Common Problems Seen in a Metropolitan Sports Injury Clinic.

In brief: A hospital clinic primarily for recreational athletes was opened in New York City in 1975 and was staffed by orthopedic residents. During 4 1/2 years, 1,280 patients made a total of 2,732 visits to the clipic. Males outnumbered females by more than 2:1, and the average age was 30.2 years. The most frequently injured areas were the knee, ankle, and shoulder. Soft-tissue pathology was involved in 513 instances (53.9%); the rest (46.1%) were of a skeletal nature. Describing these problems may aid health practitioners in planning for the needs of recreational athletes.