title: Apophyseal injuries in children's and youth sports.
abstract: The authors reviewed the current English literature regarding apophyseal injuries affecting young athletes, to highlight the frequency and characteristics of these injuries, to clarify risk factors and specific prevention measures, and to identify future research objectives.
  
  
  
  The authors performed a comprehensive search of the medical literature, using the Medline database, including all English articles. Various combinations of the Keywords 'injury', 'sports', 'athletic injuries', 'avulsion fractures', 'physeal', 'physis', 'apophysis', 'apophysitis', 'growth plate' were used.
  
  
  
  Growth benefits from a moderate physical activity.
  
  
  
  Growth deficit may occur in young athletes involved in intensive practice of sport following apophysitis.
  
  
  
  Apophyseal injuries occurring during sport are less common than overall rate of injuries affecting the adolescent population. Growth disturbance occurs only rarely after an apophyseal injury.
  
  
  
  Further studies should consider analytical as well as descriptive components of apophyseal injuries, to allow the identification of new possible risk factors and preventive measures and to help early detection and proper treatment as well.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Trigoria Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Umile Giuseppe
authors.initials: UG
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Trigoria Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ciuffreda
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Trigoria Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Locher
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, University of Salerno, Via Giovanni Paolo II, 132, 84084 Salerno, Italy n.maffulli@qmul.ac.uk.|Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Rd, London E1 4NS, England.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maffulli
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University, Via Alvaro del Portillo, 200, 00128 Trigoria Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Denaro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D002648:Child; D042241:Early Diagnosis; D000071562:Fractures, Avulsion / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006132:Growth Plate / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors; D000067009:Youth Sports
keywords: apophyseal; children, adolescent; injuries; sports