title: Sports-specific issues in men's and women's lacrosse.
abstract: Boys'/men's and girls'/women's lacrosse are the fastest-growing sports at the high school and college levels and are team sports with unique medical issues and injuries. The rules of the game are very different for the women's game compared with those for the men's game. Youth rules include modifications that take into account physical and cognitive maturational differences. Given the unique rules of the game between genders, the equipment requirements also are different. The most common injuries in lacrosse for both genders across all ages are lower extremity injuries and, primarily, ankle and knee sprains, followed by head injuries. Concussion has received a lot of recent attention, and education, comprehensive management, and prevention efforts remain the most critical issues. A unique medical concern in lacrosse is commotio cordis, which requires immediate identification and management and underscores the importance of sideline preparedness. This article will review the sport-specific medical and musculoskeletal issues in lacrosse.
authors.affiliation: 1Athletic Medicine, Princeton University, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson, University Health Services, Princeton, NJ; 2MedStar Sports Medicine Research Center, Baltimore, MD; and 3Department of Orthopaedics, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI.
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Putukian
authors.forename: Andrew E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Lincoln
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Crisco
mesh_terms: D016512:Ankle Injuries; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D001924:Brain Concussion; D056104:Commotio Cordis; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma; D005260:Female; D006260:Head Protective Devices; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries; D008297:Male; D015865:Racquet Sports / Q000293:injuries*; D019876:Sports Equipment; D013180:Sprains and Strains