Activity-related knee injuries and pain in athletic adolescents

By collecting data from 45 students at a ski high school, we found that a t otal of 73% of the students reported activity-related pain! injuries of the knee. Sixty-one percent had overuse injuries, 27% malalignment, and 12% ha d indistinct knee pain. Females suffered more knee pain/injuries (88%) than males (57%). Significantly higher Q-angle degrees were recorded for female s (16) than for males (10). "Jumper's knee" was found in all competitive st udents with a KT manual maximum difference (MMD) of 3 mm or more (mean 4 mm ), with a hard endpoint, whereas this was less common among the other compe titive students (P <0.05). The students were given counselling about traini ng and physiotherapy. In the followup study 1 year later, a significant red uction of knee pain/overuse injuries, from 73% to 35%, was recorded. This m ay be related to better equipment, the development of techniques, and train ing of the muscles. A high volume of training and knee instability, with MM D of 3 mm or more, seemed to be correlated with an increased risk for "jump er's knee" and, possibly, for skiing injuries. By identifying those at incr eased risk, preseason recommendations can be made and ski injuries may be p re vented.