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Preventing Youth Sports Injuries

Orthopedic Specialists Blog Preventing Youth Sports Injuries

Whether spring training, summer athletic camp or in-season, organized sports offer a healthy outlet for young people’s energy and a way to hone lifelong interpersonal skills; but youth athletics comes with risks: one-third of all injuries incurred in childhood are sports-related. Sports injuries account for one in five injury-related emergency room visits for kids 6 through 19, according to the Youth Sports Safety Alliance. Our sports medicine experts in Palm Harbor can treat youth sports injuries.

What are the Most Common Youth Sports Injuries?

For the 30 million children and teenagers who participate in team sports, sprains and strains are the most common injuries. A wide-ranging study presented at the 2021 Youth Sports Safety Summit revealed the top youth sports injuries as an ankle sprain and strain (10.8%), hip and groin sprain/strain (7.4%), distal thigh sprain/strain (3.6%), and knee pain (3.2%). They are primarily caused by collisions, falls, and overuse of muscle groups.

In addition, kids involved in fast-moving contact sports, or whose sport requires repetitive training, can injure growth plates. This tissue, located at the ends of long bones like the femur (thigh bone), is responsible for bone growth in children and teens. Because it is weaker than bone, it is vulnerable to injury from blows, falls, or torsion. Untreated injury to a growth plate can result in permanent damage. Fortunately, this type of injury is preventable through proper precautions.

Which Youth Sports Have the Most Injuries?

The study analyzed more than 16,000 injuries among high school and college athletes. It showed that the most injuries occurred in: 

Gymnastics and lacrosse account for fewer injuries but longer durations of care.

The lure of scholarships and a sense of competition can lead to Little League elbow and a host of other injuries caused by the overuse of specific joints. Kids who play through pain and fail to train properly have 2 to 3 times greater risk of re-injury compared with those without a previous injury. It is important for parents and coaches to ensure that young athletes get proper conditioning and rest, wear recommended, properly fitted protective gear, and rest.

Orthopedic Specialists has sports medicine physicians on staff who have extensive training in youth athletics, even serving as team doctors for several area schools. Schedule an evaluation if you are concerned about your child’s bone and joint health.

Author
Marie Eide Marie Eide is the social media and content strategist at Orthopedic Specialists. She has been writing in the healthcare space for 15 years. All content is reviewed by our physicians.

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