Sports injuries in children - types

Sports injuries in children are usually common and often occur due to failure to wear the elements necessary to avoid them, such as appropriate sports shoes or the use of pads.

When children play sports, injuries are normal, and even less so if they play them frequently. The various sports injuries in children differ from those in adults, as the locomotors system of children has certain peculiarities that cause serious and less serious injuries.

Sports injuries in children - types

Having a child at home who often plays sports, you should know what types of injuries may occur. Among the most common we can find:

Serious injuries

Among the most common acute injuries are fractures and soft tissue injuries, which are directly related to any kind of impact a child may receive while playing. According to Las Condes Clinical Medical Journal, these are some of the most common acute injuries:

• Rupture of the epicondyle.
• Fracture of the tibia.
• Avulsive pelvic fracture.
• Detachment of the anterior tuberosity of the tibia.
• Detachment of the lower pole of the patella.

Overload injuries

This type of pathology, also called overload trauma, refers to repetitive submaximal loads that, if not treated in time, can damage a child's skeleton. This type of injury has various causes, including:

Mistakes made during training.

• Wrong footwear.
• Pre-existing orthopedic conditions.
• Unsuitable substrate.
• Muscle imbalance.

Research on sports injuries in children

In some sports practiced by children, injuries may occur more frequently. Knowing which sports are at the highest risk of injury is essential for parental alertness.

According to a study by the Medicine and Sciences of Physical Activity and Sports, sports where children are more likely to suffer injuries include the following disciplines:

Football

This is one of the most popular sports in the world for children. Due to the fact that it is a contact sport, various types of injuries are more frequent, mainly to the legs and feet. In addition, injuries can also occur due to poor pitch condition, inappropriate sports shoes or poor ball control.

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According to the data collected in the survey, this sport ranks first on the list of school accidents (41%). In sports statistics, they also include indoor ball as one of the sports that causes the most sports injuries in children at the school stage.

Basketball

Basketball is an extremely popular sport in childhood. The frequency of injuries is also high due to the fact that the proper functioning of the pitch and the movements that must be made during its playing are taken into account. In this case, the most common injuries that may occur are sprained ankles, overstrains, and injuries to the interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints.

According to research, it ranks second among sports that generate more injuries (15%).

Other sports

In the event of volleyball, injuries to the forearms may occur if the ball is not suitable. On the other hand, there are gymnastics and judo, where injuries are usually less frequent. Among the percentages of the survey, we find that gymnastics ranks third with 15%, while other sports are only 9%.

How to prevent sports injuries in children

Preventing injuries while playing sports is often difficult, as many of them are in direct contact and require different movements. Even so, some injuries can occur for other reasons which, with some precautionary measures, can prevent them from happening in children. Among others:

• Proper use of sports equipment. In each sport, you should use the right balls, optimal pitch and body protection.
• Conducting appropriate training.
• Wearing appropriate sports shoes. Selecting the correct sizes and other items as required by the playing field
• It is recommended that your toddler attend a sports school to learn technique and teamwork.
• If a child is injured, he or she must fully recover before starting sports again.

It is inevitable that children play sports, and overall it has many benefits. It is important for parents to be careful and take the necessary steps to ensure that little ones are less likely to be injured.