Hand and wrist injuries in young athletes.

Successful treatments of musculoskeletal injuries in the pediatric population demand a thorough understanding of the basic anatomy and its biomechanics, and the physiology of growth and development of the immature skeleton. In addition, good treatment outcomes rely on the treating physician being an effective teacher to the young athlete and the patient's parents, coaches, and trainers. At the same time, the physician must be a good student in learning the nature of the patient's sports and each patient's athletic ability and aspirations. Most pediatric hand and wrist injuries can be treated nonoperatively with proper immobilization techniques and activity modification, but cases requiring surgical intervention must be recognized promptly to avoid long-term complications.