Sports Injuries in the Adolescent

Abstract

As the number of children and adolescents participating in both ­organized and recreational athletic activities increases, pediatric sports injuries are becoming much more common. It has been estimated that over 30 million children participate in either recreational or organized sports, and the number is growing every year. Many of these injuries are chronic in nature and are the result of overuse and overtraining. However, traumatic injuries are not uncommon, requiring an estimated 2.5 million emergency room visits annually. While head and neck injuries comprise a significant proportion of pediatric sports injuries, upper and lower extremity injuries are much more common. Injury patterns in skeletally immature athletes are distinct from adults in that physes may also be involved whereas adults have primarily ligamentous and tendinous injuries.