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TUESDAY, Sept. 18, 2018 (HealthDay News) — Sport specialization in children and adolescents is associated with an increased risk of overuse musculoskeletal injuries, according to a review published in the September issue of Pediatrics<\/i>.<\/p>\n
David R. Bell, Ph.D., from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and colleagues conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature to determine whether sport specialization is associated with overuse musculoskeletal injuries. The authors analyzed four studies with populations of athletes aged 18 years or less.<\/p>\n
The researchers found that athletes with high specialization were at an increased risk of sustaining an overuse injury versus athletes with low (pooled relative risk [RR] ratio, 1.81) and moderate (pooled RR, 1.18) specialization. There was a higher risk of injury for athletes with moderate specialization than athletes with low specialization (RR, 1.39).<\/p>\n
“These results revealed a stepwise increase in risk with increasing levels of specialization,” the authors write.<\/p>\n
One author has received honoraria for lectures, including for service on a speakers bureau for the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.<\/p>\n
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