What is Sports Traumatology?
Sports Traumatology is a medical specialty that treats injuries of the locomotor system, as a consequence of a trauma suffered during sports practice. The type of injury can be of different types, depending on the affected area: ligaments, tendons, meniscus, bone, cartilage, etc.
What is the difference between classic and sports traumatology?
Sports traumatology is intended for patients who require a rapid recovery in order to be able to return to training as soon as possible. For this reason, the techniques used are minimally invasive for several reasons:
- Minimal incisions are made (arthroscopic surgery).
- It causes less bleeding
- It has less surgical aggression
- It reduces hospitalization time
What are the most common injuries?
Injuries vary depending on the sports discipline, as each sport can affect different areas of the locomotor system.
In running, knee (meniscus and cartilage) and foot-ankle (tendinitis) injuries predominate. On the other hand, in gyms, pathologies in the shoulder, knee and hips are observed as a consequence of crossfit and indoor activities.
In racquet sports (paddle tennis, tennis, etc.) the most common injuries are in the elbow (epicondylitis), knees (meniscus and cruciate ligament) and shoulder (SLAP injuries in the labrum, supraspinatus, etc.).
As for shoulder pathologies with instability component (dislocations, biceps long tendon injury), these occur more frequently in those activities where the upper limb predominates (basketball, handball, volleyball, judo, karate, etc.).
Finally, cartilage, meniscal and cruciate ligament injuries usually occur in sports with risk of knee torsion (soccer, martial arts, etc.), in addition to hip injuries such as femoroacetabular impingement (CAM and Pincer) and labral injury, which is one of the main causes of hip osteoarthritis.
In short, there is a wide range of injuries, due to today’s growing sports culture.
Which ones require a longer recovery and rehabilitation time?
The first thing to do is to diagnose the extent of the injury. A joint injury is not the same as a musculotendinous pathology. Muscle injuries generally require early intensive physiotherapeutic management.
On the other hand, joint pathology is more complex and therefore requires a more exhaustive follow-up by the orthopedic surgeon. In cases where surgery is required, everything will be coordinated jointly by the patient, the orthopedic surgeon and the rehabilitation team.
How can they be prevented?
Prevention is elementary as in any other medical specialty, so it is important to teach the patient some tools to avoid relapses. In addition, the orthopedic surgeon will perform specific toning and stretching exercises that will contribute to a greater strengthening of the area. Likewise, he/she will also focus on aspects such as postural hygiene, dietary habits or the establishment of adequate rest periods. All these factors will be key to avoid new injuries.
However, it should be noted that the protocol will be different depending on the patient’s pathology. For example, in a recurrent shoulder dislocation, arthroscopy with capsulobral repair will be performed and a sling will be maintained for the next 4 weeks. During recovery, gentle activities will be performed progressively, avoiding stiffness. Between the last two weeks, physiotherapeutic work will begin and, in addition, aerobic activity on a stationary bicycle will be allowed to minimize glenohumeral impact.
However, it is not until the second or third month when the arc of mobility is recovered and active and strength exercises begin for the consecutive months. The objective is that the patient progressively recovers sensations and security in the development of the sport activity.