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The emphasis in the chapter on adherence to exercise and rehabili- tation programmes is directed a t psychological issues, only briefly mentioning important current research findings on the impact of situational factors.

The chapter on responses to injury is interesting and reads well, although it is a little light on research background to substan- tiate the ideas. The authors are obviously confined by the need to put across information in a concise and easy-to-read manner which sometimes leads to leaving out mediating factors of some impor- tance. I t is interesting that the authors’ findings on the emotional response to injury differ from find- ings of recent research in the United Kingdom; this may be due to many factors, from different health care systems t o differing experimental design.

The chapter on social support and its impact on outcome from rehabil- itation is excellent. This is also the case with the way the authors address the issue of some athletes perceiving a secondary gain to being injured and ways of dealing with this,

Sadly, section 2 is of limited use to practitioners in the UK as the advice is particular to the American health system. Part 4 is full of extremely useful ideas on the use of imagery, different pain management tech- niques, social support, and general ways of optimising the athletes’ enforced rest from sport. Full reha- bilitation is defined as the time when an athlete has returned to competing a t pre-injury levels with no overriding fear of re-injury. This is pertinent, considering the high incidence of re-injury in sports medicine.

The book is thoroughly enter- taining and easy to read. I t is a useful reference tool for therapists involved in the rehabilitation of athletes at all competitive levels. I t effectively puts across the strong message of the unique position of rehabilitation professionals to influence athletes physically and psychologically in order to optimise rehabilitation. It also imparts good practical advice that therapists can use to address these issues.

Helen Dawes MMedSci MCSP

The Child and Adolescent Athlete edited by Oded Bar-Or. Blackwell Science, Oxford, 1996 (ISBN 0 86542 904 9). Illus. 681 pages. €59.50,

The principal focus of this book is a study by Professor Bar-Or, a leading authority in the field of paediatric sports medicine, looking into normal development and growth in the young athlete, as well as skill acqui- sition, injury prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation.

The editor’s main purpose is to pull together an international team of experts to provide the most up- to-date information on the above subjects, a target that seems to have been more than adequately fulfilled. The book is intended for coaches, therapists, sports medicine doctors, and other professionals dealing with young athletes.

The subjects are dealt with comprehensively, and in an easily understandable manner that should make for compulsive reading to all

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interested in sport for children. I t is rather a large work, the vast amount of information making it quite heavy .

The book is well set out in seven sections: growth and physical performance, training principles, treatment and rehabilitation of injuries, non-orthopaedic health concerns, psychosocial issues, disease and the young athlete, and methodology. These are further subdivided t o make finding any specifics very straightforward.

The latest research is included on modern topics such as eating disorders, drop-out dilemma in youth sport, intelligence and sport, as well as an excellent section on young athletes with disabilities.

Set at around 260 it is an expen- sive read, although the wealth of information contained in the 600- plus pages would make it money well spent for anybody seriously involved with youth sport.

Kim Hall MCSP

The Elbow in Sport Injury, treatment and rehabilitation by Todd S Ellenbecker PT and Angelo J Mattalino MD. Human Kinetics Europe Ltd, Units C2/C3, PO Box 1W14, Leeds LS16 6TR, 1997 (ISBN 0 87322 897 9). Illus. 202 pages. f26.50.

This book is about over-use injuries of the elbow, and focuses on the various forms of ‘tennis elbow’ and injuries to the ulnar ligament, ulnar nerve, osteochondral surfaces and growth plates. The injuries are described mainly in the context of three contrasting sports - baseball, golf and tennis - although other sports such as (American) football are also mentioned. The authors are a physiotherapist and a doctor who both have distinguished credentials in the field of sports injuries. The book is written for rehabilitation professionals, and the intended audience is defined as ‘physical therapists, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning profes- sionals, and sports scientists’.

The book is organised in a highly readable, clear and logical order, with excellent diagrams. Descrip- tions of practical clinical methods of assessment, treatment and rehabil- itation are commendably backed up theoretically by information from research papers, and practically

by case studies. The initial three chapters cover ‘Anatomy and biomechanics of the elbow’, ‘Etiology of overuse elbow injuries and anatomical adaptations in athletes’ and ‘Diagnostic tests for the elbow’. The presentation of this background material will undoubtedly be of interest and value to practising physiotherapists, no matter how experienced, because of the exem- plary combination of clarity, comprehensiveness and practicality.

On the treatment side, I was disappointed at some missed oppor- tunities. Surgical techniques are described in some detail, but the authors seem strangely shy about describing in detail their own phys- ical treatment regimes. This is of course the disadvantage of trying to put into writing in general terms physical treatment methods which are most often applied instinctively according to the patient’s responses at any given moment. But the case studies offered the chance, for instance, to describe the detailed use of electrical muscle stimulation both for non-operated and post- operative patients, which would certainly have been of benefit to other practitioners.

Oddly, electrical stimulation does not feature in the index, although it is mentioned frequently, if not in

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Physiotherapy, February 1998, vol84, no 2