introduction: preventing youth sports injuries
DESCRIPTION
Dr. Christina Morganti shares information on preventing youth sports injuries, including training tips, overuse injuries, the differences in youth anatomy and ways to keep your kids in the game.TRANSCRIPT
Christina Morganti, MDSports and Shoulder Surgery
Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine
Lost time from play in the short term
Pain/discomfort Mental
anguish/anxiety Disruption of usual
“routine” including socialization
Potential for long term consequences
The Problem
• 30 million children participate in organized sports (Source: Safe Kids USA)
• Participation in high school athletics is increasing, with more than 7.3 million high school students participating annually (Source: National Federation of State High School Associations)
• High school athletics account for more than 2 million injuries annually, (including 30,000 hospitalizations); Half of these are overuse injuries (Source: Centers for Disease Control)
• Young athletes are specializing in sports (and positions)
at an earlier age.
The Lasting Problem – Part 2
70% of kids participating in sports drop out by the age of 13 because of• Adults• Coaches• Parents
These children lose the benefits of exercise, teamwork and healthy competition!
Sports Trauma and Overuse
Prevention
-Attention to Safety -Protective equipment -Technique changes -Rules changes
Physiologic benefits to skeletal health, lean mass, neuromuscular coordination.
Psychologic benefits to self esteem, general sense of well being.
Social benefits from the culture of healthy living and camaraderie, “stay out of trouble”, plan for future.
Kids are different physiologically, mentally, socially from adults.
Changing at a rapid rate
“Formative years” Habits formed may last
a lifetime. Injury may have long
term consequences
Physis= growth plate Apophysis Vulnerable
points, “weak link” Injury can lead to
deformity “Growth spurt” issue Shape of bones
Times are different and still changing.
Shear numbers of participants growing
Intensity of competition increasing.
Free-play time decreasing.
Sedentary time increasing, “indoor distractions”.
Different kinds of kids.
Low, medium, and high.
What is the general level of fitness?
Training allows for the adaption of structures to accommodate the typical load applied to the structure.
The load may be too high for the strength of the structure.
The strength may be too low to tolerate the load applied.
strength
load
Overuse injuries constitute the majority of youth sports injuries.
Overuse injuries can be avoided by adjustments in training regimen, based on individual needs of the athlete.
Think about improving the general level of conditioning of the athlete and good training habits/technique as well as sports-specific skills.
www.STOPSportsInjuries.org www.orthoinfo.org www.nata.org www.sportsmed.org www.SAFEKids.org