Book Review

Oxford Textbook of Sports Medicine

N Engl J Med 1995; 333:605August 31, 1995

Article

Oxford Textbook of Sports Medicine
Edited by Mark Harries, Clyde Williams, William D. Stanish, and Lyle J. Micheli. 748 pp. New York, Oxford University Press, 1994. $125. ISBN: 0-19-262009-6

A number of sports-medicine textbooks are available, but none has achieved the right balance of breadth and depth to be recognized as the reference work in this field. Many of these textbooks have focused on the musculoskeletal system as the center of the universe of sports medicine. Others have chosen specialized areas to develop in depth. The editors of the Oxford Textbook of Sports Medicine have assembled an international group of highly qualified authors to provide sports-medicine professionals with a comprehensive and authoritative textbook. Their excellent book accurately presents the entire spectrum of sports medicine.

The editors' multidisciplinary approach uses physiology, psychology, and biomechanics as a basis to discuss adaptive responses to conditioning and training and to consider the illnesses and injuries associated with participation in sports. Contributing authors appropriately emphasize prevention as well as assessment and treatment. The editors and authors chose not to discuss various treatments in highly specialized cases, since such considerations were not in keeping with the purpose of the book.

The book begins with Per-Olof Åstrand's thoughtful reflections entitled “Man as an Athlete.” This is followed by seven sections, each representing fundamental areas. Particularly refreshing is the recognition of the importance of the basic science of sports medicine: this topic is the focus of the first section. Renowned authorities provide summary reviews of physiology, nutrition, kinesiology, psychology, and performance assessment. Their current and very informative presentations help the reader understand the disciplines basic to all of sports medicine.

Sections 2 and 3 build on this foundation. Section 2 reviews the effects of differing environments on the athlete's physiology, training, and performance. It gives detailed discussions of the adverse effects of exposure to various environmental conditions. The chapter on circadian rhythms is particularly useful, given the demands of international competition and the availability of supersonic travel. Section 3, “Medical Aspects of Sports,” is pertinent because the authors focus on various medical problems often not emphasized in other textbooks. This section, in fact, could profit from more expanded discussions.

Musculoskeletal injuries, including both acute and chronic problems, are the subject of sections 4 and 5. The authors discuss the cause, diagnosis, and standard care of common injuries, choosing not to examine less common injuries and more specialized and controversial treatments.

The final two sections address the special aspect of sports medicine. The discussion of the aging athlete is very thorough. The next chapter, “The Growing Athlete,” would be even better if it incorporated information scattered in various other chapters. Conspicuously absent is a chapter devoted to the female athlete. Much information is presented in other chapters, but the reader would be far better served by a consolidated discussion of this particularly important topic.

Section 7 considers urgent and catastrophic injuries. Such injuries are rare but inevitable consequences of participation in sports. Although often preventable, when they occur they are usually witnessed and thus immediately addressed. Readers will find “The Fallen Athlete,” “Maxillofacial Injuries,” and “Cardiopulmonary and Abdominal Emergencies” to be generally good overviews. The chapters on head and spine injuries are complete but provide only limited discussion of the evaluation of the patient and complications of the injuries. Somewhat puzzling is the inclusion of the chapter on wrist and carpal injuries in this section rather than in the musculoskeletal sections.

The references throughout are appropriate and current, especially in the areas of nutrition and performance assessment. The illustrations and tables are abundant and reader-friendly. Reproductions of x-ray films show the abnormalities described, and the few color plates are of excellent quality. Surprisingly, there are occasional typographic errors.

Many textbooks purport to address sports medicine; few do so. This work is an exception. The editors have provided a comprehensive textbook addressing the many disciplines integral to sports medicine. The format is well designed; the coverage is complete; the writing is concise and clear. It appropriately emphasizes the medicine aspect of sports medicine while including descriptions of musculoskeletal injuries that have traditionally been the sole focus of sports-medicine textbooks. The editors' approach clearly distinguishes this book from others in the field.

Joseph F. Waeckerle, M.D.
University of Missouri–Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO 64108