This 2007 narrative review covers the full spectrum of lower extremity injuries in skeletally immature athletes — from overuse apophysitides and osteochondritis dissecans to acute ACL tears, tibial eminence fractures, and patellar dislocations — addressing how open physes and rapid growth create injury patterns and treatment considerations fundamentally different from those in adults.
When evaluating a young athlete with knee pain or instability, always assess Tanner stage and physis status before planning ACL reconstruction — the technique (physeal-sparing vs. Transphyseal) hinges on skeletal maturity, not just age.
For any apophyseal pain syndrome around the knee or heel during the adolescent growth spurt, recognize that rapid mass gain outpacing limb lengthening is the underlying driver, and that most of these conditions are self-limited with activity modification, stretching, and strengthening.
This 2007 narrative review covers the full spectrum of lower extremity injuries in skeletally immature athletes — from overuse apophysitides and osteochondritis dissecans to acute ACL tears, tibial eminence fractures, and patellar dislocations — addressing how open physes and rapid growth create injury patterns and treatment considerations fundamentally different from those in adults.
When evaluating a young athlete with knee pain or instability, always assess Tanner stage and physis status before planning ACL reconstruction — the technique (physeal-sparing vs. Transphyseal) hinges on skeletal maturity, not just age.
For any apophyseal pain syndrome around the knee or heel during the adolescent growth spurt, recognize that rapid mass gain outpacing limb lengthening is the underlying driver, and that most of these conditions are self-limited with activity modification, stretching, and strengthening.