MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN ATHLETS OF 10 TO 14 YEARS OF FOUR DISCIPLINES

Abstract

Introduction: participation in competitive sports and specialization can predispose to sports injuries from childhood and adolescence. Sports injuries in the pediatric population have individual, social and economic repercussions. The frequency and type of pathologies and their approaches are essential to implement therapeutic and preventive measures. Objective: to describe and compare the main musculoskeletal injuries, and its diagnosis and treatment in pediatrics. Material and method: a descriptive, comparative and retrospective analysis was performed in patients aged between 10 and 14 years old and from football, basketball, athletics or gymnastics sport clubs. Sociodemographic characteristics, previous injuries and treatments applied were analyzed through a self-administered questionnaire. Results: a total of 144 subjects participated (74 males and 70 females) with a mean age of 11.3 ± 1.2 years; 18.1% practiced athletics, 35.4% basketball, 20.1% soccer and 26.4% gymnastics. Up to 43.7 % had presented an injury since the beginning of sports practice. The most frequent region of injury was the foot (39.7 %, n = 25) and of the ligament type (44.4 %, n = 28). No differences were found between disciplines regarding pathology. The most frequent diagnosis was radiological and conservative physiotherapy treatment. Up to 60.3 % of the injured received prevention guidelines. And the group that received the most prevention was athletics. Conclusion: the results of this study showed that the 43.7 % of the athletes aged between 10 to 14 years old have some injury from the beginning in their sports practice, mainly of the ligament type and in the lower limb.