[Outpatient sports clinic, first impressions].

OBJECTIVE

To review the first year of the outpatient sports clinic in Utrecht University Hospital (AZU), and to demonstrate the feasibility of such a sports clinic.

DESIGN

Retrospective study (period: April 1993-March 1994).

SETTING

University Hospital Utrecht, the Netherlands.

METHODS

The patients attended the sports clinic either on referral or on their own initiative. The specialist directly entered the patients' data onto a registration form.

RESULTS

Over a period of one year 461 consultations where given to 271 patients. The patients' average age was 31 years. The commonest sports were soccer, running and tennis. The lower limb was the commonest site of injury (79%) and overuse injuries predominated. For 57% of the patients therapy was instituted, which consisted in 67% of the cases of physiotherapy and in 13% of operative intervention.

CONCLUSION

The outpatient sports clinic appears to be visited in particular by senior athletes with chronic complaints caused by surmenage injuries or with residual complaints following acute injuries. Future intramural sports medicine will have to deal not only with treatment of injuries as presented at the sports clinic, but also with prevention of chronic complaints resulting from acute injuries in this group of athletes.