Caring for Wrestlers

Abstract

Wrestling is a popular high school and college sport with an injury and illness rate second only to football. It is important that the physician providing medical care for wrestlers be familiar with the unique characteristics of wrestling and the associated common injuries and medical problems. Common orthopedic injuries include shoulder, elbow, and finger dislocation; prepatellar bursitis; knee medial collateral ligament sprains; and cervical strains. Skin infections are the most common cause of missed mat time for wrestlers. Physicians need to be able to identify and treat these infections, and know the rules regarding return to wrestling once an infection has been identified. Other conditions that are common include auricular hematomas, epistaxis, and brow lacerations. Physicians also need to be familiar with the medical issues involved with rapid weight loss and weight cycling, and understand the high school and college weight certification rules.

Pure elbow dislocation in a child wrestler with underlying hyperlaxity: what is the optimal time to return to competition?

“…The authors reported that four out of eight cases failed to return to sports during that season. Similarly, in their study in which injuries in wrestling were evaluated, Kiningham and Monseau[ 9 ] reported that elbow dislocation was a serious injury to wrestlers and they stated that it often led to the athlete missing the entire season. It was considered that impairment of the ligament integrity may be responsible for this situation.…”

“…It has been stated in many studies that return to sports usually takes long in pediatric wrestlers with elbow dislocation without hyperlaxity. [ 8 , 9 ] In the case presented here, closed reduction, short-term immobilization, and early strengthening of the dynamic stabilizers of the elbow enabled an early return to competition. In this case report, it was emphasized that pediatric elbow dislocation accompanied by underlying hyperlaxity should be handled separately from other elbow dislocation cases and it was aimed to show that this specific group can return to sports in the early period.…”

Ear bolster button

“…The hematoma results from creation of a dead space between the perichondrium and cartilage as a result of surgery and trauma or shearing forces . Delayed or no treatment of the auricular hematoma may result in deformity due to regrowth of abnormal fibrotic cartilage, through devascularization from loss of blood supply from the perichondrium, creating a cauliflower ear . The cause is not as important as the treatment to prevent cauliflower ear.…”