Apophyseal injuries in sports

Abstract

The number of adolescents and children in elite and high-intensity mass sports is increasing, with respect to industrial nations. High-intensity training can cause overload due to the increased traction effect, particularly on tendon and muscle insertion sites. Apophyses are the center for ossification in tendon and muscle insertions and are therefore particularly vulnerable in youths to overload-related pathologies. Core measures in the prevention are a systematic planning of training and the avoidance of mechanical overstraining in the growth period. An exact imaging enables the diagnosis of apophyseal structural damage at an early stage, which in this phase can be healed by a pause in training and conservative measures.