Recent advancements in sports injuries management

Introduction to sports injuries

There are athletes for various kinds of sports at all ages and playing at all levels and thus a growing demand for professional coaches and other health care professionals on whom the sports persons can rely upon. Over training, overdoing or not having proper knowledge to handle your own body during sports can result in sports injuries. Sports injuries can also be caused due to any fall, sudden twisting or hit by a fellow player. Hence it is important to train the athlete in such a way that his body is well prepared to tackle stress during the sports event.

What can be the common sports injuries?

Common injuries are ligament and tendon sprains, fractures including simple or complex fractures like vertebrae, knee injuries, compartment syndrome, Achilles tendon injuries and shoulder dislocations.

Who is at risk?

Young athletes: 

Playing sports in a well disciplined manner brings fitness and self esteem to children as well as adolescents. But playing beyond one’s capacity and doing it just to make pace with co players is certainly not good. Young children have weak growth plates at the bone ends; hence they are more likely to fracture a bone instead spraining a ligament or tendon.

Adult athletes:

Quickly moving to an active state from a relatively inactive lifestyle makes an adult more susceptible for sports injury. Moreover, the adults become less agile and resilient after some time as compared to young athletes.

Women:

Female triad of curtailed menstruation, inadequate eating and weak bones is prime cause of more sports injuries occurring to them. Structural differences of body and aggressiveness of a particular sport puts females more at risk.

New advancements

 a)      Arthroscopy

Arthroscopic surgery is one of the most essential tools of orthopedic doctors in diagnosis of sports injuries by inserting a small catheter inside the joint. The identified lesion is commonly ACL tear, torn meniscus, or a ligament rupture which does not heal if left untreated. 

Additional tiny incisions are made and the torn tissue is repaired. This does not require long hospitalization and gives less trauma, swelling or scars to patient.

  

b)      Tissue engineering

This is performed by orthopedic surgeons to repair the cartilage damage during any sports injury. The cartilage doesn’t have healing mechanism of its own and thus need immediate repair in order to not damage the bone ends.

With this procedure, the patient’s own healthy cartilage is transplanted and healing is promoted.

  

c)       Targeted pain relief

Targeted pain relief is given to patients experiencing excess but bearable pain after indulging into a specific sports activity. The medicated patches are put directly over the site of pain instead of taking strong pain killers. This doesn’t make the individual feel drowsy and less energized.

How to prevent sports injuries if you are at risk?

Not twisting knees over flat feet, landing on knees when jumping and conditioning the body by warming up are good ways to not encounter a sports injury.