[Rehabilitation and return to sports in children].

Abstract

There has been a growing incidence of sports injuries among children and adolescents due to increased participation in sports activities. Overuse injuries commonly seen in this age group may be due to growth characteristics of the immature skeleton. Both the treatment and prevention of these injuries in children and adolescents require a good insight into physiologic characteristics of the immature skeleton, growth-related changes in musculoskeletal structures, and specific injury profiles. The treatment consists of determining the predisposing factors, restoring normal biomechanics, alleviating pain and inflammation, and implementing an active rehabilitation. It should also enable the patients to return to daily living activities and preinjury sport levels, with increased awareness to the possibility of recurrences. A rehabilitation program involving acute, subacute, and late stages, and return to sports should be designed to safely improve motor performance skills, performance, and sport-specific skills.