Key result
Adolescent girls participating in organized athletics exhibit similar injury rates to boys but present with distinct injury patterns, including specific musculoskeletal issues and the female athlete triad.
Pediatric health care providers must be aware of injury patterns unique to adolescent female athletes to properly diagnose and manage them.
May aid recognition of sex-specific injuries in adolescent athletes; leaves open prospective validation of targeted prevention.
Teenaged girls constitute the fastest growing segment of children and adolescents participating in organized athletics. Adolescent girls appear to have similar injury rates as boys in comparable activities but different injury patterns. To properly diagnose and manage athletic injuries in adolescent girls, pediatric health care providers must be aware of these differences, especially as the literature and their knowledge base may be skewed to the traditional predominance of males in sport. This review identifies athletic injuries that are unique to or especially common in adolescent girls, including apophyseal injuries; breast and pelvic injuries; scoliosis and spondylolysis; multidirectional shoulder instability and "gymnast's wrist"; anterior cruciate ligament injuries and patellofemoral pain syndrome; chronic exertional lower-leg compartment syndrome, ankle sprains, and reflex sympathetic dystrophy; and stress fractures. It also briefly discusses possible risk factors for these injuries, emphasizing the female athlete triad.
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Loud et al. (2001) conducted a review in Athletic injuries. Adolescent girls participating in organized athletics exhibit similar injury rates to boys but present with distinct injury patterns, including specific musculoskeletal issues and the female athlete triad.
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