Clinics in sports medicine
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Hip and pelvic injuries are relatively rare in the young athlete. Contusions and musculotendinous sprains are the most common injuries about the hip and pelvis. Apophyseal avulsion fractures and stress fractures are the most frequently encountered skeletal injuries. ⋯ Pelvic fractures have frequent associated genitourinary, abdominal, neurologic, and musculoskeletal injuries. Pathologic fractures are most commonly secondary to benign lesions, such as unicameral bone cysts, and less likely owing to malignancy. Finally, in children with hip pain during athletic activities, even with antecedent trauma, the sports clinician must screen for slipped capital femoral epiphysis, Perthes' disease, congenital subluxation of the hip, toxic synovitis, systemic neoplasia, or infectious process.
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Traumatic injuries are a major cause of hand and wrist pain in athletes. Wrist injuries include fractures, dislocations, and instability patterns. Hand injuries include tendon injuries, ligamentous injuries, and fractures. In this article we have presented the radiographic appearance of the more common of these injuries.
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Abdominal pain in an athlete may be due to an intra-abdominal injury or abdominal disease unrelated to athletics; both are uncommon. Because such processes may be life-threatening, awareness of their typical patterns is imperative for all involved in sports medicine. Evaluation of an athlete with abdominal pain is thus directed at deciding if the athlete has significant abdominal disease, and then using appropriate diagnostic methods to determine the specific process.
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Arthroscopic meniscal repair is a promising new technique for treating peripheral meniscal tears. With proper attention to surgical technique, the repair can be safely performed by any surgeon with moderate arthroscopic skills. ⋯ When an associated ACL tear is present, ligamentous reconstruction is also recommended. Although we currently limit our repairs to peripheral tears, newer techniques may expand indications for this procedure.
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Providing adequate protection is a very important component of proper treatment of athletic injuries of the upper extremity. This article reviews the anatomic considerations involved in fabricating splints for various joints of the hand and wrist that will allow the athlete to compete as early as possible while preventing reinjury or permanent disability.