Rehabilitation following ulnar collateral ligament injury of the elbow in a female acrobatic athlete: A case report.

BACKGROUND: The mechanism of injury and the conservative rehabilitation of the ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow (UCL) are well studied and reported in overhead athletes, while research on gymnastic athletes is sparse. Evidence suggests exercise as the mainstay in UCL injury rehabilitation. With this report, we aimed to provide a complete rehabilitation protocol following a partial UCL tear of an acrobatic athlete, where exercise and adjunct treatments, such as manual therapy, were used in a progressive staged rehabilitation. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 16-year-old female acrobatic athlete was diagnosed with partial tear of the anterior band of UCL. The rehabilitation included progressive exercise loading in conjunction with manual therapy for 10 sessions in 8 weeks. Pain, UCL special tests, the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand Score Questionnaire (DASH), and the Upper Limb Functional Index (ULFI) were assessed and administered at baseline and at 3, 6, 10 weeks, and 3 months. RESULTS: Improvement in all outcome measures was noted at the 3-month follow-up indicating a substantial reduction in pain and disability, and an increase in stability of the elbow joint. Return to training was achieved at 8 weeks from the initial visit, while return to sport at the pre-injury level was achieved at 3 months. CONCLUSION: Progressive exercise loading along with the addition of manual therapy is an effective intervention for the rehabilitation and return to sport following a partial UCL tear. A progressive staged rehabilitation guideline for acrobatic athletes with UCL injuries has been provided to be used and guide clinical practice. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Study protocol for a prospective cohort study describing the injury characteristics in elite gymnasts in TeamGym: the Swedish TeamGym Injury Cohort - STIC.

INTRODUCTION: Gymnastics consists of several different disciplines, whereof TeamGym is one. TeamGym is a young discipline with sparse research. The aim of the study is to investigate the injury characteristics in Swedish elite gymnasts competing in TeamGym including training load and other physical and psychological factors associated with injury. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Swedish TeamGym Injury Cohort is a longitudinal prospective cohort study for 52 weeks that includes the junior (15-17 years) and senior (≥18 years) Swedish female and male national teams in TeamGym. A baseline questionnaire will be sent out in an online application (SmartaBase) regarding demographics, previous injuries, gymnastics-related factors, for example, time at elite level and psychosocial factors such as stress, athletic identity, coping skills, personality traits and coach-athlete relation. A weekly questionnaire will be sent out in SmartaBase every Sunday and will monitor injuries using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Overuse Questionnaire, gymnastics-related factors, for example, landing surfaces, stress, recovery and training load. A test battery for the lower extremity will be performed. Data for ankle dorsiflexion, hop tests and ankle plantarflexion strength/endurance will be collected. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This project was approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Authority (2023-06653-01) and is performed according to the Declaration of Helsinki. The results will be published in peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences and shared with the Swedish Gymnastics Federation.

Epidemiology and patterns of gymnastics-related head & neck trauma injuries: A NEISS database study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the epidemiology and patterns of gymnastics-related Head & Neck trauma injuries using the NEISS database from 2001 to 2020. STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: Cross-sectional analysis of a national database. METHODS: Gymnastics-related ED visits between 2001 and 2020 were queried from the NEISS database. Bivariate chi-squared analyses were used to compare injury demographics, location, type, and disposition. Fracture location was identified using the narrative description of each case and were divided into subtypes for further analysis. RESULTS: 1455 gymnastics-related head and neck traumatic injuries were identified. The majority were in females (65.8%). The most common presenting age group was pediatric (≤18 years) (92.7%), and the largest racial group was Caucasian (51.5%). Of all location subtypes, facial injuries were the most common presenting injury type overall (45.2%). Regarding injury types, lacerations were most common (36.8%), followed by dental injury (30.7%) and fractures (21.2%). The most common location of head and neck fractures was the nose (45.8%), followed by cervical spine (16.7%) and orbit (13.3%). The majority (95.7%) of gymnastics-related head and neck traumatic injuries presenting to the ED were treated and discharged. CONCLUSION: This study characterizes gymnastics-related head and neck injuries which is a topic that is under-studied. The findings from this study are helpful for gymnasts and those who care for them including providers, coaches and guardians, and this data may help inform future guidelines for treatment and injury prevention.

Higher risk of Achilles tendon ruptures at competition than training sites in female collegiate gymnasts.

BACKGROUND: Reportedly, 17.2% of collegiate female gymnasts experience Achilles tendon ruptures (ATRs). Cumulative microtraumas resulting in chronic tendinopathy/tendinitis may contribute to this high injury risk. We hypothesized that the risk of ATRs in female collegiate gymnasts increases with years of competitive gymnastics, that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) use is associated with less ATRs, and that the risk is larger during competition than training. METHODS: Female gymnasts from 78 USA collegiate teams completed a survey assessing the prevalence of ATRs, NSAID use, age at which competitive gymnastics started and age at which ATR occurred, and whether ATRs occurred during training or competition. RESULTS: Twenty-one of 103 gymnasts (20.4%, 95% CI: 13.6% to 29.4%) experienced ATRs. Eighteen of 21 ruptures (85.7%, 95% CI: 61.3% to 95.8%) occurred after more than ten years of competitive gymnastics (mean: 14.0±2.6 years, 95% CI: 12.8 to 15.2 years). ATRs occurred 0.08±0.01 (95% CI: 0.06 to 0.11) times per 1000 hours at training versus 1.85±0.11 (95% CI: 1.60 to 2.10) times per 1000 hours at competition (P<0.05). Prevalence of NSAID use was 27.6% (95% CI: 18.6% to 39.0%) in gymnasts without ATR but only 5.5% (95% CI: 0.6% to 35.5%, P=0.09) in gymnasts with ATR. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated a negative association between NSAID use and incidence of ATRs (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Female collegiate gymnasts are at high risk for ATRs, especially after more than ten years of competitive gymnastics and during competition.

A Research and Clinical Framework for Understanding Achilles Injury in Female Collegiate Gymnasts.

ABSTRACT: Gymnastics is a popular sport with a high injury rate, particularly at the collegiate level. Achilles tendon rupture is a catastrophic injury with career-changing impact. Over the last decade, there has been a growing incidence of Achilles tendon ruptures, especially in female gymnasts. Currently, neither the effects of contributing risk factors on Achilles tendon rupture nor the research frameworks to guide future intervention strategies have been well described. This article reviews the functional anatomy and mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon, provides precollegiate and collegiate intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors for Achilles tendon rupture, and proposes a research framework to address this injury from a systemic perspective. Potential clinical interventions to mitigate Achilles tendon injury are proposed based on currently available peer-reviewed evidence.

Characterization of Achilles Tendon Ruptures in Collegiate Women's Gymnastics.

Collegiate female gymnasts are at high risk of Achilles tendon injuries. Achilles tendon ruptures can negatively impact an athlete's ability to return to competitive sport. Understanding the natural history of Achilles tendon tears in collegiate female gymnasts is important in the development of preventive treatment. To expand our knowledge of the natural history of Achilles tendon ruptures among collegiate female gymnasts, a REDCap retrospective survey was emailed to athletic trainers on all 80 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) women's gymnastics teams. The survey gathered information regarding number of Achilles tendon injuries, pain prior to injuries, events and skills on which injuries occurred, and functional outcome after injuries among athletes competing in the 2013 to 2018 NCAA seasons. Forty-two of 80 (52.5%) programs responded to the survey. Seventy-one Achilles tendon ruptures were reported between 2013 and 2018. Among these, 46% had antecedent pain. Gymnasts sustained 95% of Achilles tendon ruptures while performing on floor exercise, with 98% of ruptures occurring during the take-off portion of a tumbling skill. Of the 61% of gymnasts who were able to return to competition, 59% were able to achieve the same level of function after injury. Achilles tendon ruptures in collegiate female gymnasts primarily occur during the take-off motion while tumbling on the floor exercise. Future studies should evaluate degenerative Achilles tendon changes in collegiate female gymnasts. A collaborative effort among gymnasts, coaches, judges, and medical experts is required to identify at-risk athletes and develop and implement injury prevention programs. [Orthopedics. 2023;46(4):205-210.].

Comparison of pediatric performance athlete injuries presenting to emergency departments.

OBJECTIVE: Pediatric injuries in performance sports represent a significant healthcare burden and account for over 50,000 annual Emergency Department (ED) visits in the United States. The objective of this study was to characterize and compare pediatric injury presentation across the most common performance sports. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was retrospectively analyzed for pediatric injuries (3-18 years) related to gymnastics, dance, or cheerleading from 2015-2019. Cases were categorized as children (˂11 years) or adolescent (≥11 years). Injuries were categorized as orthopedic (fractures, dislocations, sprain, strains), non-orthopedic (contusion, internal injury, laceration), concussion, or other/unknown. Case narratives were used to categorize mechanism of injury as contact or non-contact. Appropriate sample NEISS weights estimation was applied for statistical analysis and Confidence Intervals (CI). RESULTS: A total of 393,110 injuries were observed over the five-year study period, with a mean of 78,622 annual injuries. Gymnastics, dance, and cheerleading accounted for 136,422 injuries, 96,416 injuries, and 160,272 injuries, respectively. Most cases were adolescent (71%; 95% CI: 68-74%) and occurred in a sports-related setting (65%, 95% CI: 57-72%). Gymnastics had the highest proportion of injuries among children (50%) as compared to dancers (25%) or cheerleaders (12%) (p < 0.01). Non-contact injuries most affected the lower extremity (43-68%) and resulted in an orthopedic diagnosis (63-71%), and contact injuries had a higher proportion of injuries affecting the head, neck, and face (29-51%) and non-orthopedic diagnoses (29-38%). Gymnastics had the most upper extremity non-contact injuries (42%) and dance the most lower extremity non-contact injuries (68%) (p < 0.01). Cheerleading had the highest incidence of overall concussions (8%), contact injuries (47%), and concussions due to contact injury (15%). CONCLUSION: Pediatric gymnasts, cheerleaders, and dancers have important similarities and differences in injury pattern which may lead to the development of sport-specific injury prevention programs for pediatric performance athletes.

Current issues and future directions in gymnastics research: biomechanics, motor control and coaching interface.

The sport of gymnastics is undergoing a global examination of its culture and the relationship between the gymnast, coach and environment is a central focus. The aim of this review is to explore biomechanics and motor control research in skill development and technique selection in artistic gymnastics with a focus on the underlying concepts and scientific principles that allow performance enhancement, skill development and injury risk reduction. The current review examines peer reviewed papers from 2000 onwards, with a focus on contemporary approaches in the field of gymnastics research, and highlights several key directions for future gymnastics research. Based on our review and the integration of the models of Newell (1986) and Irwin et al. (2005), we recommend that future gymnastics research should embrace at the very least a multidisciplinary approach and aim for an interdisciplinary paradigm.

Characterization of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Gymnastics Participants From 2013 to 2020.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have analyzed gymnastics-related injuries in collegiate and elite athletes, but there is minimal literature analyzing the epidemiological characteristics of injuries in the greater gymnastics community. HYPOTHESIS: A higher incidence of injuries in younger gymnasts between the ages of 6 and 15 years compared with those 16 years and older and a difference in the distribution of injuries between male and female gymnasts. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3. METHODS: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was queried for all gymnastics-related musculoskeletal injuries presenting to the emergency department (ED) between 2013 and 2020. Incidence was calculated as per 100,000 person-years using the weighted estimates provided by NEISS and national participation data. Chi-square and column proportion z-testing was used to analyze where appropriate. RESULTS: The incidence of gymnastics-related musculoskeletal injuries was 480.7 per 100,000 person-years. Most ED visits were children between the ages of 6 and 15 years (84.0%). Younger gymnasts (ages 6 to 10) were most likely to experience a lower arm fracture, while those over the age of 10 years were most likely to experience an ankle sprain (P < 0.01). Men and boys presented with a much greater proportion of shoulder injuries (8.0% vs 3.9%), while women and girls presented with a greater proportion of elbow injuries (9.9 % vs 5.9%) and wrist (10.5% vs 8.3%) injuries (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: As hypothesized, most gymnastics-related injuries between 2013 and 2020 were athletes between 6 and 15 years old. Many of these athletes are attempting new, more difficult, skills and are at increased risk of more acute injury when attempting skills they may be unfamiliar with. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: With increased pressure to specialize at an early age to maintain competitiveness and learn new, higher-level skills compared with their peers, younger athletes are most susceptible to acute injury. New injury prevention strategies could be implemented to help this high-risk population compete and train safely.

Incidence of acute injuries in Swedish gymnastics with a special focus on cruciate ligament injuries.

BACKGROUND: Gymnastics is a sport with unique technical and physical demands. Elements of high rotational landing impacts may lead to severe injuries. In order to understand the risks of the sport and design injury prevention programs the magnitude of acute injuries must be understood. The aim was to investigate acute injuries, medical invalidity and injury costs in gymnastics using national insurance data. METHODS: Insurance data covering acute injuries in Swedish gymnastics from October 2015 to October 2020 were analyzed. All Swedish gymnasts with either a training or competition license were included (N.=333,932 licenses, 249,823 females; 84,109 males). RESULTS: A total of 1733 acute injuries were reported, and the injury incidence was 5.2 per 1000 gymnast years, with no differences between upper and lower body. The arm followed by the foot and the knee were body locations with highest injury incidence. Skeletal injuries were most common in the arm and foot, and ligament injuries in the foot and knee. The proportion of cruciate ligament injuries was 37% of all knee injuries and 5% of all acute injuries. No significant difference between male and female gymnasts was observed. The highest proportion of medical invalidity was found in the knee (33%), the foot (22%), and the arm (20%). Sixteen percent of all cruciate ligament injuries led to medical invalidity and was the injury causing highest costs to the insurance company. CONCLUSIONS: The knee was the third most common injury location and the injury causing the highest medical invalidity.

Return to sport in elite gymnastics: Unprecedented training interruptions provide lessons for the future.

INTRODUCTION: Year-round training is standard for elite gymnasts in the United States, but the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to unprecedented training interruptions. The effect of these training disruptions is unknown. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to describe and compare training interruptions in elite gymnasts before and during the pandemic, the time it took to return to the prior level of gymnastics training, the development of injuries during return to gymnastics training, and gymnast-reported difficulty in and nervousness about returning to prior level of gymnastics training. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Anonymous online surveys distributed to elite gymnasts in the United States. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 184 current elite gymnasts who completed the surveys were included. This represented an overall response rate of 52.3% (184/352). INTERVENTIONS: None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Information was collected about training interruptions and time, nervousness, difficulty, and injury during return to gymnastics. RESULTS: Gymnasts reported significantly longer training interruptions due to COVID-19 than before the pandemic (8.7 ± 4.4 vs. 4.4 ± 7.9 weeks, p < .001), but duration of return to prior gymnastics level was similar (4.6 ± 2.7 vs. 3.7 ± 4.8 weeks, p = .106). Of the 137 gymnasts who had returned to training by the time of the survey, 46 (33.6%) reported an injury during their return to gymnastics. A high degree of nervousness to return to gymnastics was significantly associated with greater risks of injury upon return (risk ratio [RR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.6-4.7; p < .001) and difficulty returning to prior level (RR 3.4, 95% CI: 1.7-6.6; p < .001). CONCLUSION: Pandemic-related training interruption was significantly greater in duration than prior interruptions, but time required for return to gymnastics was similar. Gymnasts may be at increased risk of injury during return to gymnastics if experiencing nervousness about returning following a break in training. These findings provide guidance for gymnasts' return from training interruptions and may refute the long-held belief that gymnasts should not take time away from training due to fear of injury or difficulty regaining skills.

Sports Injury Identification Method Based on Machine Learning Model.

With the increasingly fierce competition in international competitive sports, the momentum of special training has increased. Sports injuries are becoming more and more serious, which restricts the further improvement of the level of athletes. How to solve the problem of prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries, so as to ensure the normal training and competition of athletes, is an important part of sports work. Machine learning can solve large-scale data problems that cannot be solved by human beings at present and has strong self-learning ability, self-optimization ability, and strong generalization ability. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to understand the characteristics of rhythmic gymnastics injuries and analyze their causes by investigating the injury status of elite rhythmic gymnasts. According to the characteristics of the project, the injury characteristics of the athletes themselves, and other factors, using scientific qualitative and quantitative indicators, the injury risk of key athletes in rhythmic gymnastics was evaluated. It also provides theoretical and practical references for preventing sports injuries, formulating and implementing sports injury rehabilitation programs. The experimental results show that the female vaulting risk in the five risk categories fluctuates from 179.62 to 365.8, ranking the first in the risk of acute sports injury.

Effects of Body Posture and Different Exercise Intensity on Athletes' Limb Injury.

The purpose of this study was to solve the problem of the influence of body posture and different exercise intensity on athletes' limb injuries, to meet the needs of understanding athletes' injuries, and to make up for the lack of investigations on athletes' limb injuries; this also increases the chances of an athlete avoiding injury. Severe acute sports injuries of high-level gymnasts endanger the personal safety of athletes. Many movements in gymnastics are done in the air much higher than the ground, and there is no fulcrum when the athlete does the movements; this just can only maintain balance and change your body posture through your own feelings, a slight error can easily cause your head or upper body to fall down, and the fragile spine cannot withstand the strong impact of the ground, resulting in high vertebral fractures, high paraplegia, and even death. Therefore, through a survey of 126 rhythmic gymnasts who participated in the 2011 "China Art Sports Cup" China Rhythmic Gymnastics Championship, a total of 172 injuries were found in 136 gymnasts, and the injury risk analysis was carried out from the main characteristics of the injuries.

Research on Image Recognition of Gymnastics Sports Injuries Based on Deep Learning.

Gymnastics is an increasingly popular sport and an important event in the Olympic Games. However, the number of unavoidable injuries in sports is also increasing, and the treatment after the injury is very important. We reduce the harm caused by the injury through the identification and research of pictures. Image preprocessing and other methods can in-depth learn about gymnastics sports injuries. We identify the injured pictures of athletes to know the injury situation. Through the analysis of the force of the athletes during exercise, they can be better integrated into picture recognition for sports injuries. More appropriate prevention and treatment measures are suggested.

Injury Trends in Special Olympics Athletes From the 2018 USA Games.

OBJECTIVE: To categorize injury types and occurrence among athletes participating in the Special Olympics (SO). DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study. SETTING: 2018 SO USA Games. PARTICIPANTS: Athletes participating in 14 sports at the 2018 SO USA Games (n = 2251). INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Individual and team sports. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage of athletes injured per individual sport, percentage of injury type by sport, rate of injuries per 1000 exposures, and number of injuries per game in team sports. RESULTS: In individual sports, the percentage of athletes injured ranged from 38.5% in gymnastics to 12.9% in golf. Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries occurred in 53.3% of gymnastics injuries and 58.6% of tennis injuries. For stand-up paddleboard, most injuries were non-MSK (66.7%). The highest rate of MSK injuries occurred in gymnastics (25.6/1000 exposures), whereas the highest rates of non-MSK injuries (95.2/1000 exposures) and minor injuries (47.6/1000 exposures) were among stand-up paddleboard athletes. In team sports, the highest number of injuries per game occurred in softball (1.9 per game). CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of injuries occurred at the 2018 SO USA Games. The high rate of non-MSK injuries is unique to the SO and should be considered when planning medical coverage for future events.

Analysis of landing performance and ankle injury in elite British artistic gymnastics using a modified drop land task: A longitudinal observational study.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether differences in landing force and asymmetry of landing force exist between gymnasts at the time of data collection versus those that subsequently experienced an ankle injury 12-months later. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective longitudinal observational design with baseline measures and 12 month follow up. SETTING: British Gymnastics National Training Centre. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-two asymptomatic elite level gymnasts from three artistic gymnastic squads (n = 15 senior female, n = 10 junior female and n = 7 senior male). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A modified drop land task was used to quantify measures of landing performance. Peak Vertical Ground Reaction Force (PVGRF) was used to measure landing force. The level of inter-limb asymmetry of landing force was calculated using the Limb Symmetry index (LSI). Other measures included injury incidence and percentage coefficient of variation (% CV). RESULTS: There was no statistical difference for landing force (p = 0.481) and asymmetry of landing force (p = 0.698) when comparing injured and non-injured gymnasts. Most participants (69%) demonstrated inter-limb asymmetry of landing forces. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings observed inter-limb asymmetry of landing force in injured gymnasts, although uninjured gymnasts also exhibited asymmetry of landing force. Both magnitude of landing force and inter-limb asymmetries of landing force failed to identify the risk of ankle injury.

Rhythmic gymnasts' injuries in a pediatric sports medicine clinic in the United States: a 10-year retrospective chart review.

OBJECTIVES: Rhythmic gymnastics injuries have not been studied thoroughly especially in the United States. Existing research studies are predominantly from Europe or Canada or from more than 15 years ago. The purpose of our study was to provide an updated description of injury patterns among rhythmic gymnasts in the United States. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted of 193 rhythmic gymnastics injuries in 79 females, ages 6-20. Patients were seen between January 2010 and March 2020 in a hospital-based pediatric sports medicine clinic. Gymnast demographics, injury locations, and injury types were collected as available. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analysis was performed using general linear mixed models. RESULTS: Our cohort had a mean age of 14.61 ± 2.61 years. Overuse injuries (76.7%) were more common than acute injuries (23.3%). The most common injury types were strain (20.7%), nonspecific pain (15.5%), and tendinitis/tenosynovitis (10.36%). The most frequently injured body regions were lower extremity (75.1%), followed by trunk/back (19.2%), upper extremity (4.7%), and head/neck (1.0%). The most common injured body parts were foot (24.9%), ankle (15.5%), knee (15.0%), lower back (14.0%), and hip (13.0%). General linear mixed models revealed that older age (p = 0.001) and higher competitive level (p = 0.016) were associated with a greater number of diagnoses. Gymnasts with foot injuries were older than gymnasts with ankle (p = 0.026), hip (p < 0.0001), and knee (p = 0.002) injuries. Gymnasts with higher BMI-for-age percentile were more likely to have acute injuries than overuse (p = 0.035). CONCLUSION: Our data showed that injuries among rhythmic gymnasts were most frequently located in the lower extremities, specifically the foot, followed by trunk/back. Additionally, the most frequent injury types were strains and nonspecific pain, and overuse was the most prevalent mechanism. Gymnasts with foot injuries were older than gymnasts with ankle, hip, and knee injuries. Higher BMI is a predictor of acute injuries.

Intersection of surgical injuries and pain interference among former female collegiate gymnasts.

BACKGROUND: Gymnastics is a competitive sport with numerous health benefits. However, few data exist that examine the lasting effects of injuries in retired gymnasts. OBJECTIVE: To examine pain interference among former collegiate gymnasts. Specifically, we focused on the relationship between gymnastics-related injuries sustained during middle/high school or college that required surgery and former collegiate gymnasts' current pain. We hypothesized that injuries requiring surgery would be associated with increased pain and reduced function after retirement. DESIGN: Cross-sectional survey. SETTING: An online questionnaire was distributed to former female collegiate gymnasts via social media. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 447 former female collegiate gymnasts completed the survey and were grouped according to whether they indicated an injury during their middle/high school or collegiate gymnastics career that required surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The association between current pain interference (Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System [PROMIS] scale) and injuries in middle/high school or college that resulted in surgery. Pain interference elements included current enjoyment of life, ability to concentrate, participation in day-to-day activities, enjoyment of recreational activities, ability to perform errands, and ability to socialize with others. RESULTS: Those who reported an injury that resulted in surgery (n = 260; mean current age ± SD = 32.8 ± 9.5 years) were younger than those who did not at the time of survey completion (n = 187; current age: 37.0 ± 11.0 years) and reported beginning gymnastics at an earlier age (4.4 ± 2.0 years vs. 5.1 ± 2.5 years; p = .001). There were no statistically significant differences between the groups on any PROMIS questions. In secondary analyses, we found a small but significant association between beginning gymnastics at an earlier age and the odds of requiring surgery (odds ratio = 1.11, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.02-1.21; p = .02). CONCLUSIONS: Most retired gymnasts reported a gymnastics-related injury that required surgery. Gymnasts who start gymnastics at a younger age were more likely to sustain an injury that required surgery, but surgery was not associated with higher levels of pain interference.

Boys gymnastics injuries: A 9-year retrospective review.

OBJECTIVES: Young male gymnasts are a frequently injured, yet infrequently studied population. Literature on gymnastics injuries has focused primarily on female gymnasts at elite and collegiate levels. Gymnastics equipment, rules, and training methods have continued to evolve over the past few decades so the previous data likely does not reflect current injury patterns. Our study aimed to provide a description of injury patterns for contemporary club-level, pre-collegiate male gymnasts. METHODS: This was a retrospective chart review of 163 gymnastics injuries from 84 male subjects ages 4-19 years. Subjects were seen between 2010 and 2019 in pediatric sports medicine clinics. Gymnast demographics, injury locations, injury types, and gymnastics apparatus were collected as available. RESULTS: Our cohort had a mean age of 12.5 ± 3.0 years, gymnastics participation for 8.1 ± 2.9 years, and gymnastics level of 7.4 ± 1.7. Overuse injuries (59.5%) were more common than acute injuries (40.5%). The most common injury locations were lower extremity (42.3%), followed by upper extremity (32.5%), spine/trunk (19.6%), and head/neck (5.5%). The leading injury types were strains (16.6%) and apophysitis (12.9%). The most common apparatus for injury was floor (25%) followed by vault (20%). Binomial logistic regressions revealed that higher gymnastics level (OR = 5.19, p = .031) and younger age (OR = 4.05, p = .012) were predictors of lower extremity injuries. CONCLUSION: Our data show that injuries among club-level, young male gymnasts were most frequently located in the lower extremities. This contrasts older studies of primarily elite male gymnasts where injuries were more common in upper extremities. Overuse injuries were most prevalent in our cohort, and the most frequent injury types were strains and apophysitis.

Overuse Elbow Injuries in Youth Gymnasts.

BACKGROUND: Gymnastics is a unique sport that places significant loads across the growing elbow, resulting in unique overuse injuries, some of which are poorly described in the current literature. PURPOSE: To provide a comprehensive review of the unique overuse elbow injuries seen in youth gymnasts and to provide an up-to-date synthesis of the available literature and clinical expertise guiding treatment decisions in this population. STUDY DESIGN: Narrative review. METHODS: A review of the PubMed database was performed to include all studies describing elbow biomechanics during gymnastics, clinical entities of the elbow in gymnasts, and outcomes of operative and/or nonoperative treatment of elbow pathology in gymnasts. RESULTS: Participation in gymnastics among youth athletes is high, being the sixth most common sport in children. Early specialization is the norm in this sport, and gymnastics also has the highest number of participation hours of all youth sports. As a result, unique overuse elbow injuries are common, primarily on the lateral side of the elbow. Beyond common diagnoses of radiocapitellar plica and osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum, we describe a pathology unique to gymnasts involving stress fracture of the radial head. Additionally, we synthesized our clinical experience and expertise in gymnastics to provide a sport-specific rehabilitation program that can be used by providers treating surgical and nonsurgical conditions of the elbow and wishing to provide detailed activity instructions to their athletes. CONCLUSION: Overuse injuries of the elbow are common in gymnastics and include osteochondritis dissecans of the capitellum, radiocapitellar plica syndrome, and newly described radial head stress fractures. A thorough understanding of the psychological, cultural, and biomechanical aspects of gymnastics are necessary to care for these athletes.