As more and more kids play youth sports, more injuries occur. In fact, injuries that used to just occur in adults now occur in kids as young as 10 years old. ACL injury is a good example.
In the past, orthopedic surgeons recommended that young kids hold off on surgery until they were done growing. We would advise parents to hold their children out of sports for the few years until they went through their growth spurts. Then they had surgery, once the growth plates had closed, to avoid damage to their growth plates that could lead to one leg being longer than the other or having an angle (knock kneed) not present on the opposite side.
In this video, I share my thoughts and some data on why that treatment has largely changed. More and more skeletally immature patients undergo ACL reconstruction each year. What are the challenges and risks of delaying surgery, and what can be done to safely treat these young athletes?
Also read:
Common elbow injuries suffered by young baseball pitchers
Common knee injuries a young athlete can suffer
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