Children are generally active and enthusiastic, and often participate in sports. As GPs, we frequently see minor injuries that occur on the sportsfield. Occasionally we see severe injuries. And then there are some injuries that need to be followed up urgently. In this month’s webinar excerpt, we focus on some sports injuries in children and adolescents that GPs need to be aware of.

This is the second part in the 2 part series on sports injuries. Part 1 dealt with common injuries in adults (you can review the episode here), and now we look at what’s different and important to consider in younger patients. Dr Corey Cunningham recently presented to our first year registrars. Dr Corey Cunningham is a fellow of the Australasian College of Sport and Exercise Medicine Physicians (ACSEP), having completed specialty training in Sport and Exercise Medicine. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and holds a postgraduate Masters in Sports Medicine from the University of NSW. 

Listen in on the webinar below:

The key take home messages for injuries in children and adolescents are:

They are vulnerable to injuries during the phases of peak growth velocity

Growth plate and apophysis injuries are much more common than tendon injuries

GPs should investigate or refer when symptoms do not improve as expected

Below are some useful resources:

  1. Sports Medicine Australia
  2. Children’s Hospital Institute of Sports Medicine
  3. Perth Sports Medicine