The Adolescent Athlete: A Practical Approach

Good health should be a goal of all children and adolescents, as well as the parents and guardians who care for them. Regular physical activity is part of achieving this goal. Sports can provide manifold benefits, including fitness, motor skill development, teamwork, and of course, fun. As with any pursuit that provides such benefits, however, there are risks involved, p- ticularly for growing athletes. Physicians and other health professionals caring for active children should be able to provide appropriate care and advice for sport and fitness related medical issues. This book is written as a practical guide for those of us who provide care for young athletes. The focus ison musculoskeletal injuries that occur in this unique population, as well as conditions that may present as a musculosk- etal injury, but may have more serious consequences. The first section of the book focuses on rehabilitation and diagnostic imaging of musculoskeletal conditions in adolescents. The secondsection organized according to a- tomical region addresses specificinjuries that adolescents may sustain as a result of sport/activity participation. Each of these body part specific ch- ters begins with a review of the relevant anatomy, followed by details of clinical evaluation. Specific injuries, such as acute and chronic injuries, are described in detail, including the management/treatment of each condition.