Sports Injuries Health Article

Definition

A sports injury is any bodily damage sustained during participation in competitive or non-competitive athletic activity. Sports injuries can affect bones or soft tissue (i.e., muscles, ligaments, tendons).

Description

Sports injuries are identified as either acute or chronic. Acute sports injuries are characterized by the sudden appearance of symptoms, usually associated with a single traumatic incident. Signs and symptoms of acute sports injuries include pain, swelling, and deformity in the affected area, and in the case of joint injuries, limited ability to move the joint. Common acute sports injuries include sprains and strains, contusions (i.e., serious bruises), joint dislocations, bone fractures, and concussions.

Chronic sports injuries, also called overuse injuries, are identified with more gradual onset and are caused by repetitive light trauma to soft tissue or bone. Typically, pain and swelling worsen during athletic activity but decrease after the activity is stopped. Overuse injuries include tendonitis, bursitis, shin splints, and stress fractures.

The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that, in 1998, there were over one million sports injuries among persons 35–54 years old. Moreover, the number of sports injuries in this age group increased by one-third between 1991 and 1998. The CPSC believes that the rise in injuries is because of increased sports participation among baby boomers.

The CPSC National Electronic Injury Surveillance System also reports that over 3.5 million sports injuries in children younger than age 15 are treated at hospitals and clinics annually. Children are particularly vulnerable to sports injuries because their bones, muscles, and connective tissue have not fully matured, and because they have not yet developed mature neuromuscular coordination.

Causes and symptoms

Acute sports injuries are caused by excessive force applied to bone or soft tissue during sports activity. These injuries are commonly associated with falls and high-speed collisions. Specific signs and symptoms depend on the nature of the impact and the body region affected.

Acute sports injuries

SOFT TISSUE INJURIES. Soft tissue injuries occur typically in the knee, shoulder, and ankle. In the knee, tears of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and of the meniscus (i.e., cartilage in the knee) are common. A twisted knee, a sudden directional change, or a misaligned landing from a jump can cause these knee injuries. With the ACL tear, a "pop" in the knee is frequently felt at the time of the injury. This popping sensation is accompanied by pain and weakness in the knee. A tear of the meniscal cartilage is identified by pain over the area of the meniscus area underneath the edge of the patella, or kneecap), and the pain intensifies if a finger is gently pushed on the edge of the kneecap. The athlete is also often unable to fully extend the knee. With both ACL and meniscus tears, there is swelling several hours after the injury occurs.

In the shoulder, strains of the rotator cuff tendons and dislocation of the shoulder are frequently seen. Tendon strains are associated with overly vigorous throwing movements, and are characterized by the patient complaining of pain if the arm is rotated against resistance. Shoulder dislocations are identified by deformity in the shoulder joint, and pain and lack of mobility in the joint area.

Ankle sprains are the most common injury in sports that require running and jumping. Ankle sprains occur when ligaments in the ankle have been stretched or torn. There is typically swelling and tenderness, and in more serious cases, the athlete is unable to put much weight on the foot of the injured ankle.

SKELETAL INJURIES. Fractures are breaks in the bone due to collisions or falls, and commonly appear in the leg and arm. Symptoms include pain, swelling, and bruising at the site of the fracture. There is also weakness in the limb and an inability to bear weight on the limb. With open fractures, bone fragments protrude through the skin.

BRAIN INJURIES. Brain injuries cause more deaths than any other type of sports injuries. A common brain injury is the concussion, an injury caused by the impact of the brain against the interior surface of the skull. Concussions often follow a blow to the head or a very rapid acceleration of the head. Loss of consciousness is an important symptom in brain injuries. Other signs and symptoms of concussion include headache, vomiting, delayed motor or verbal responses, partial loss of vision, memory loss, lack of coordination, or erratic and inappropriate behavior.