13 Bone Injuries in Very Young Athletes

Little league shoulder syndrome in an adolescent cricket player: Figure 1

“…1 The proximal humeral growth plate of the young person is at high risk for epiphysiolysis because it consists of cartilage, and an impulse of the whole arm exerts strain at this weak location.…”

“…1 In a 13 year old baseball pitcher, treatment with 3 weeks of immobilisation in a sling and abstinence from all throwing for the following 12 weeks led to an asymptomatic condition after 2 years. 2 As early mobilisation of the shoulder joint is favoured today, 9 the authors preferred not to immobilise the shoulder of the above patient in a sling.…”

“…Other authors have also refrained from immobilisation and have treated the condition only with rest, allowing the adolescent baseball player to resume playing at other positions but not to pitch again until closing of the epiphyses. 1 No case has hitherto been reported in which little league shoulder was operatively managed.…”

“…Treatment consisted of recommending total abstinence from all throwing for 12 weeks and abstinence from fast bowling until closing of the proximal humeral epiphyseal plate. 1 After the shoulder pain subsided, the young patient was allowed to resume playing at a different position. The patient was pain free 1 year after the onset of symptoms.…”

Little League survey: the Houston study

“…Over the past several years scattered reports of these lesions in children associated with organized baseball have appeared . [6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14] The present study is an attempt to define the acute and chronic effects of baseball participation on the pitching elbow in Little League participants (ages 8 to 12 years).…”