THE PREPARTICIPATION SPORTS EXAMINATION FOR HIGH-SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ATHLETES

The past two decades have witnessed a significant increase in the numb er of individuals participating in organized athletics in the United S tates.(75) During the 1995-1996 academic year, approximately 6 million high school athletes and 322,000 college athletes participated in org anized athletics.(73,75) The 1988 National Health Interview Survey est imated that 4.3 million US children and adolescents annually sustain i njuries while participating in a sport or recreational activity; this accounted for 36% of injuries from all causes.(13) Two studies have sh own that 22% to 39% of high school athletes sustain injuries in their sports.(40,67) Football players are consistently the most frequently i njured high school athlete, followed by gymnasts, wrestlers, and baske tball players.(6,41,67) The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA) Injury Surveillance System (ISS) shows that the injury rate per 1000 athlete-exposures ranges from 3.4 (baseball) to 9.6 (spring footb all).(74)