[The sports, the child and accidents. III. Long-term sequelae]

Sports-related injuries in children and adolescents are an emergent health problem in our country, because of their incidence and severity. Nevertheless information is lacking on possible long term sequelae. This topic has been studied in 220 out of 1040 6-15 years old children, prospectively registered during 1985 in our hospital because of acute sports injuries. Selection for the follow-up was based on injuries severity, assessed according to the Abbreviated Injury Scale. Subjective and/or objective sequelae have been observed at a clinical control three years after the accident, in 68 out of the 220 controlled children (30.9%). The prevalence of the sequelae was similar in males and females, but quite different according to the age, being higher in children older than 14, the type of sports activity and the site of the injuries, with higher prevalence of those of the ankle and knee rather than of the wrist. Prevention of sports-related injuries and their possible sequelae is well established in Sports Medicine, but not yet fully applied to children. Pediatricians must sensitize the school and sports clubs to the problem.