Understanding Sports Injuries

Sport Injuries

• A sports injury is defined as damage to the body's tissues resulting from any form of physical activity, including sports or exercise.
• Sports injuries affect the musculoskeletal system, including muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, and other tissues. These structures provide the body with stability and enable movement.

Acute Injuries and Overuse Injuries

• Sport injuries are categorized into acute injuries and overuse injuries.
• This classification depends on the injury mechanism and the onset of symptoms.
• Acute injuries occur suddenly with a clear cause or onset.
• They are frequently seen in sports with high speeds and a risk of falling (like downhill skiing).
• Acute injuries are also common in team sports with high contact (such as hockey and soccer).
• Overuse injuries develop gradually.

Overuse Injuries

• Overuse injuries are common in aerobic activities like long-distance running, bicycling, or cross-country skiing.
• These injuries occur in sports with repeated movements, such as tennis, weightlifting, or high jumping.
• The repetitive low-grade forces over time in these sports lead to microtrauma, resulting in overuse injuries.
• Pain and tissue injury can develop over time before noticeable symptoms appear.
• Often, the tissue heals without obvious symptoms, but repeated overuse can exceed the tissue's repair ability, potentially resulting in an injury.

Causes of Sport Injuries

• The body adapts to specific physical training loads.
• Loading that exceeds the body's adaptation causes tissue to try to adapt to the new load.
• Excessive training load can lead to injuries (too much, too often, too quickly, and with too little rest).
• Increased training duration, intensity, and frequency can also contribute to overuse injuries.
• These often occur simultaneously, like at the start of a season or during training camps.
• Immobilization weakens tissue properties, while exercise strengthens it.

Various Types of Injuries

• Sports injuries are classified as soft-tissue or skeletal.
• Soft-tissue injuries include cartilage, muscle, tendon, and ligament injuries.
• Skeletal injuries include fractures.

Bone Injuries

• Several types of bone injuries exist.
• The three most common bone injuries are acute fractures (from sudden force), stress fractures, and bone contusions.

Acute Fractures

• Common in high-impact sports or when there is direct force to an extremity.
• Caused by sudden bending, twisting, or compression.

Types of Fractures

• Simple/Nondisplaced Fractures:
  • The bone fragments are aligned.
  • Often referred to as hairline fractures.
• Displaced Fractures:
  • Bone fragments are separated.
• Impacted Fractures:
  • One part of the broken bone is driven into another, potentially shortening the bone.
• Compound/Open Fractures:
  • The bone breaks through the skin, potentially with accompanying skin injuries.

Fracture Dislocations

• Severe injuries involving both a break in a bone and damage to ligaments and muscles.
• This results in displaced joints and gross abnormalities in the joint, requiring concern about a fracture.

Bone Contusion

• A bone bruise resulting from direct trauma to a bone without a fracture.
• Typically includes inflammation, a hematoma (bruise), and pain.