Overuse Injuries in Children and Adolescents

Danas je velik broj djece i adolescenata uključen u organizirani šport te se u skladu s time bilježi porast broja ozljeda i sindroma prenaprezanja sustava za kretanje. Djeca nisu "mali ljudi" i imaju jedinstvenu sposobnost rasta te se razlikuju od odraslih prema strukturama koje omogućavaju rast i razvoj, a to su ploče rasta, epifize i apofize i na tim osjetljivim hrskavičnim strukturama najčešće se pojavljuju sindromi prenaprezanja. Sposobnost djece da podnose dugotrajna opterećenja manja je nego u odraslih. U doba rasta pojavljuje se grupa razvojnih bolesti, kao npr. juvenilne osteohondroze, koje mogu biti izazvane prenaprezanjem. Dijagnostika i liječenje sindroma prenaprezanja u djece i adolescenata športaša isti su kao u odraslih. Važna je primarna i sekundarna prevencija sindroma prenaprezanja prilagodbom treninga osobitostima dječje dobi, provođenjem vježbi istezanja te rano prepoznavanje prvih simptoma sindroma prenaprezanja.More and more children participate in sports competitions. The main difference between children and adults is that the former still grow and develop. An immature musculosceletal system is less able to cope with repetitive biomehanical stress. Sites of overuse injury are the sites of rapid growth: epiphysis, apophysis, and growth plates. Overuse injuries in children most commonly affect the cartilage where it meets with the tendons (nonarticular chondrosis), cartilage and bone at the joints surfaces (primary and secondary osteochondrosis), or the bone and its physis (stress fractures). The most characteristic overuse injuries in children are physeal stress fracture and osteochondrosis. The basic diagnostic and treatment principles in children greatly correspond to those in adults. The prevention of overuse injuries in children is very important. To minimise the injuries, children should be encouraged to limit the length of exercise, use high-quality equipment properly, cross train, and participate in conditioning programs to develop strength and flexibility