intermittent vacuum therapy (IVT) in the first few days after injury. It is a procedure that we have employed very effectively as an adjunct in traumatic sports injuries.

IVT – mode of operation and applications

IVT applies alternating negative pressure (vacuum) and positive pressure to the lower limbs up to the abdomen. This improves circulation and increases capillarisation and venous and lymphatic return. The central nervous system is also stimulated. As no compression is involved, the treatment is completely painless, irrespective of the injury or its stage. The principle applications of the VACUMed® Flow Regeneration System, developed at the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), are cardiovascular stimulation and revascularisation. IVT is also recognised as a modern and cost-effective form of treatment for lymphoedema and lipoedema. The procedure is also used in a different form to boost post-traumatic and post-operative rehabilitation (VACUSPORT® device) and for a number of years has been used very effectively for traumatic sports injuries.

Illustrative case studies

Muscle bundle tear (musculotendinous junction) rectus femoris:

• VacuSport: applied immediately in the first few days after injury (following ACP therapy)
• AlterG treadmill: from day 15
• Running (full weight-bearing): from day 19 (following biomechanical assessment)
• SpeedCourt: from day 28
• Football-specific individual training: from day 33
• Team training: from day 41

MRI at the time of injury (Fig. 1) and at 3-week follow-up (Fig. 2)

Proximal rectus femoris tendon rupture

• VacuSport: immediately in the first few days after injury (following ACP therapy)
• AlterG treadmill: from day 25
• Running (full weight-bearing): from day 28 (following biomechanical assessment)
• SpeedCourt: from day 32
• Football-specific individual training: from day 45
• Team training: from day 60 (following biomechanical assessment)

MRI at the time of injury (Figs. 3+4), at 3-week follow-up (Figs. 5+6) and at 6-week follow-up (Figs. 7+8)

References
[1] Ekstrand et al. Epidemiology of muscle injuries in professional football (soccer) Am J Sports Med. 2011

In diesem Beitrag möchte ich zwei exempla­rische Fallbeispiele vorstellen, bei denen wir direkt in den ersten Tagen nach der Verletzung die Intermittierende Vakuum Therapie (IVT) angewendet haben. Ein Verfahren, das wir begleitend sehr effektiv bei sporttraumatologischen Verletzungen einsetzen.

IVT – Funktionsweise und Einsatzgebiete

Die IVT appliziert alternierend Unterdruck (Vakuum) und positiven Druck auf die unteren Extremitäten bis zum Abdomen. Das bewirkt mehr Durchblutung, mehr Kapillarisation sowie eine Steigerung des venösen und lymphatischen Rückfluss. Das zentrale Nervensystem wird dabei mitstimuliert. Die Behandlung ist unabhängig von der Verletzung und deren Stadium völlig schmerzfrei, da sie auf Kompression verzichtet. Haupteinsatzgebiete des VACUMED® Flow Regeneration System, welches am Institut für Weltraummedizin an der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR) entwickelt wurde, sind kardiovaskuläre Stimulation und Revaskularisierung. Die IVT ist auch als moderne und kostengünstige Therapie von Lymph- und Lipödemen anerkannt. In anderer Form wird das Verfahren auch zur Beschleunigung der posttraumatischen- oder postoperativen Rehabilitation (VACUSPORT® Gerät) und seit einigen Jahren zudem auch sehr effektiv bei sporttraumatologischen Verletzungen eingesetzt.

Exemplarische Fallbeispiele

Muskelbündelriß (muskulo-tendinöser Übergang) M. rectus femoris

• VacuSport: direkt in den ersten Tagen nach der Verletzung (nach erfolgter ACP-Therapie)
• Alter G: ab 15. Tag
• Laufen (Vollbelastung): ab 19. Tag (nach biomechanischer Diagnostik)
• SpeedCourt: ab 28. Tag
• Fußballspezifisches ­Einzeltraining: ab 33. Tag
• Mannschaftsstraining: ab 41. Tag

MRT zum Unfallzeitpunkt (Abb. 1) und 3-Wochen-Verlaufskontrolle (Abb. 2).

Proximale Sehnenruptur des M. rectus femoris 

• VacuSport: direkt in den ersten Tagen nach der Verletzung (nach erfolgter ACP-Therapie)
• Alter G: ab 25. Tag
• Laufen (Vollbelastung): ab 28. Tag (nach biomechanischer Diagnostik)
• SpeedCourt: ab 32. Tag
• Fußballspezifisches Einzeltraining: ab 45. Tag
• Mannschaftsstraining: ab 60. Tag (nach biomechanischer Diagnostik)

MRT zum Unfallzeitpunkt (Abb. 3 + 4) und 3-Wochen-Verlaufskontrolle (Abb. 5 + 6) und 6-Wochen-Verlaufskontrolle (Abb. 7 + 8).

Literatur

[1] Ekstrand et al. Epidemiology of muscle injuries in professional football (soccer). Am J Sports Med. 2011

Cooperation with the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA)

Recently, CityReha has concluded a cooperation with the CBA and China-Life-Insurance. As part of this cooperation, CityReha completes an initial isokinetic assessment with the majo­rity of the professional CBA athletes in order to ascertain the functional status and condition of the players and to identify possible neuromuscular deficits and to create better conditions for the prevention of further injuries by means of appropriate instructions or a training plan.

Sophisticated Equipment from Germany & USA

City Reha Shouhou is equipped with the latest and most sophisticated devices in China and probably even worldwide. From a health risk assessment (Cardioscan), through assessments of endurance and balance capabilities to comprehensive isokinetic multi-joint (Biodex System 4), spine & trunk assessments by tergumed, the facility has all relevant options to identify all physical deficits and accordingly design tailor-made training measures for each patient individually. 

With AlterG and vacumed CityReha also offers high class treatment &training with NASA technologies. AlterG provides an individual gait therapy for orthopedic & neurologic patients as well as a cardiovascular performance training for athletes. Vacumed offers a vascular training, regeneration, and stimulation of blood circulation. For further regeneration, CityReha offers cardioscan Airzone. With Airzone, one breathes in alternating oxygen-reduced and ambient air. Having less oxygen available, the body reacts with adaptation and self-healing processes. Among other things, the powerful mitochondria multiply, which leads to an improved energy supply and slowing down the aging process.

Membership program for Milon Micro Center 

CityReha Shouhou complements its services with attractive prevention and memberships programs. For special target groups a completely new training area is designed: 

Our NEW MILON MICRO CENTER is also high-level equipped with Cardioscan, Milon Circuit Training, Sensopro and Wonderwall. Here, our members receive an individual but targeted and very efficient training plan tailored to their personal needs based on the Milonizer BodyScan and a Milonizer Fitness check-up. This combines strength training including an endurance part with a coordination and mobility training. 

Sorehsa AG continues to follow its vision to grow

Sorehsa AG is still following its vision and reacted counter-cyclically by investing into the future with the opening of CityReha Shouhou in Beijing. Antoni Mora, CEO of Sorehsa Ag Group, stated with regards to this project: “The planning and implementation of this project in uncertain times was a demanding for the project team which is – due to the pandemic – partly located in Switzerland. Now we are looking forward to ta successful future.”

Sibylle Mora Head of Business Development, Sorehsa AG Basel

General Manager, CityReha Beijing
sibylle.mora@sorehsa.chwww.cityreha.com