Reducing knee injury risk in young athletes

Young athletes benefit from playing sports in a variety of ways — from better fitness and overall health to higher self-esteem and improved academic achievement. But with this participation comes the risk of injury. While some injuries build up over time and cause pain that is often ignored, others may be random and unexpected. Dr. Dennis Kramer, orthopedic surgeon at Boston Children’s Hospital, explains what may put an athlete at risk for an overuse injury and how to minimize the risk of traumatic injuries, such as an ACL tear. Sports specialization and overuse injuries As sports specialization continues to rise in youth athletics, kids and teens who focus primarily on one sport may be at a greater risk for overuse injuries. “We tend to see more overuse injuries in patients who do the same sport most of the year,” says Kramer, “whereas traumatic knee injuries can happen to anyone at any time.” In 2015, a collaborative study involving the Sports Medicine Division at Boston Children’s and co-authored by Dr. Lyle Micheli, concluded that highly specialized young athletes could be at a greater risk of sustaining an overuse injury than their unspecialized peers. Constant stress on certain parts of the body, coupled with overall exhaustion, can lead to wear and tear that eventually results in pain and an overuse injury. Common injuries of the knee Athletes often come to Boston Children’s with overuse injuries of the knee. These include kneecap pain, Osgood-Schlat...
Source: Thrive, Children's Hospital Boston - Category: Pediatrics Authors: Tags: Ask the Expert ACL ACL injury ACL injury prevention athletes Division of Sports Medicine Dr. Dennis Kramer Dr. Lyle Micheli Osgood-Schlatter disease Source Type: news