Symposium on Common Orthopedic Problems

Sports Medicine James G. Garrick, M.D.*

There are few "orthopedic diseases" that prompt more physician visits than the problems resulting from sport and recreational activities. Rather than being the exclusive domain of high school boys, organized athletics are now available to boys and girls of almost any age, thus the potential patient population is a large one indeed. If nothing else, merely certifying these children as fit for athletic participation is a monumental medical undertaking to say nothing of supervising the maintenance of that level of fitness. Although few athletic injuries are truly emergencies, nearly every one is accompanied by a sense of urgency by the child, parent, and coach. None of these individuals is the least bit reluctant to inform the physician that the decisions regarding the particular injury will probably influence the child's well-being, the team's success, the likelihood of someone receiving a college scholarship, and so on. Often this places the physician in an anxiety-surrounded situation to which he is unaccustomed. Too often the physician overreacts to the plight of the injured athlete. If the physician is unsure of the diagnosis or the demands of the sport, overtreatment may result and the athlete needlessly may miss a season of play. On the other hand, expedient treatment may be given by a physician'unaware of the long-term problems resulting from the injury or, perhaps, too willing to accede to the demands of the youthful competitor wishing to return to play. More familiarity with the demands of various sports and the resulting injuries will enable the physician to make decisions truly in the long-term best interests of the patient.

Evaluating the Risks A sport requires a certain amount of organization before its safety characteristics can be examined. Most competitive sports have some semblance of organization - if nothing else someone has to schedule matches and keep score-and thus can be studied. Other individual noncompetitive sports, such as hunting, fishing, scuba diving, water

*Associate

Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington

Pediatric Clinics of North America- Vol. 24, No.4, November 1977

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Sports medicine.

Symposium on Common Orthopedic Problems Sports Medicine James G. Garrick, M.D.* There are few "orthopedic diseases" that prompt more physician visit...
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