Recognition, Prevention, and Immediate Care of Athletic Injuries

1
Recognition, Prevention,and Immediate Care
ofAthletic Injuries

• David L. Brunken, MA, ATC
• Certified Athletic Trainer
• Mt. San Jacinto College

2
Mechanisms and Characteristicsof Sports Trauma

• External vs. Internal forces (M.O.I.)
• Acute (trauma) vs. Chronic (overuse) injury
• Tissue Properties
• Load external or internal force(s) acting on
  the tissue
• Mechanical Stress internal reaction and/or
  resistance to a load
• Viscoelastic Properties deformation in response
  to the stress
• Yield Point viscoelastic limit of the tissue
  being deformed
• Mechanical Failure yield point exceeded, tissue
  breaks, damage

3
Types of Forces

• Force A push or pull tissue stress
• - Tension tissue pull or stretch force
• - Stretching tissue pull or stretch beyond
  yield point
• e.g. sprain, strain, fracture
• - Compression crushing tissue force
• e.g. fracture, contusion/bruise
• - Shearing force across parallel organization
  of tissue
• e.g. blister, abrasion, fracture
• - Bending force along a perpendicular bone
  axis
• e.g. fracture
• - Torsion twisting force along a vert/horiz
  axis
• e.g. spiral fracture

4
Injuries To The Skin

• Friction Blister
• Abrasion
• Bruise /
• Contusion
• Laceration
• Avulsion
• Incision
• Puncture

5
Muscular Injuries

• Contusion Hematoma
• Strain Musculotendinous Unit
• - Grade I / 1st Degree (Mild)
• - Grade II / 2nd Degree (Moderate)
• - Grade III / 3rd Degree (Severe)

6
Muscular Injuries cont.

• Muscular Cramps (Involuntary)
• - Clonic (Short Term contract,relax,repeat)
• - Tonic (Long Term constant contraction)
• both attributed to lack of H2O electolytes
• Muscle Soreness
• - Acute onset
• - Delayed onset (DOMS)
• Muscle Guarding (Voluntary)

7
Tendinous Injuries

• ? Tendon connects muscle to bone ?
• Strains (Musculotendinous Unit)
• Tendinitis
• Crepitus
• Tenosynovitis
• Atrophy
• Contracture

8
Joint Injuries

• ? Ligament connects bone to bone ?
• Sprains (Ligamentous)
• - Grade I / 1st Degree (Mild)
• - Grade II / 2nd Degree (Moderate)
• - Grade III / 3rd Degree (Severe)
• Synovitis (Synovial Cartilage Bone Lining)
• Traumatic Arthritis
• Bursitis
• Capsulitis

9
Joint Injuries cont.

• Subluxation
• (Temporary Dissociation)

• Dislocation
• (Complete Dissociation)

10
Skeletal Traumaosteoblasts, callus, ostoeclasts

• Fractures (open/compound vs. closed)
• - Depressed - Spiral
• - Greenstick - Transverse
• - Impacted - Comminuted
• - Longitudinal - (Coup)Contrecoup
• - Oblique - Blowout
• - Serrated - Avulsion
• - Stress - Epiphyseal/Apophyseal

11
Nerve Injuries

• Compression Tension Mechanisms
• - Brachial Plexus
• - Lumbar Plexus
• Neuritis
• Neuropraxia
• Paresthesia

12
Overuse / Fatigue Injuries

• Caused by repetitive stress to tissue
• Achilles, Bicipital, Patellar Tendinitis
• Medial (Pitchers/Golfers Elbow) Lateral
  (Tennis Elbow) Epicondylitis
• Shin-Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
• Stress Fractures (fibula, 2nd 5th metatarsals)
• Osgood-Schlatters Disease
• Runners / Jumpers knee (ITBFS Pes Anserinus
  Tendinitis)
• Patellar Chondromalacia
• Postural deviations Pathomechanics

13
First Aid Immediate Careof Athletic Injuries

• R Rest
• I Ice
• C Compression
• E Elevation
• Cryotherapy Techniques (clinical lab in training
  room)
• Prophylactic Taping

14
Injury Preventionand Rehabilitation

• General Body Conditioning
• Weight Bearing
• Joint Mobilization
• Flexibility
• Muscular Strength
• Neuromuscular Control
• Prophylactic Taping Bracing
• Functional Progression
• Begin or Return To Activity