Common Pediatric Sports Injuries

ABSTRACT

This article reviews the common acute and overuse injuries encountered in the pediatric athlete. Acute injuries are usually physeal or avulsion fractures relating to a single traumatic event. Overuse injuries are the result of repetitive stress and include the common traction apophysitis, osteochondritis dissecans, and stress fractures. Sports-related injuries most frequently involve the lower extremity with injury patterns and frequencies relative to the athlete's age, size, and type of sport. Indeed, an alternative title for this review might be “the adolescent athlete” as the changing biomechanics and psychosocial stresses of adolescence are inherent risk factors for sports-related injuries. An estimated seven million adolescents currently play high school sports with an increasing number becoming interested in “extreme” sports. It is hoped that this review will assist your future encounters with the injured pediatric athlete or “weekend warrior.”

KEYWORDS

Sports-related injury - repetitive stress - adolescent athlete - pediatric athlete - imaging of sports injuries