A Review of Epidemiology of Paediatric Elbow Injuries in Sports

Clinics in Sports Medicine, 2010

Our youth athletes are now exposed to exceptional performance demands, which has resulted in increased training at young ages. Approximately 35 million children and adolescents participate in sports annually in the United States and more than 2 million kids participate in Little League activities. Among children younger than 15 years, more than 3.5 million are treated for sports-related injuries. In particular, upper extremity and elbow injuries have increased with 20% to 40% of 9-to 12-year-old baseball players and 50% to 70% of adolescent players developing elbow pain annually. 1,2 Clearly, the elbow is vulnerable to injury in the youth athlete who participates in overhead or upper extremity weight-bearing sports such as gymnastics. Although fractures and dislocations commonly occur in collision sports, cartilage, subchondral bone, ligament, and apophyseal injuries occur from low-impact overuse sports. Specific injuries in the growing child are different compared with injuries in adults and this is even more pronounced in the skeletally immature elbow. Evaluation and management of elbow injuries in young athletes requires knowledge of the immature developing anatomy, injury pathophysiology, and established treatment algorithms for each diagnosis. Furthermore, risk factors contributing to elbow injuries must be recognized and prevention programs must be established.

Translational Sports Medicine, 2019

Background In order to create sport-specific preventive measures to enhance healthy sport participation in youth athletes valid data on incidence, prevalence, and aetiology of overuse injuries have to be identified. This systematic review aims to provide an update on incidence, prevalence and risk factors for overuse injuries of the elbow and shoulder in youth athletes participating in overhead sports. Materials and Methods MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched from inception until January 19 th 2018 for studies that reported incidence, prevalence or risk-factors for overuse injuries or pain of the elbow and shoulder in youth overhead athletes. Results In total 36 studies were included. Incidence rates of overuse injuries of the elbow and shoulder were highest in tennis, baseball and softball. Incidence and prevalence of elbow pain in baseball was 12-58% and 17-35% respectively. Incidence of shoulder pain was 8-32% for baseball, 47% for basketball, 63% for handball and 52% for volleyball. Prevalence of shoulder pain was 9-16% for baseball, 41% for basketball, 32-49% for handball and 40% for volleyball. Risk factors for pain were almost exclusively described for youth baseball players and included playing position, throwing technique, and intensity and duration of training. Conclusions Incidence and prevalence of overuse injuries and pain of the elbow and shoulder is high in youth overhead athletes. Interpretation is challenging as different definitions are used to report overuse injuries and pain. Risk factors in youth baseball are largely covered by preventive pitch-count restrictions, knowledge on risk-factors in other overhead sports is currently lacking.

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine

Background: Youth athletes are starting sports earlier and training harder. Intense, year-round demands are encouraging early sports specialization under the perception that it will improve the odds of future elite performance. Unfortunately, there is growing evidence that early specialization is associated with increased risk of injury and burnout. This is especially true of pediatric and adolescent baseball players. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this investigation was to analyze national injury trends of youth baseball players. We hypothesized that while the total number of baseball injuries diagnosed over the past decade would decrease, there would be an increase in adolescent elbow injuries seen nationally. A further hypothesis was that this trend would be significantly greater than other injuries to the upper extremity and major joints. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Injury data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a United State...

Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine, 2018

Purpose of Review With an increasing rate of adolescent elbow injuries, especially in throwing athletes, the purpose of this review is to investigate the current literature regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and non-operative and operative outcomes of medial epicondyle fractures, ulnar collateral ligament repair, osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow, and olecranon stress fractures. Recent Findings Acceptable outcomes with both non-operative and operative treatments of medial epicondyle fractures have been reported, with surgical indications continuing to evolve. Unstable osteochondritis dissecans lesions, especially in patients with closed growth plates, require operative fixation, and emerging open and arthroscopic techniques including lesion debridement, marrow stimulation, autograft transfer, and allograft transplantation are described with good outcomes. Ulnar collateral repair has emerged as an exciting treatment option for an avulsion of either end of the ligament in young throwing athletes, with faster rehabilitation times than traditional ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction. Olecranon stress fractures are increasing in prevalence, and when a non-operative treatment course is unsuccessful, athletes have a high return-to-play rate after percutaneous cannulated screw placement. Summary With proper indications, non-operative and operative treatment modalities are reported with a high return-to-play and acceptable clinical outcomes for common elbow injuries, including medial epicondyle fractures, ulnar collateral ligament repair, osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow, and olecranon stress fractures, in adolescent throwing athletes. Further research is needed to better define treatment algorithms, surgical indications, and outcomes. Keywords Medial epicondyle fracture. Ulnar collateral ligament repair. Elbow osteochondritis dissecans. Olecranon stress fractures. Persistent olecranon physis. Adolescent elbow injuries Medial Epicondyle Fractures This article is part of the Topical Collection on Injuries in Overhead Athletes

International Journal of Recent Surgical and Medical Sciences, 2021

Introduction Elbow fractures are the commonest fractures in the pediatric age group. The aim of this study is to evaluate the epidemiology of fresh and neglected pediatric elbow fractures in a hilly state of India with a limited health care facility. Materials and Methods This was a retrospective observational single-center study conducted between January 2019 and January 2021. Results Supracondylar was the most common fracture in 58.7% of patients followed by lateral condyle and proximal radius fracture. The highest number of fractures were reported in the age group of 5 to 8 years. In addition, 19% of patients presented with associated complications, 8% of patients had combination injuries of the ipsilateral upper limb, 16% of patients presented to the hospital 1 week after the trauma, 48% of patients had the first contact with a bonesetter/native practitioner. Conclusion Supracondylar fracture was the most common elbow fracture followed by lateral condyle. The most common involve...