Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2023 Dec;16(12):627-638.
doi: 10.1007/s12178-023-09874-8. Epub 2023 Nov 24.

S.P.O.R.R.T.-A Comprehensive Approach to the Assessment and Non-Operative Management of Overuse Knee Conditions in Youth Athletes

Jacob Davis  1   2 , Bridget Doyle  1 , Haruki Ishii  1 , Neeru Jayanthi  3   4   5
Affiliations
Review

S.P.O.R.R.T.-A Comprehensive Approach to the Assessment and Non-Operative Management of Overuse Knee Conditions in Youth Athletes

Jacob Davis et al. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2023 Dec.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The evaluation of a young athlete with an overuse injury to the knee involves a comprehensive approach. There are a number of elements to consider including assessments of skeletal maturity (biologic maturation), workload (training load + competition load), sport specialization status, and biomechanics. The type of injury and treatment, as well as future prognosis, may be influenced by these and other factors.

Recent findings: Calculating the percentage of predicted adult height (PPAH) is a valuable tool in assessing overuse injury patterns and diagnoses in youth athletes. Modifiable and non-modifiable overuse injury risk factors require monitoring from clinicians as young athletes mature and develop over time. Training and rehabilitation programs should be adapted to account for these. In this manuscript, we seek to introduce a novel, comprehensive approach: S.P.O.R.R.T. (Skeletal Maturity, Prior Injury Risk, One Sport Specialization, Rehabilitation, Return to Play, Training Recommendations) (Fig. 1). Overuse, non-traumatic injuries to the knee in youth athletes will be presented in a case-based and evidence-based model to provide a framework for a comprehensive approach to the assessment and treatment of youth athletes with overuse injuries.

Keywords: Athlete; Knee; Non-operative; Overuse; Sports; Youth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Neeru Jayanthi, Jacob Davis, Bridget Doyle, and Haruki Ishii declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
S.P.O.R.R.T. approach
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Rehabilitation of anterior knee pain (based on stages of development where more likely to see each condition)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Jayanthi NA, LaBella CR, Fischer D, Pasulka J, Dugas LR. Sports-specialized intensive training and the risk of injury in young athletes: a clinical case-control study. Am J Sports Med. 2015;43:794–801. doi: 10.1177/0363546514567298. - DOI - PubMed
    1. • Jayanthi N, Kleithermes S, Dugas L, Pasulka J, Iqbal S, LaBella C. Risk of injuries associated with sport specialization and intense training patterns in young athletes: a longitudinal clinical case-control study. Orthop J Sports Med. 2020;8:232596712092276. Emphasizes the relationship between young athletes’ degree of sport specialization and their risk of injuries and reinjuries. - PMC - PubMed
    1. ••Jayanthi N, Schley S, Cumming SP, Myer GD, Saffel H, Hartwig T, Gabbett TJ. Developmental training model for the sport specialized youth athlete: a dynamic strategy for individualizing load-response during maturation. Sports Health 2022;14:142–153. Identifies the importance of identifying load response differences in youth athletes and how that relates to the development of training and rehabilitation programs. - PMC - PubMed
    1. McKay CD, Cumming SP, Blake T. Youth sport: friend or Foe? Best Pract Res Clin Rheumatol. 2019;33:141–157. doi: 10.1016/j.berh.2019.01.017. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Malina RM, Bouchard C, Bar-Or O. Growth, maturation, and physical activity. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics; 2004.

LinkOut - more resources