Athletic injuries in adolescents.

In a survey of adolescent patients treated in the University of Rochester Section of Athletic Medicine, injuries to adolescent athletes comprised 12 per cent of all athletic injuries during an 18-month period. The incidence among boys was much greater than among girls, and injuries to the lower extremity--particularly the knee--were most common. Sprains and strains, fractures, chondromalacia of the patella, contusions, and internal derangements of the knee accounted for 80 per cent of the 161 injuries studied. Participation in athletic events has many positive aspects for the adolescent, but it does carry the risk of injury. It is important for the pediatrician to promptly determine the nature and extent of the injury so that appropriate care can be given and the risk of permanent disability lessened.