[High performance gymnasts during the period of growth]

Twenty-two high-performance gymnasts between 12 and 22 years of age were examined for possible vertebral column damage following three years of training in a federal sports center. Half of the gymnasts complained of generalized back pain. Three gymnasts presented with kyphosis, five with a flat back, three with hyperlordosis, and six with an abnormal position of the lumbar spine. Normal X-rays were obtained from four athletes, although seven presented with marked Scheuermann's disease. In three cases, differential diagnosis was necessary between spondylitic deformation with vertebral rim disarticulation and persisting apophysis. Despite the radiologically pathological findings, the gymnasts were mainly asymptomatic. This could be due to the hypertrophied dorsispinal and abdominal musculature which compensates for the pathological osseous structure. There is an urgent need for critical medical consultation in high-performance gymnastics involving children and youth.