Two medical experts warned Wednesday at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) of increasing injuries among young athletes as a result of overuse and overtraining.
Thomas M. DeBerardino, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine for the University of Connecticut Huskies and Associate Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Connecticut Health Center, led a session on what he labeled an "epidemic" of adolescent sport-related injuries. “More adolescents are participating in year-round sports without seasonal breaks, or they are playing on multiple teams simultaneously,” he says. “This increased exposure means there will continue to be growing numbers of significant musculoskeletal injuries, both traumatic and chronic overuse.”
A second presentation, dealing primarily with young gymnasts, was called “Pediatric Sports Medicine Operative Challenges and Solutions: A Case Based Approach.” It was led by Dr. Theodore J. Ganley, M.D., Director of Sports Medicine, The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, The University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Dr. Ganley stressed that year-round gymnastic training and repetitive weight-bearing routines are resulting in osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) injuries, which is "a softening of the bone underneath the cartilage that can lead to cartilage breaks and pain."
“While patients requiring surgery for OCD injuries can benefit from arthroscopic surgery, understanding the warning signs can help prevent athletes from presenting with more extensive lesions," said Dr. Ganley.
Read the press release for more information on these sessions and the AAOS Annual Meeting.
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