Back pain in young athletes. Significant differences from adults in causes and patterns

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Sports Medicine
• Pediatric Sports Medicine

Background:

• Low back pain is a common complaint in both adolescent athletes and the general adult population.
• The etiology of back pain can differ significantly based on age and activity level.
• Accurate diagnosis is essential for effective management and preventing long-term complications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the causes of low back pain in young athletes versus the general adult population.
• To review diagnostic and assessment strategies for adolescent athletes with back pain.
• To highlight differences that may impact clinical decision-making.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective case comparison study involving 100 adolescent athletes and 100 adult patients with low back pain.
• Cohorts were segregated by age (adolescents 12-18 years, adults 21-77 years) and activity type.
• Data were collected from an adolescent sports medicine clinic and an orthopedic hospital's acute low back pain clinic.

Main Results:

• Adolescent athletes showed a higher prevalence of posterior element derangements, with 47% diagnosed with spondylolysis stress fractures, compared to 5% in adults.
• Discogenic back pain was more common in adults (48%) than adolescents (11%).
• Muscle-tendon strain was more frequent in adults (27%) than adolescents (6%), while spinal stenosis and osteoarthritis were only seen in adults.

Conclusions:

• Significant differences exist in the primary causes of low back pain between young athletes and the general adult population.
• Physicians must recognize these distinct patterns to ensure correct diagnosis and avoid treatment delays in young athletes.
• Specialized understanding of adolescent back pain etiology is vital for pediatric sports medicine.