2.6 million young people injured yearly in sports

By Amy K. Erickson
CNN Medical Production Assistant

(CNN) -- Sports-related injuries send an average of 2.6 million children and young adults to the hospital each year, according to a new study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Researchers found sports-related injury visits to hospital emergency rooms were more frequent for the 5 to 24 age group, and the visit rate was twice as high for males as for females. This doesn't mean that sports are getting more dangerous; there may just be more people participating, researchers said.

The most prominent causes of injury stem from bicycling, basketball, football and baseball, said Catharine Burt, author of the study and chief of the Ambulatory Care Statistics Branch at the National Center for Health Statistics.

With an average of 900,000 emergency room visits per year, injuries associated with cycling and basketball were found to be most frequent. Football and baseball were associated with about 250,000 visits per year. Soccer injuries resulted in about 100,000 visits per year.

Burt and her colleagues examined data from 1997 and 1998, then calculated a yearly average.

Dr. Michael Busch, an orthopedic surgeon and director of sports medicine at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Georgia, says that the most common injuries he sees are relatively minor.

"A lot of them are simple musculoskeletal injuries," Busch said. "Your traditional sprains and fractures."

Such injuries are mostly in the arms and legs, depending on the sport. For example, in twisting sports such as football or basketball, ankle and knee injuries are more prominent. Busch added that he's seeing an increased number of knee injuries in girls who participate in soccer and basketball.

Experts say approximately two-thirds of all sports injuries are preventable.

"So it's like a glass that is two-thirds full. We can be defeated by the one-third of injuries not preventable," he says. "Or energized by the two thirds we can affect."

In the past, medical training emphasized the treatment of the sports injury. Today doctors are highlighting injury prevention.

"The real key is education," says Busch. "We know a lot more about the importance of equipment, diet, and rules related to safety."

It's up to parents, coaches, and kids to take an interest in preventing injuries.

One way for parents to educate themselves about a sport is to meet the coach and attend team practices and games. For activities around the house -- like trampolines, skateboards, and scooters -- parents can emphasize rules, set limits and discuss potential hazards with their children.

"Sports are a great excuse for parents to be involved with their kids, especially teenagers," Busch said. "Get interested in their training, diet, and supervision."

The use of protective equipment is vital to keeping kids safe. Kneepads, elbow pads, and shin guards help to prevent bruises and abrasions. Although wrist guards can't thwart every fracture in the wrist, they do prevent hand abrasions and sprains. Bike helmets are essential for rollerblading, skateboarding, scooters and cycling.

"You should never see a child on a bicycle without a helmet," Busch said. "That's the number one thing. Some of the worst injuries you can get are head injuries."

To help keep serious accidents to a minimum, both Burt and Busch stress education and equipment.

"The take-home message is more on safety. I'm a parent and I tell my kids to be careful when they participate in sports," says Burt. "You don't necessarily stop the incident from happening, but you can reduce the severity of the injury."

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National Center for Health Statistics
Children and Adolescents Sports Safety - SafeUSA (TM)

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