Major Knee Injuries Soar for Child Athletes

Increasingly arduous world of kid sports taking toll

By Mary Papenfuss, Newser Staff

Posted Feb 18, 2008 7:07 AM CST

(Newser) – The number of serious knee injuries that doctors once saw only in adults is skyrocketing among children as kid sports become increasingly demanding, reports the New York Times. Injuries such as a torn ACL—the major ligament that stabilizes the knee—require surgery that poses particular risks to children who are still growing, according to experts. As many as eight times as many girls suffer ACL tears than boys, physicians report.

A key factor is the increasingly competitive world of kid sports and its long hours of rigorous workouts and games. Top child athletes play year-round on multiple teams with frequent games. “The kids are playing at really highly competitive levels at earlier and earlier ages,” said one doctor. Surgery to repair problems like a torn ACL can affect the way a limb develops—and could raise the risk of arthritis, say doctors.

Just call me Gimpy ((c) Dave 'Coconuts' Kleinschmidt)

knee4 ((c) goldberg)

knee2 ((c) goldberg)

IMG_1388 ((c) bradleypjohnson)

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It's injected into injured area, then massaged

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OTHER STORIES ON OUR RADAR

sports • children • soccer • sports injuries • torn ACL • knee • knee injury • ligament

MOST POPULAR STORIES

[ By Views ]

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More Newser Stories

Real Madrid Signs Argentine Ace, 7

Spanish club beats rivals to prodigy

Meet Nelly, the New Soccer Oracle

Sad trumpet: Yanks will lose Women's Cup Finals

ESPN to Launch 3D Station

Channel will broadcast live games beginning in June

Soccer Stars' Fave New Cure: Horse Placenta Massage

It's injected into injured area, then massaged

Running May Be Good for Knees

Runners' 'motion groove' can prevents arthritis in old age

About Us

Site

Newser By Users

Community

Site Maps

Tools

More News

What is Newser?