Athletic Injuries
Paul G. Dyment MD1
1 Chief of Pediatrics, Maine Medical Center, Portland; Professor of Pediatrics, University of Vermont, Burlington
Sports medicine was for many years considered to be the preserve of the orthopedic surgeon, and it consisted primarily of the management of musculoskeletal injuries. With the recognition that primary care physicians can adequately care for more than 80% of athletic soft tissue injuries, there has been a corresponding increase in the number of pediatricians incorporating sports medicine into their practices, and many are actively pursuing further training in this field by attending continuing medical education courses. Many pediatric residencies offer at least an elective experience in sports medicine.
The number of children and adolescents taking part in sports programs in the United States is enormous: 30 million in nonschool-organized athletics and more than 3 million in interscholastic sports. Therefore, it is not surprising that athletic injuries occur frequently in our patients. One study at a health maintenance organization indicated that more than 2% of all visits to that pediatric clinic were for recreational injuries.1 Another study of school-aged children found that each year 6% sustained an athletic injury requiring at least first aid.2 Pediatricians, because of their interest in preventive and behavioral medicine, can not only care for most injuries but, more important, can play a role in the prevention of injuries by becoming team physicians.
