According to William E. Garrett, Jr., MD, PhD Visiting Professor Bruce Reider, MD, “Yes…and no. Studies show that injury reduction is possible when you engage in equipment changes, rule changes, and training programs. However, compliance is vital. The athlete must follow through if a training program has been assigned.”
As the editor-in-chief of the renowned sports medicine publications, the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), and the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (OJSM), Reider has a wide-ranging view of the research produced throughout the past several decades.
Reider has been ‘the’ team physician at the University of Chicago since 1981. He illustrated the positive changes research has produced in American football courtesy of the ‘father of sports medicine,’ Joseph Torg, MD. “His dynamic studies of the common sports injuries connected to cervical spine fractures, the ACL, and hamstrings created new tactics still employed in today’s sports. When a sports injury epidemic hit American football in the 1980s, Torg’s studies led to outlawing a tackling strategy called ‘spearing,’ the addition of prophylactic knee braces, and a newly designed shoe cleat.
He illustrated, “There is no such thing as a perfect study. We must be wary of selective bias. AJSM and OJSM favor and publish original research but values systematic reviews. My advice for trainees is to follow your passion, document your work starting from the beginning and do a perspective study because it offers a more important contribution to the literature.”
“It’s amazing to come back to Duke to speak at an event honoring the amazing contributions that our friend and colleague, Bill Garrett, MD, provided to the sports medicine field during his lifetime. Duke is a magnet for sports medicine superstars, and I am glad to be with you today.”