Overuse injuries to tendons and apophyses in children and adolescents

Overuse injuries to tendons and apophyses are being seen with increasing frequency in children and adolescents as they increase their participation in organized sports, fitness, and dance activities. A retrospective review of 724 overuse tendon and apophyseal injuries seen in the Sports Medicine Clinic at the Boston Children's Hospital suggested that growth and maturation constitute additional risk factors for injury occurrence. Diagnosis and treatment of these injuries is discussed in the context of sports participation.