Returning to youth sports after COVID-19 shutdowns exposes pediatric athletes to increased risks of acute and overuse injuries due to deconditioning, obesity, and skeletal immaturity.
This review highlights the unique injury risks faced by pediatric athletes returning to sports after COVID-19 shutdowns and outlines strategies for safe return-to-play.
The widespread shutdown in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, although varied across state and county levels, has undoubtedly impacted everyone to some degree. Within the pediatric population, the closure of schools and organized youth athletic programs has resulted in a unique situation that has made athletes physically deconditioned and at risk for injury. As sports and competition gradually restart, there are considerable risks to the skeletally immature athlete. The anatomic and physiologic changes that occur to bone and cartilage during growth make the young athlete particularly susceptible to both acute and overuse injuries. In the context of the pandemic, deconditioning, obesity, lack of variety, and the resultant mental health burden pose unique challenges in ensuring that young athletes safely return to the field. This review aims to identify risk factors for sport-related injuries and to outline strategies for minimizing these injuries as pediatric patients return-to-play after COVID-19. Pediatr Ann. 2021;50(11):e465–e469.
Wang et al. (Mon,) conducted a review in Sport-related injuries in pediatric athletes post-COVID-19. Return-to-play after COVID-19 shutdown was evaluated on Sport-related injuries. Returning to youth sports after COVID-19 shutdowns exposes pediatric athletes to increased risks of acute and overuse injuries due to deconditioning, obesity, and skeletal immaturity.