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Progression from “Pop” Back to Pitching

Progression from “Pop” Back to Pitching

by | Oct 20, 2023 | Sports Medicine

A young baseball player hears a pop and immediately feels pain in his throwing elbow while playing club baseball. At his first visit to Scottish Rite for Children’s Fracture Clinic, Parker and his family were told that surgery was necessary to reattach a separated piece of bone in his elbow. That was tough news for this young pitcher nearing his 12th birthday.

A Note About Sport-Related Overuse Injuries in the Elbow in Baseball

Though a completely displaced fracture in this area is uncommon, pain and injury on the middle side of the elbow is common in young throwers. There are immense stresses placed on the elbow during throwing.

Many pitchers and others perform many throws during practice, private training and year-round games and tournaments, and the damage continues and worsens. For many young athletes, early recognition and rest can prevent the condition from worsening to the point of an acute injury, like a medial epicondyle avulsion fracture, that needs surgery. Learn more about preventing elbow overuse injuries in young athletes in this article, Injury Prevention Tips for Young Baseball Players and Parents.

“This area of the elbow is weak in young throwing athletes around Parker’s age, he was 11 at the time of this injury,” occupational therapist Savana Ashton says. The area is an epiphysis, a growth center, where the bone fragment is connected to the humerus by cartilage that will become bone when growth is complete. With or without a history of overuse, a sudden and forceful injury causes the muscle tendon attached to the fragment to pull it off the humerus completely, this is called an avulsion fracture. Like Parker, an athlete often describes hearing a “pop” and instantly feeling severe pain with this injury.

Parker was in good hands. Pediatric hand surgeon, Chris Stutz, M.D., performed the ORIF surgery where he used a screw to reattach the piece of bone. The procedure is called an open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of the medial epicondyle. After surgery to secure the bone fragment back in place, patients require intensive rehabilitation to return to activities and sports that are meaningful to them. In occupational therapy (OT), Ashton provided many therapeutic interventions including skin care and scar management as well as exercises to regain motion in the elbow and strength in the entire arm.

“From the beginning of Parker’s journey, he was eager to return to baseball, so a strategic path through postsurgical rehabilitation including safely reintroducing throwing was critical,” Ashton says. “Once Dr. Stutz cleared him for throwing, I advanced Parker’s plan to include evidence-based throwing programs, which include general baseball strengthening exercises and a multiphase guide to gradually return-to-pitching.”

Similar to other young athletes recovering from a serious sport-related injury, Parker was ready to be discharged from formal rehabilitation, but he was not quite ready to return to full activity, including baseball. In September, Parker transitioned from OT to the Bridge Program, a group training option offered by our Therapy Services team at Scottish Rite for Children. The program provides athletes like Parker a safe “bridge” to maintain progress made in therapy and continue strengthening in the previously injured area. Simultaneously, the coaches emphasize proper body mechanics and total body strength and conditioning, which will likely help reduce the risk of reinjury. “We were grateful Scottish Rite had an environment for him to continue his recovery,” Parker’s mom, Michele, says. She has entrusted Scottish Rite to care for several of her children now.

The program is not baseball-specific, but it is beneficial for baseball players and many others. Certified strength and conditioning coach Justin Haser, M.S., CSCS, says, “The kids that consistently come in, give a good effort and are coachable see great improvements in their movement economy and improvements in their overall strength outputs.” When athletes enroll in the Bridge Program or Athlete Development Program, they can attend up to three times each week.

In pediatric orthopedics, follow-up visits are particularly important when a growth area was involved in the treatment. Complications with this treatment are rare, but monitoring periodically and confirming recovery is on the right path ensures there won’t be surprises later.

Parker is now 13 and has been happily back on the mound and hitting home runs. “Parker is thrilled to be back playing baseball after his full recovery from surgery,” Michele says. To help other young throwers like himself have a safe season, Parker helped us create instructions for evidence-based exercises for all throwers. These are designed to be performed before practice or a game and can help to reduce elbow injuries.

Download the Thrower’s Program PDF (English | Spanish)

Strength and Conditioning Training: It Is Not Just About Getting Strong

by | Oct 10, 2023 | Therapy Services

What is strength and conditioning?
Strength and conditioning may better be referred to as “physical preparation.” An athlete needs to be physically capable of accomplishing the goals set by the coach to compete in the game. Benefits of strength training go beyond just getting an athlete bigger, stronger and faster. Proper training improves an athlete’s resiliency and confidence in their performance as well. Though preventing injuries may not be directly related to movement and strength training, there are studies that suggest that overuse injuries may be reduced by as much as one-half with appropriate training.

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Ideally, an athlete participating in a strength and conditioning program is:

  • At a developmentally appropriate level.
  • At a physically appropriate level.
  • Receiving proper instruction and supervision.
  • In a setting with equipment that is appropriate for both the athlete and the sport.

KEISER YOUTH TRAINING CLASSES KE 0000000 D 10 10 45 St PB 48KG. A group of young boys squatting in a gym

What is training age?
An athlete’s training age may vary across skills or activity. The “training age” is typically much lower than the chronological age. A soccer player may have started playing soccer at age 4 but didn’t start resistance training until age 12. Therefore, that athlete should not begin a strength and condition program at the level of an athlete with five years of resistance training who may be lifting weights and using other forms of resistance.

How should goals be set for a young athlete?
The goals of the program should also be individualized and progress should be tracked. Measures for strength, power, endurance and speed are commonly used. More importantly, an assessment of movement quality should be integrated in the progression. Proper form in fundamental movements should always precede increased resistance or other challenging elements of an exercise.

Younger athletes should learn that “bulking up” is not an appropriate goal for them. These changes will not occur until developmental stages where hormones are present to create those visual changes. What is more likely to occur with movement and strength training in this population are neurological changes that lead to improved neuromuscular control, which is believed to reduce the risk of knee and ankle injuries common in young athletes.

What happens after an injury?
After proper diagnosis, a transition to a supervised strength and conditioning program is ideal only after treatment and rehabilitation for a musculoskeletal injury. An athlete often completes formal physical or occupational therapy before they are ready to return to sport. Therefore, a continued progression of sport-related and other activities help the athlete to complete recovery and prepare for realistic sport environments. Complex movements and distractions that are common during competitions can be integrated into training sessions where variables are controlled.
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In a recent program for medical professionals, strength and conditioning coach Justin Haser, M.S., CSCS, and physical therapist Daniel Stokes, P.T., D.P.T., CSCS., explained how strength and conditioning is integrated in the continuum of care for healthy and injured athletes. Watch now on YouTube.

Less Common Sports Continue to Grow in Popularity

Less Common Sports Continue to Grow in Popularity

by | May 1, 2023 | Sports Medicine

About two-thirds of kids who come to see us for sport-related injuries play at least one of these five popular sports: soccer, football, basketball, baseball and volleyball. However, young athletes sustain injuries in many other sports and activities.

Download the PDF

The goal of the program is to inform health care professionals who work with young athletes about current concepts and the latest evidence on sport-specific injuries, providing care, returning to sports and preventing injuries. In part two of this program, Jacob C. Jones, M.D., RMSK, provided epidemiology, common injury patterns and recommendations for preventing injuries in softball, tennis, martial arts, rugby, fencing and track & field. This program was presented as a part of a monthly series for medical professionals called Coffee, Kids and Sports Medicine.

Pediatric sports medicine research has been supporting multisport athletes for various reasons including, but not limited to, the benefits that come from the varied skill development and training patterns and demands. Physical literacy is a term that describes how comfortable an individual is with various physical skills. With this in mind, we encourage kids and athletes to test out different sports and activities at varying levels of competitions. Injury risk can be managed in all activities, and knowing what injuries occur in which sports will help with that.

Softball
Softball injuries occur most commonly in the shoulder of pitchers. Much like baseball, repetitive motion, particularly on the growing joint and bones can cause an overuse injury. Because of the style of pitching, the adolescent elbow in softball is at a much lower risk of injury compared to baseball where the elbow accounts for half of injuries in pitchers. The mechanism of shoulder injury is also different in softball, and therefore, it is not diagnosed as Little Leaguer’s shoulder, which is commonly diagnosed in young baseball pitchers. Additionally, the softball pitcher experiences pain much earlier in the season, typically within the first six weeks. Other common injuries among high school softball players include ankle sprains and concussions.

Advice from an Expert – Softball
Katie Holehouse, P.T., D.P.T., CSCS, played softball as a child and earned a scholarship to play at George Mason University. One of her first jobs was as an assistant softball coach in a high school. She has three tips to avoid softball overuse injuries.

  1. Young athletes should take breaks from softball throughout the year.
  2. An appropriate warm-up should include total body movements of all joints – not just the arm.
  3. Strength and conditioning of upper and lower body during off-season can decrease injury risk.

Tennis
Tennis is a combination of quick movements and direction changes with the feet and repetitive, forceful movements with the arm(s). Since the game is not timed, fatigue also contributes to performance and injury risk in tennis.

Repetitive external rotation in shoulder and overextension in spine are the most common causes of injuries. The knee is another joint that is often injured in young tennis players. Joints like the elbow and knee in skeletally immature players will present with conditions that are very different from adults in this sport. For example, tennis elbow, a condition affecting the tendons around the elbow, is much less likely young tennis players than other conditions.

Advice from an Expert – Tennis
Orthopedic surgeon and avid tennis player, John E. Arvesen, M.D., is a three-time Texas High School State Champion and two-time Big 12 Champion at Baylor University. Arvesen offers these tips for preventing injuries in young tennis players:

  1. Dynamic warm-up is key for injury prevention.
  2. Many injuries come from faulty mechanics.
  3. “Throwers Ten” is a good supplement to the serve.
  4. Remember good hydration, especially in the summer.

Martial Arts
All of the different forms of martial arts help young athletes build strength, improve balance and increase flexibility. Additionally, they contribute to improvements in cognitive function, self-esteem, self-respect and self-awareness.
The varying styles contribute to differences in injury risk across the different forms. Some like tae kwon do and grappling may have a higher risk of contact injuries from engaging and striking with the hands, body and feet. In competitions, the head and pelvis are most frequently injured. Contusions and bloody noses are the most common injuries. Weapons may increase the risk of injuries. Meditative forms of martial arts, such as tai chi, have lower risk of contact injuries and offer safety in slow, controlled movement patterns.

Advice from the Experts – Nose Bleeds
Our athletic trainer team boasts more than 50 years of experience in sideline care of young athletes. Their top tip for managing epistaxis (a bloody nose) in martial arts and other sports is “Don’t tilt the head back!” This may lead to swallowing or vomiting of blood. Have gloves, gauze and Vaseline® on hand when the risk for this injury is high. Cutting tampons or purchasing commercially available cotton nose plugs help to slow the hemorrhage.

Rugby
Some sources suggest rugby is the ninth most popular sport in the world. The rules for youth differ from those of adults. Rugby injuries most commonly occur during a match with more than three-quarters of injuries occur during tackling. Proper tackling form is key to help avoid injury. Rugby injuries affect teenage girls most often. The style of play puts the head at the greatest risk of injury and football-like helmets are not used. The lack of protective equipment also contributes to joint and bone injuries, such as fractures, in the clavicles, hands and extremities.

Advice from an Expert – Head to the Hip
Fracture clinic nurse practitioner Ray Kleposki, M.S.N., CPNP, a former rugby player and currently a youth rugby coach, has 20 years of experience in the sport. His advice is to learn proper tackling form, which differs from football — head to the side hip. He advises that learning and following the rules prevents both injuries and penalties.

Rib injuries may not be common in youth sports, but the consequences of misdiagnosis and treatment can be high. Rib fractures are less common in kids compared to adults; however, kids with rib fractures have higher rates of hemothorax/pneumothorax, spleen and liver injury.
Rib injuries with these signs and symptoms warrant further medical evaluation:

  • Cardiac involvement
  • Abdominal injury
  • Trouble breathing, painful breathing and/or coughing
  • Dysphagia
  • Hoarse voice

Fencing
Fencing is a combat sport that is growing in popularity that involves sword fighting. With proper training and equipment, young athletes safely participate in fencing which has three different disciplines:

  • Foil
  • Epée
  • Saber

A competitive fencer typically focuses on one of these disciplines. Each discipline has different weapons, targets and rules. Saber athletes have the highest injury rate with injuries in the knee, thigh and ankle. Anecdotally this occurs more in the lead leg. Other injuries common to other sports may also occur including acute sprains and strains and chronic complaints in the leg are consistent with patellofemoral syndrome. Unique to fencing, puncture injuries are generally prevented with proper equipment.

Track & Field
The variety of events in track & field expose athletes to acute and chronic, or overuse, injuries. The array of injury patterns differs based on the demands of the event. Running, sprinting, jumping, throwing and combination of these requires each event to be considered separately when it comes to injury incidence and risk.

A recent study evaluated youth hurdlers and found the most commonly injured body parts were the ankle, knee and wrist. The injury types that most often cause a hurdler to present to an emergency department are fractures, joint sprains and contusions.

Learn more in an article “Age and Sex Comparisons in Pediatric Track and Field Hurdle Injuries Seen in Emergency Departments of the U.S. Sports,“ recently published in Sports, an international peer-reviewed journal. This article is a review of data from a registry called the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Dr. Jones and his peers in the Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine Society studied this information to describe a population that had not been done before. This kind of work helps providers in caring for and helping to prevent injuries in specific populations.

Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) in the Elbow

Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) in the Elbow

by | Oct 19, 2022 | Sports Medicine

Our Center for Excellence in Sports Medicine treats a wide array of sport-related injuries and conditions in young athletes. One common condition treated is osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the elbow. This condition can happen to anyone but is especially common in sports such as gymnastics, tumbling, and baseball.

“This condition often presents to us in very late stages because it develops without symptoms,” says pediatric orthopedic surgeon Philip L. Wilson, M.D. He advises athletes, particularly baseball players and those in weightbearing sports like gymnastics, not to ignore nagging elbow pain. “Painless loss of extension is another sign that should not be ignored,” he says. “Proper diagnosis and early treatment can make a real difference in the course of care and outcomes.”

Our pediatric sports medicine team is a national leader in caring for and studying elbow OCD in young athletes. “The more we learn about the condition and the athletes, the better we can be at treating elbow OCD and teaching others the best way to prevent and manage it,” Wilson says. Here are two examples of Scottish Rite’s work:

  • An ongoing study called SAFE is open to young athletes, including gymnasts and baseball players. This study is looking at movement mechanics and the causes of injuries in these populations. Check out this video about SAFE testing.

  • A study published in 2021, “Elbow Overuse Injuries in Pediatric Female Gymnastic Athletes: Comparative Findings and Outcomes in Radial Head Stress Fractures and Capitellar Osteochondritis Dissecans,” specifically addressed findings in 58 elbows in gymnasts (average 11 years of age) treated at Scottish Rite for Children throughout a course of five years. This study was the first to describe the differences between OCD and radial head stress fractures.

Learn more about OCD of the elbow, its causes, symptoms, treatment, and prevention below.

What is osteochondritis dissecans of the elbow?
The surfaces of the bones inside joints are covered with a smooth, gliding surface called cartilage. Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is a condition in which an area of cartilage and the underlying bone begin to soften, crack, or even separate. If left untreated, OCD can cause further damage to the cartilage in the joint and early arthritis.
This is a rare condition that most often affects the knee, but it can also affect the elbow, hip or ankle. In the elbow, the surface on the end of the humerus, the capitellum, is the most affected. This is typically seen in active individuals ages 8 to 19, more often boys than girls.

How does elbow OCD occur?
There are likely several factors, and the exact cause is still unclear. A common cause is a temporary loss in blood supply to an area of bone in a growing child, often combined with repetitive joint impact (overuse). There may be a genetic cause as well. Athletes at risk also often have a history of early sport specialization and year-round training. Some may report a history of a minor injury, but this is likely not the cause of the OCD lesion.

What are the signs and symptoms of OCD in the elbow?
OCD may be present even if there are not symptoms. An asymptomatic OCD lesion, one that does not cause any symptoms, may be identified when evaluating another concern. Signs and symptoms vary and may include:

  • Pain that worsens with activity
  • Popping or clicking
  • Swelling
  • Fluid inside the joint
  • Catching or locking with movement
  • Limited motion

How is elbow OCD diagnosed?
Physical examination, history, and X-rays are used to diagnose OCD in the elbow. Advanced imaging, such as an MRI, is often necessary to fully assess the condition and determine treatment options.

How is elbow OCD treated?
Properly treating and managing osteochondritis dissecans in the elbow lowers the risk of long-term damage to the joint. With diagnosis and treatment in the early stages, tissues may heal with rest and limiting activities that cause pressure on the OCD lesion.

Athletes benefit from continued training while resting their elbows. It is important for our team to help them understand what activities are safe and will not cause further problems on the elbow. Examples of activities to continue while receiving treatment for elbow OCD include:

  • Jogging
  • Stationary bike
  • Core strengthening
  • Lower body weightlifting of resistance training
  • Swimming
  • Golf putting only

These “weightbearing” activities are not allowed because they put pressure directly on the area of the OCD lesion:

  1. Sports of any kind
  2. Handstands
  3. Tumbling
  4. Push-ups, planks
  5. Upper body weightlifting or resistance training

When may surgery for elbow OCD be needed?
Many elbow OCD lesions can improve with conservative, nonoperative treatment. However, surgery may be necessary if the:

  • The OCD lesion appears loose, unstable, or large.
  • Cartilage becomes loose in the joint.
  • Imaging shows an advanced or worsening condition.
  • Symptoms are worsening despite nonsurgical treatment.

What kinds of procedures are used to treat OCD in the elbow?
The choice of surgical procedure depends on the condition of the tissues at the time of surgery. Most procedures are performed using an arthroscope, a camera, and tools inserted through small incisions, but a large surgery may be needed in some cases. Our sports medicine pediatric orthopedic surgeons are experts at treating OCD and can walk you through what to expect.

Procedures that may be offered alone or in combination include:

  • Drilling – drilling holes into the bone to increase blood flow and healing.
  • Stabilizing – inserting a screw, suture, or other piece of hardware to keep loose tissue in place.
  • Grafting – placing biological tissue in the area.

What can be expected after surgery for elbow OCD?
Our sports medicine experts work with every patient to develop an individualized postoperative treatment plan. After surgery, closely following postoperative instructions will protect the joint while the tissue is healing. Exercise and activity recommendations will be different for every patient.

How long does OCD in the elbow last?
Each case is unique, and the timing of returning to normal activity or sports will be discussed with your sports medicine physician, surgeon, or advanced practice provider. Symptoms may last months or years. It’s very important to understand that symptoms may return if the area does not fully recover before returning to repetitive or weight-bearing activities.

How can elbow OCD be prevented?
Overuse injuries like OCD occur with a high volume of training, repetition of certain movements, and early specialization in a sport.

These suggestions can help to prevent elbow OCD and other similar conditions:

  • Learn how to moderate training loads and intensities.
  • Make time for free play and lifetime sports like tennis, golf, cycling, and hiking.
  • Take breaks weekly and between seasons.
  • Learn to properly warm up and perform conditioning for your sport.

Learn more about sport specialization and preventing overuse injuries in young athletes.

Muscle Strain Q&A

Muscle Strain Q&A

by | Apr 22, 2022 | Sports Medicine

Our world-renowned sports medicine experts are ready to help your injured athlete get back in the game. We have unparalleled experience providing nonoperative and arthroscopic care to treat common sport-related injuries including concussions, ligament injuries and cartilage conditions in the knee, ankle, shoulder, elbow and hip in young and growing athletes.

Sports Medicine expert Jacob C. Jones, M.D., RMSK, shares information about muscle strains and how to handle these types of injuries in young athletes.

What is a muscle strain?
A muscle strain is a disruption of the muscle fibers in a certain muscle group. Muscle strains can be mild or they can be severe, causing muscle tearing.

What causes a muscle strain?
Muscles are constantly being pushed and pulled, but when a muscle contracts at the same time that it is being pulled, a strain can occur. This type of muscle movement is called an eccentric contraction. 

What are the symptoms of a muscle strain?
In mild strains or low-grade muscle disruptions, the most common symptom will be pain in the area. Severe disruptions or tears can also cause swelling, more noticeable weakness, and even bruising.

Should you seek medical treatment for a muscle strain?
It is definitely wise to seek medical treatment for muscle strains. In mild cases, a young athlete may want to consult with their athletic trainer for advice and recommendations on reducing the pain. Athletic trainers can also help determine whether the athlete needs to see a physician for the injury.

Relative rest, in combination with muscle rehab, is the best treatments for a strain. It is important to allow the muscle to heal while also building strength and flexibility to avoid further injury. Even in high grade muscle tears, surgery may not be commonly recommended. 

Are certain muscles more at risk for strains?
Yes, muscle groups that are at the highest risk for strains are those that cross multiple joints. For example, some hamstring and quadricep muscles cross both the hip and knee joints and calf muscles cross the ankle and knee joints. Any muscle can be strained, but those groups are more likely to be injured.

How can you avoid muscle strains?
Muscles are less likely to have a strain if they are flexible and strong. Stretching daily can help provide your muscles with more flexibility and strength. Additionally, it is important to also warm up your muscles before working out or playing a sport. Muscles are less likely to strain or tear when they are warm, so it is important to not skip warm-ups before practice.

What does recovery from a muscle strain look like?
Once pain allows, it is important to do some rehabilitation to the muscle before returning to regular activity. In mild strains or low-grade disruptions, recovery time may take weeks. In more severe cases that lead to muscle tears, recovery time may take months. We look for good range of motion, minimal to no pain, and good strength prior to return to sport.

What happens if an athlete returns to sports or activity before the strain is healed?
The biggest risk of returning to athletics or sports too soon is re-aggravating the muscle and extending the recovery time. Additionally, having a strain may cause you to favor one leg or arm and could lead to further injury.

How can ultrasound be used to diagnose and treat muscle strains?
Specially trained experts can use musculoskeletal ultrasound to evaluate injured joints, ligaments, tendons, muscles and bones. Ultrasound can visualize soft tissues like muscle well with a high level of detail. When looking at a muscle using ultrasound, a low-grade strain may show some edema, swelling caused by fluid in tissue, while a more severe strain that has already torn will clearly be visible. Using ultrasound can also allow physicians to determine where additional treatment or care is needed in treating muscle strains. Ultrasound can also be used for treatment of chronic muscle tears not improving with other conservative measures.

Sports medicine is a medical and surgical specialty that considers the comprehensive needs of athletes and provides management for sport-related injuries and conditions. Young and growing athletes are highly competitive and have unique conditions that require care by a pediatric team of experts. Learn more about our Center for Excellence in Sports Medicine and how board-certified pediatricians, pediatric orthopedic surgeons, physical therapists, athletic trainers, psychologists and other sports medicine specialists work side-by-side with each athlete, their parents and coaches to develop the best game plan for treatment, rehabilitation and safe return to sport.