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Adolescent Shoulder Injuries

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The Adolescent Athlete

Abstract

The number of adolescent shoulder injuries has continued to rise over the past several decades. While many of these injuries are the direct result of a traumatic event, a significant number may be attributed to overuse in this young athletic population. When treating the adolescent athlete, it is important for the physician to be aware of the unique injuries that may occur in this patient population. In addition, these injuries often require treatment that varies significantly from treatments used for similar conditions in adults.

Patients, parents, and coaches should be made aware of the dangers of overtraining, inadequate periods of rest, and improper technique in the overhead athlete. Most of these injuries will respond to conservative measures focused on strengthening both the shoulder girdle and core. Poor training habits and improper technique should be addressed as well. Injuries not responding to appropriate conservative measures may require surgical intervention.

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Cohen, N., Brown, T. (2018). Adolescent Shoulder Injuries. In: Micheli, L., Purcell, L. (eds) The Adolescent Athlete. Contemporary Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56188-2_8

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