By Jim Monaghan
Baseball Health Network
Youth sports specialization is on the rise. As a result, the prevalence of pediatric ACL injuries is also increasing. Join Columbia University Sports Medicine on November 13th for Pediatric Sports Injuries: Treating our youth from head to toe to learn about the latest techniques for prevention and treatment of these injuries in our young athletes.
Children are playing sports in record numbers across the United States, and with this increase in participation there has been an alarming rise in the number of sports injuries. Taking optimal care of these injured kids requires extensive knowledge and comfort in techniques that have previously been thought of as only pediatric, or only adult. This webinar reviews and discusses treatment strategies to maximize outcomes and get these developing athletes off the sidelines and back onto the field. Understanding the etiology, diagnosis, surgical, and non-surgical modalities are the key elements of a successful treatment plan. This course will be of interest to Team Physicians, Certified Athletic Trainers, Physical Therapists, Primary Care Sports Medicine Physicians and coaches of all youth levels.
At the conclusion of this activity, participants will be better able to:
- Interpret and differentiate the physiology of pediatric sports injuries to formulate a treatment plan
- Classify and identify different graft options to reconstruct a pediatric ACL injury in order to generate an appropriate recovery plan
- Analyze and recognize the role of Orthobiologics such as PRP in the Developing Athlete
- Understand and implement treatment options for patellar instability in the growing athlete
- Produce a workup and plan for the developing athlete with lower back pain
FACULTY/AGENDA –
Charles A. Popkin, MD
Pediatric ACL Reconstruction: What you need to know in 2018
Elan L. Goldwaser, DO
Concussion in the Developing Mind: Pearls for concussion management in kids under 12
Lauren H. Redler, MD
Patellar Instability in the Developing Athlete
Benjamin D. Roye, MD, MPH
Back Pain in the Developing Athlete: When should you be concerned?
Christopher S. Ahmad, MD
The Tommy John Epidemic in Youth Throwers: How can we stop it?
This course is free to all participants.
Of particular interest to young players, their parents and coaches, the legendary Tommy John, Leo Mazzone, Atlanta Braves pitching coach to three Hall of Famers, and former noted Oakland A’s and Mets pitching coach, Rick Peterson, will speak on pitching and injury avoidance.
Most players and parents are aware of the term “Little Leaguer’s Elbow,” but may not fully understand what it truly is. Little Leaguer’s Elbow was first coined in 1960 to describe an injury caused by the repetitive throwing motions in children. Technically, it’s an inflammation of the growth plate in the part of the bone called the medial epicondyle. The medial epicondyle is the palpable bump or knob on the inside of our elbow. Little Leaguer’s Shoulder is an inflammation of the growth plate of the shoulder called the proximal humeral physis which is in the bone called the humerus. Inflammation causes a widening of the growth plate which causes the pain players feel while throwing. In most cases, only an x-ray is needed to diagnosis Little Leaguer’s Elbow or Shoulder.
To reverse these epidemic trends our goal is to start changing the culture at the youth levels before bad habits develop, similar to how we educate children on the dangers of smoking. In our office, we’re seeing younger and younger players walk through the door at an alarming rate. We hope that by educating younger athletes, they won’t wind up in our office when they’re older.
It was first reported in 1903 by Mayo Robson that the ACL could be surgically repaired and patients could remain hopeful that they’d have a good outcome. Over a century later, surgeons are able to perform 3 different types of surgery to help a patient with an injured ACL: primary repair, repair with augmentation, and reconstruction. Typically, after a reconstruction, athletes return to sport-specific activity around 6 months post-operatively with full participation on the horizon. Complete, unrestricted return to play may take up to a year. After a repair, return-to-play is nearly half that of a reconstruction!
FA: How do you help keep your athletes healthy after they’ve completed their formal physical therapy?
Many overuse injuries happen in adolescent athletes that are still growing. These injuries are fairly common and you may have even heard of a few such as: Little Leaguer’s Shoulder, Little Leaguer’s Elbow, or Jumper’s Knee. Adolescent athletes are not the only population that succumb to overuse injuries. Weekend Warriors, runners, frequent golfers and tennis players also develop overuse injuries. Common overuse injuries in the skeletally mature population include: Tennis Elbow, Golfer’s Elbow, and IT Band Friction Syndrome.
Athletes that have overuse injuries can still participate in sports but may have to stop the sport they got injured playing. If you have Little Leaguer’s Shoulder, it doesn’t mean you have to stop everything for the whole spring or summer, it just means you should take a break from throwing a baseball. Depending on the severity of the condition, some athletes may be allowed to play basketball, soccer, or even swim in a pool. For patients suffering from Golfer’s or Tennis Elbow, a simple adjustment of how you hold a club or a racket may be all it takes to alleviate your symptoms. Any runner with ITB Friction Syndrome may have to take a break from running, but they can still get in the pool or ride a bike. There are plenty of ways to make minor adjustments to exercise routines and still be active while injured!