Current Trends in Youth Sports Injuries
Jeff G. Konin, PhD, ATC, PT
Associate Professor & Vice Chair
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Objectives of This Course
1. Identify the epidemiology of injuries sustained by children playing sports
2. Discuss practical injury prevention programs for simple implementation
3. Identify trends in the use of protective youth sports equipment
4. Discuss the impact emergency planning has on reducing catastrophic youth sports injuries
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National Center for Sports Safety
& Safe Kids USA
• Approximately 20 percent of children and adolescents participating in sports activities are injured each year, and one in four injuries is considered serious.
• Children and adolescents who are just beginning a sport or activity are at greater risk for injury.
Epidemiology of Youth Sports Injuries:
Startling Statistics!
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National surveillance for sports injuries among US high school student-athletes, 2003 youth risk behavior survey
Hootman, JAT 2006*
• N = 15,214, in 2003 (athletes = 53.7%)
• High risk dieting behaviors were associated with greater injury rates – fasting, dieting, vomiting
• Also tobacco, alcohol, psychological distress
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Slowly Creeping Up…………..
• 1.5 million injuries a year with BMX bikes
• 2.6 million injuries a year skateboarding
• Over 3 million injuries per year in-line skating
• 65 thousand injuries per year horseback riding
• Nearly 68 thousand kids were treated last year for trampoline injuries
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Who Manages Youth Injuries?
• Parents• Coaches• Friends
• Physicians• Physical Therapists• Athletic Trainers• Physical Educators• Others
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What role does obesity play in today’s youth sport’s injuries?
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Here are some celebrities and athletes that the
government has deemed "overweight": Michael Jordan: 6'6": 216 lbs: 25Bobby Labonte: 5'9": 170 lbs: 25
Karl Malone: 6'9": 259 lbs: 28Yao Ming: 7'6": 310 lbs: 27Brad Pitt: 6'0": 203 lbs: 28
Keanu Reeves: 6'1": 223 lbs: 29Cal Ripken: 6'4": 210 lbs: 27
Nykesha Sales: 6'0": 184 lbs: 25Will Smith: 6'2": 210 lbs: 27
Bruce Willis: 6'0": 200 lbs: 29
Be careful with BMI – people can over or under react!
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Sports Psychology in Children’s Sports
The mind of a child is
highly influenced
by the parent and
coach!
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Abrams, Center for Sports Parenting 2005
“70 percent of kids drop out of sports by age 13, and the main reason is pressure from parents and coaches.”
Bob Bigelow, one of the authors of ``Just Let the Kids Play,'' believes the odds of winning a scholarship are even more remote than many other experts say, estimating that just 1 in 300 high school senior athletes will get a fabled “full ride.''
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Unrealistic expectations of parents
In Northern California today:
> There are about 2,000 club soccer teams> There is a decline in the number of multi-sport athletes as kids specialize in one sport to maximize their scholarship chances.
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• The Northeastern University Center for the Study of Sport in Society found that, of black teens, 66 percent believe they will ultimately play pro ball.
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Behavioral Response Of InjuryThe Injury Itself
• The stressor, loss of self-control
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Behavioral Response to InjuryEmotional Responses
Denial
Anger
Frustration
Bargaining
Depression
Acceptance
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Educate The Athlete…and the parent!
• First – assess parental knowledge in general and current disposition
• Explain facts about the injury• Realistic expectations of recovery• Importance of psychological skills as a
part of the rehabilitation process• Allow athlete to educate you
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Case Study
• How would you counsel a 12 year old child and parents referred to you with OSD and wanting to return to playing basketball?
• Topics might include: learning what the MD told them, their goals, their realisms, their timeline, what they googled, child’s interests, compliance, motivation, past experiences
Protective Equipment:
Rules, benefits, considerations & knowledge
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Purposes of Protective Equipment
1. Dispose & absorb forces2. Limit anatomical movement3. Support joint structures4. Support musculotendinous
structures5. Enhance proprioceptive
feedback6. Secure protective pads
Source: JG Konin et al, in The Athlete’s Shoulder, 2nd Ed, 2009
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Protective Equipment Guide• Does the equipment protect the
area of concern appropriately?• Can the athlete perform the
skills required for his/her sport and position while wearing the device?
• Will the device maintain proper anatomical alignment?
• Is the device potentially hazardous or injurious to other participants?
• Is the device legal by the rules and regulations of the sport?
Source: JG Konin et al, in The Athlete’s Shoulder, 2nd Ed, 2009
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Commotio Cordis: Incidence by Sport
52%
12%
12%
10%
7%4% 2%1%
BaseballSoftballIce HockeyFootballSoccerLacrosseKarateRugby
Blunt trauma during 20mSec window, VFib15% survive commotio cordis events
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Commotio CordisOptimal Management
• Chest protectors, softer balls, etc have all been proposed
• Consensus is be prepared with an AED!
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Mouth Guards• Stock, mouth formed,
and custom-fitted• Required for lacrosse,
ice hockey, football, field hockey
• Recommended for basketball & soccer
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Concussions in Children
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Mechanisms of Injury
• Concussion– Acceleration-deceleration forces result in
shearing forces which distort the vascular and neutral elements of the brain – chemical cascade
• Cumulative effect!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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S & S of Concussion
Physical Symptoms
Headache
Vision difficulty
Nausea
Dizziness
Balance Difficulties
Light sensitivity
Fatigue
Emotionality Symptoms
Irritability
Sadness
Nervousness
Sleep disturbances
Cognitive
Memory loss
Attention disorder
Reasoning difficulty
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Post-concussion Syndrome(PCS)
• Vary in symptoms & length of presence
• Always have medical professional assess and determine safety for clearance
• Do not go by athlete comments alone
• Beware of physician shopping
Various Scales Used to Grade Concussions
Grade 1 (mild) Transient symptoms; no LOC; symptoms and mental status abnormalities resolve within minutes
Grade 2 (moderate)
Transient symptoms; no LOC; symptoms and mental status abnormalities last longer than minutes
Grade 3 (severe) Any LOC
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Source: JAT 2004 Position Statement
People working with younger (pediatric) athletes should be aware that recovery may take longer than in older athletes. Additionally, these younger athletes are maturing at a relatively fast rate and will likely require more frequent updates of baseline measures compared with older athletes.
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Because damage to the maturing brain of a young athlete can be catastrophic (ie, almost all reported cases of second-impact syndrome are in young athletes), athletes under age 18 years should be managed more conservatively, using stricter RTP guidelines than those used to manage concussion in the more mature athlete.
Source: JAT 2004 Position Statement
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F/U Guidelines• Avoid meds – only acetaminophen from MD • Avoid ingesting alcohol, illicit drugs, or other substances• Instructed to rest, but complete bed rest is not
recommended• Eat a well-balanced diet that is nutritious in both quality
and quantity• An athlete should be awakened during the night to check
on deteriorating signs and symptoms only if he or she experienced LOC, had prolonged periods of amnesia, or was still experiencing significant symptoms at bedtime
Source: JAT 2004 Position Statement
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Recovery patterns of athletes reporting posttraumatic headache following sports-related concussion
Register et al, JAT 2006*
• Prospective randomized experimental study• 375 concussed high school and collegiate athletes average
age 16.65 +/- 1.87• Self-reported graded symptom checklist (GSC)• Days 1,3, & 7 post injury data collection• Conclusion: young athletes reporting PTH following a
concussion endorse a higher number of symptoms and demonstrate decreases in neurocognitive performance when compared to those not reporting PTH
• Thus, headache is a sign of incomplete recovery
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Concussion Gender Differences in YouthDivine et al 2007 MSSE*
• Female athletes have higher severity o symptoms and longer recovery rates
• This was only seen when comparing non-helmeted athletes
• Unsure of reasons why
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Concussion Management
What would you say is the most practical and affordable method of decision-making following a concussion for those settings without large budgets and personnel resources?
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Younger Athletes Slower to Recover from Concussions, Studies Showposted 02/02/09 5:45 pm ROCKVILLE, Md. - Every year more than 300,000 people report getting concussions from sports. But experts say millions more likely go undiagnosed. And while we see professional athletes like Super Bowl quarterback Ben Roethlisberger bounce back, for kids and teenagers it can be a long road to recovery.
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Rotator Cuff and Periscapular Muscle Strength in Adolescent Male Baseball Players
Kelp-Lenane et al. JOSPT 2008*
• Assessed strength relationship for 55 11-15 y/o male baseball pitchers – Tanner 2 or 3, pitching for 2 years, no pain
• PS muscles were significantly weaker than RC muscles in dominant and non-dominant of all subjects
• Strength differences do not appear to be a result of pitching – are we doing the right thing in rehab?
Rotator Cuff and Periscapular Muscle Strength in Adolescent Male Baseball PlayersKelp-Lenane et al. JOSPT 2008*
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Shoulder Injuries
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AC Joint Sprain
• Downward force on the acromion process
• Must be strong enough to displace AC ligament
• With excessive force, can eventually displace CC ligaments (Conoid & Trapezoid)
• Debate as to the exact grading criteria, not important – functional limitations are!
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Acromioclavicular Joint Disorder
• X-rays to determine grade
• G I-II sling, pain relief 5-7 days
• G III non-op unless cosmetic concerns
-Weightlifters
-Bathing suit appearance
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Rationale:
• Acute comfort
• Surrounding awareness
•Theoretically approximates a joint that will not heal on its own – therefore it provides comfort with partial tears
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Clinical Pathway for AC Sprain
• Control pain, usually minimal inflammation• Avoid distraction activity• Progress with functional exercises as tolerated• Expect pain for a long time!• Resultant instability not common regardless of
profession/career/sport
Bottom Line: Let pain & function dictate:
don’t “over treat” or “over advise”
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Will shoulder braces work? Functional?
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Elbow Injuries
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Little League Elbow
• Medial epicondylitis and adolescents– 8-10 y/o ~ bone weakest
component– 15-18 y/o ~
muscle/tendon/tissue weakest component
– Mid 20s and up ~ muscle and/or ligament weakest component
• Age tells you what structure is involved
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What is your comfort level in advising with respect to preventing throwing injuries for little league
baseball pitchers?
9-10 years 11-12 years 13-14 years
Pitches per game
50 75 75
Pitches per week
75 100 125
Pitches per season
1000 1000 1000
Pitches per year
2000 3000 3000
Proof??????????
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Preventing Injuries in Throwers with the Core and Hips
LE Flexibility (Used as part of an overall warm-up)Ipsilateral hip extension
Hip IR/ER (Lack of IR will force truck to open early and increase stress on medialElbow and /or anterior shoulder)
Core Training for Throwers Abdominal Bracing /Drawing in maneuver
Prone Cobra ProgressionLE Balance/Proprioception*
Standing Pulls - ant/post/lat pull (Weak gluts cause the hip to drop leading to drop of shoulder)LE Functional Strength Training**
Wind-Up/Lunge with twist Lunge with twist
Step-Ups with twist*Functional exercise that is multiplanar, incorporates the lumbo-pelvic-hip core
complex and can be challenged with proprioceptive input from unstable surfaces,eyes closed, etc
** Lunge strength will help deceleration injuries to the shoulder
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Deficits in measurable active & passive hip extension, active hip flexion with pain (Kouvalchouk Rev Chir Orthop 1998)
Serape EffectKonin et al ATT 2003
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Epicondylitis Considerations
Strings too loose Grip too large Poor technique
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Wrist Ligament Sprains
“It is only a sprain”
Avoid Grip Strength Activity!
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Jersey Finger
Pulling against fixed object
Lifting with tips of finger
Laceration
Crush Injury
Amputation
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Mallet Finger* Usually a result of
blunt trauma
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Muscle StrainsQuadriceps & Hamstring Update
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Treatment of Hamstring Strains
• THE RISK FACTORS: Muscle weakness, decrease muscle flexibility, lack of proper warm-up, fatigue, improper flexor/extensor strength ratio, increasing age, menstrual disturbances, previous injury
• Can we prevent ALL of these?
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To Stretch Or Not To Stretch
• Systematic search - 293 articles, of which 14 used a control group.
• Five suggested prevention, six suggested no difference but three suggested increased injury. The positive studies had warm-up as a co-intervention.
Shrier I, Shrier I, Clin J Sports MedClin J Sports Med 1999, 1999, EBSMEBSM 2002 2002
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Wenos & KoninJ Strength Cond Res. 2004
• Controlled warm-up intensity enhances hip range of motion.
• In a field setting, it is estimated that a warm-up of 70% of HRR would duplicate the muscle readiness equivalent to an RER of 1.00 before PNF stretching.
• Equivalent to 4 minutes of a light aerobic activity
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The Impact of Stretching on Sports Injury
• Stretching before or after exercise is not associated with a reduction in total injuries
• Produces small, statistically non-significant reductions in muscle soreness
• 5th day post injury tendon exhibits weakest tensile strength (right about the time one starts to “feel better”), then progressively gets stronger each day
Thacker et al, Med Sci Sports Exer 2004, Herbert & Gabriel, BMJ 2002
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The Child’s Knee
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Ligament Injuries - ACL 200,000 new ACL injuries
per year• History
– Majority are non-contact injury with knee in extension (70%)
– Hemarthrosis within a few hours
– Audible pop in 50%
– More common in females - risk is at least 5X higher among women than men and the gender difference is even higher at the elite levels
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84OUUz3u7Lc
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Factors associated with anterior cruciate ligament injury history in female athletes
• Increased generalized laxity • Decreased ITB flexibility • Previous ankle injury• Menstrual cycle changes• A decreased protective role of dynamic knee stabilizers (quadriceps and
hamstrings)• A diminished ability to resist anterior shear with muscle contraction.• A smaller ACL than men• A narrower intercondylar notch than men• Wider Q-angle• Wider hips/pelvis• Increased foot pronation
Kramer et al JAT 2006, Lie et al 1997, Smith et al 1993
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Neuromuscular Training May Assist in Preventing ACL Injuries
• 3/6 studies reduced ACL injury in females• Question of consistencies, cost & time of implementation,
compliance issues• Some evidence that proprioceptive and balance exercises
improve outcomes in individuals with ACL-deficient knees• Improvements in joint position sense, muscle strength,
perceived knee joint function, and hop testing were reported post intervention
• No adverse effects with intervention• Too few studies to safely confirm
Hewett et al, AM J Sports Med, 2005 Cooper et al, Res Sports Med 2005, Engebretson and Bahr BJSM 2005, Hammill et al JAT 2006
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ACL Injuries in ChildrenACL deficiency in the skeletally immature has
resulted in a high incidence of secondary meniscal injuries, degenerative joint disease, and symptomatic instability in both sports and daily activities.
Skeletally immature athletes are in fact much less likely to limit their activities and adapt to ACL insufficiency than skeletally mature counterparts.
Graf et al 1992, Mizuta et al 1995, McCarroll et al 1994
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ACL Prevention Programs PEP Program
Dr Mandelbaum et al. Santa Monica aclprevent.com No cost
SportsmetricsTM
Dr. Noyes et al Cincinnati Sports Medicine sportsmetrics.net Fees & certification
The 11 Developed by FIFA F-MARC (Medical Research Centre) fifa.com/aboutfifa/developing/medical/the11/index.html No cost
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ACL Prevention Program• We use PEP (Prevent Injury Enhance Performance)
• Highly specific 15-minute training session that replaces/compliments the traditional warm-up 2-3x weekly
• The Goals of the Program are to:
1) Avoid vulnerable positions2) Increase flexibility 3) Increase strength 4) Include plyometric exercises into the training program5) Increase proprioception though agilities
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What About Knee Braces?
Appear to play a role – may always be in question
Pietrosimone et al JAT 2006, Naiibi & Albright Am J Sports Med 2005, McDevitt et al Am J Sports Med 2004
The “Breaking Point”
5mm
15mm
7mm 12mm
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How Common are Ankle Injuries?
• Most common sports injury
• 85% of ankle injuries are sprains
• 85% of sprains involve lateral ligaments
• 20% - 40% lead to chronic symptoms
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What Do You Need To Know About Ankle Sprains?
• Most common risk is previous ankle sprain
• Supervised rehabilitation with proprioception intervention reduce risks of repeat
• Balance training improves sensorimotor control in athletes with previous injury
• Effect seems to be limited to those with previous injury, where postural control, position sense and postural reflexes are reduced
• Appropriately applied brace or tape does not hinder performance
• Taping or bracing can reduce incidence for recurrence of ankle sprains in athletes with previous ankle problems
• Unclear if high top shoes reduce the risk of injury
Thacker et al, AM J Sports Med 1999, Bahr R. EBSM 2002Bahr R. EBSM 2002
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High Ankle Sprain (SYNDESMOTIC)
• Tib-Fib Sprain (anterior/posterior)• Mechanism of injury is fixation and rotation• Treatment is difficult due to lack of good support
for this area internally & externally
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Managing The High Ankle Sprain
Be patient!Tell the athlete to be patient!Tell the parents to be patient!Tell the coach to be patient!
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Failing to Plan = Planning to Fail
• Emergency Action Planning
• Build from existing templates & models
• Follow nationally and regionally accepted standards of policies & procedures
• Identify key steps – don’t guess– What key components should be included?
– Who are the stake holders?
– What expenses might exist?
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Field Safety• Uneven playing surfaces• Surfaces with greater than normal friction, ie old
hardwood courts• Slippery playing surfaces, fields with puddles• Improper illuminated lighting for night events• Irrigation systems not completely buried• Baseball dugouts without proper protection from hit balls• Fences and that surround fields with protruding parts • Goalposts and other fixed apparatus that are not
properly protected with padding
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