[Athletic injuries]

The increase in leisure-sports has not only brought an escalation in the number of sports-related injuries presenting to orthopaedists, but has also aroused interest for diagnosis and treatment of these injuries in sports-oriented and -interested physicians. The primary treatment in the sports arena remains simple: rest, ice, compression, elevation. The introduction of innovative imaging techniques beside conventional clinical and radiological examinations has facilitated differentiated diagnosis and has led to changes in the treatment of sports-related injuries. While a conservative approach has become established for the treatment of isolated injuries to the collateral ligaments in the knee, ligament ruptures of the ankle and also for certain injuries of the acromioclavicular joint, the complex tears of ligaments in the knee as well as ruptures of the Achilles tendon remain a domain of surgical treatment. Diagnostic and operative arthroscopy has replaced open surgery in the treatment of knee and shoulder trauma to hasten the restitution of proprioception, muscle power and rehabilitation especially in athletes. Some points relevant to the occurrence of sports accidents should be observed for the prevention of these injuries.