Stopping sports injuries in kids: An overview of the last year in publications

Abstract

Purpose of review: Sports participation is common among children and adolescents throughout the United States; along with that participation comes risk of injury, sometimes serious. Over 4 million sports or recreational injuries are sustained by school-age children per year in the USA. This injury prevalence has led to significant interest in prevention strategies. In this review, we examine the last year of publications related to sports injury prevention in the pediatric population. Recent findings: Pediatric and adolescent athletes differ from adults in significant ways that often render them more susceptible to injury. Concussion is a particular problem, as are injuries to the thrower's elbow and injury to the female athlete's knee. Recognition, proper rest, and attention to mechanics may assist in decreasing the incidence and severity of these issues. Summary: Further inquiry into the nature, prevalence, causes, and, in particular, sequelae of pediatric sports injuries is required. In the interim, attention to proper technique, core and neuromuscular conditioning, and helmet use are important preventive measures; avoidance of overtraining and providing adequate rest for recovery are essential for pediatric and adolescent athletes. © 2012 Wolters Kluwer Health | Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.