Pediatric sports injuries

What are pediatric sports injuries?

Pediatric sports and activity-related injuries are injuries that happen to children, teens and young adults during sports events, practices and general play and exercise. They most often affect bones, growth plates, joints, muscles, tendons (strong bands of tissue that connect muscles to bones), ligaments (tissue that connects bones together) and other soft tissues.

Sports injuries can also occur in the head and neck. Blows and bumps there can cause concussion, a type of traumatic brain injury. Our dedicated concussion team provides expert evaluation and personalized treatment to safely guide athletes back to play.

What are the different types of pediatric sports injuries?

Health care professionals divide sports injuries into two major categories: Acute and chronic.

Acute sports injuries happen suddenly, such as with a fall, a forceful blow or a collision. Examples of acute pediatric sports injuries include fractures, concussions, growth plate injuries, sprains and strains.

Chronic sports injuries develop over time because of overuse (repeated movements) that cause stress in muscles, soft tissues, bones and growth plates. Some types of chronic pediatric sports injuries include growth plate inflammation (apophysitis), fractures, tendinitis and some types of strains.

Some of the most common types of sports injuries in children and teens are:

Bone fractures (broken bones)

Bone fractures are breaks that go through part or all of a bone. They can be minor breaks that need only a splint, or complex fractures that need surgery for proper healing.

Concussions

A concussion is a mild traumatic brain injury that affects how well the brain works. Concussions can cause a wide range of symptoms in children, including thinking, physical, emotional and sleep-related symptoms.

Growth plate injuries

Growth plate injuries are injuries in the layer of cartilage that grows at the ends of a child’s bones. Cartilage is tough, rubbery tissue that gradually hardens into bone tissue as children grow up. Most growth plate injuries are fractures.

Growth plate apophysitis

Apophysitis is inflammation in growth plates. As one of the most common overuse injuries in young athletes, apophysitis often results from repeated running, jumping and throwing.

Strains and sprains

A strain is a stretched or torn muscle or tendon, and a sprain is a stretched or torn ligament. Both strains and sprains can range from mild (overstretched tissue) to severe (completely torn tissue).

Stress fractures

A stress fracture is a small crack in a bone caused by overuse that puts constant pressure on the bone. Stress fractures are different from traumatic fractures, which happen suddenly due to a forceful impact.

Tendinitis

Tendinitis is inflammation in tendons. It results from overuse and causes pain (usually a dull ache), swelling and tenderness.

What are the signs and symptoms of pediatric sports injuries?

The many different types of injuries in sports can cause a wide variety of symptoms. The signs and symptoms in your child will depend on the type of injury, how severe it is and where it occurs in the body.

Signs and symptoms of acute sports injuries

In general, the signs and symptoms of acute sports injuries include:

• Sudden, sharp, severe pain

• Extreme swelling or bruising

• Inability to put weight on a leg, knee, ankle or foot

• Difficulty moving the injured arm, leg, joint or other area

• Extreme weakness of an injured arm, leg or other area

• A bone or joint that looks like it’s out of place

Signs and symptoms of chronic sports injuries

Signs and symptoms of a chronic sports injury (caused by overuse) generally include:

• Pain when your child plays or exercises

• Decreased performance, such as limping or poorly aimed throws or pitches

• Dull ache when they rest

• Swelling, tenderness, stiffness, warmth and redness in the injured area

• Reduced range of motion

Signs and symptoms of a pediatric concussion

The signs and symptoms of concussions can happen right away, or they may develop over several hours or days. The wide range of signs and symptoms with concussions can affect each child differently. Some common signs of a concussion in a child include:

• Headache, dizziness, confusion and difficulty with concentration and memory

• Nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, or trouble with balance or coordination

• Sleep problems that can range from extreme tiredness to trouble falling asleep

How are pediatric sports injuries diagnosed?

At the Children’s Health Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine, our doctors and providers have years of experience in diagnosing and treating all types of sports injuries in young athletes. We begin our thorough evaluation by asking you and your child details about the injury, how it happened and what symptoms they have. We’ll also do a physical exam, with a focus on the injured area.

We usually recommend diagnostic imaging and other tests to help us confirm a diagnosis of a sports injury. Depending on the type of injury and how severe it is, your child may need one or more of these tests:

• X-rays: This imaging test uses high-energy radiation beams to produce images of bones, cartilage and other structures. We use X-rays to check for broken bones, growth plate fractures, stress fractures and many other signs of sports injuries.

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): This test uses radio waves and a powerful magnetic field to produce images of the inside of the body, particularly soft tissues. We often use MRI to evaluate many types of soft tissue injuries and evaluate stress and growth plate fractures.

• Computed tomography (CT) scans: This imaging uses a combination of X-rays and computer technology to produce cross-sectional, 3D images of the inside of the body. CT scans can often provide more detailed images of bones and soft tissues.

• Ultrasound: This test uses sound waves to create images of the inside of the body and is helpful in diagnosing soft tissue injuries, such as sprains, strains and tendinitis. Our primary care sports medicine doctors are trained in bedside diagnostic ultrasound. For your child, the benefits include no radiation exposure and no need to schedule another appointment.

• Neurological exam: If your child has had a head injury and may have a concussion, our team will do this painless series of tests to understand how well your child’s brain is working. A neurological exam evaluates your child’s thinking (cognitive) skills such as attention and memory, visual tracking, sensory skills such as hearing, motor (movement) skills, balance, coordination and reflexes. Read more about our specialized testing for concussions.

What causes pediatric sports injuries?

Sports injuries have a wide variety of causes, which are slightly different for the acute type and the chronic type.

Causes of acute pediatric sports injuries

In general, the cause of an acute sports injury is a forceful blow or impact that’s greater than the body part can handle. Some examples of acute injury causes include:

• Falls

• Collisions with other players, such as a football tackle

• Impacts with sports equipment, such as a hurdle

• Twisting of a joint, such as an ankle or knee

Causes of chronic pediatric sports injuries

Chronic sports injuries develop over time because of overuse, which is repetitive motion in one area of the body. These injuries happen when a muscle, tendon, ligament or bone receives repeated stress and doesn’t get enough rest time to recover. Some examples of overuse that can cause chronic sports injuries include:

• Overhead motions, such as in baseball pitching, swimming and tennis

• Running and jumping, such as in basketball, soccer and track and field events

• Flexing and extending of the lower back, such as in football, gymnastics, ice skating and wrestling

Learn more about common injuries and safety by sport, including tips on injury prevention for a wide range of youth sports.

How are pediatric sports injuries treated?

Treatments for pediatric sports injuries depend on the type of injury and how serious it is. At Children’s Health, our pediatric orthopedic and sports medicine team specializes in advanced treatments for all types of sports injuries. We work closely with your child and you to develop a tailored treatment plan.

• PEACE protocol for the first 3 days: Protection, elevation, avoidance of anti-inflammatory medications (unless recommended by your doctor), compression and education

• LOVE protocol after that: Load, optimism, vascularization and exercise

• Braces and orthotics, including splints, slings and casts, to support and protect broken bones, sprains and other soft tissue injuries

• Use of crutches to take the weight off the lower body while walking

• Orthopedic surgery, when needed, to treat more serious injuries, such as torn ligaments or complex bone fractures

Pediatric concussion management

At Children’s Health, we offer specialized pediatric concussion management with our experienced teams throughout North Texas:

• Pediatric Concussion Program in Dallas and Plano

• Pediatric Sports Concussion Program in Plano, Frisco and Prosper

Rehabilitation programs for pediatric sports injuries

Our rehabilitation services are designed to help athletes return safely to their sports and other activities as they’re completing their treatment. The Andrews Institute brings together all the experts and services an athlete needs to return to play. We offer:

• Sports rehabilitation to build endurance, agility and other sports-specific skills

• Physical therapy to improve strength, flexibility and mobility

• Bridge training via the Sports Performance powered by EXOS program to help athletes get back to activities as they finish physical therapy

• Dance Sports Medicine Program to support the transition back to dance at the end of physical therapy

Learn more about the Andrews Institute’s approach to treating acute sports injuries.