Sports Medicine

Our Sports Medicine specialists treat the whole spectrum of sports related injuries, from the most common to highly complex. We are adept at treating sprains and strains as well as sports overuse injuries like shin splints and spondylolysis. Whatever the condition, our experts provide the highest level of treatment to get your child back to his or her normal activities as quickly and painlessly as possible.

Conditions that our orthopaedic experts treat include:

• ACL tears
• Ankle sprain
• Concussions
• Discoid meniscus
• Female athlete triad
• Femoroacetabular impingement
• Hip dysplasia (adolescent and adult)
• Hip labral tear
• Hip muscle strains
• LCL / Posterolateral corner tear
• Little league shoulder and elbow
• Meniscus tears
• MCL sprain
• OCD lesions
• Patella instability
• PCL tear
• Shoulder dislocation
• Shoulder labral tear
• Stress fractures and overuse injuries
• Tibial eminence fracture

There are many ways to treat a sports injury. We pride ourselves in selecting the most appropriate treatment for each child based on his or her physical development, diagnosis and treatment goals.

Sports injury care at Children’s National includes:

• On-site radiology: Our ability to take X-rays within our clinics helps us manage sports injuries accurately and efficiently. We are one of few pediatric hospitals with an EOS^® machine, which provides high quality scans more quickly and with less radiation than a traditional X-ray. Learn more about diagnostic imaging and radiology.
• Sports physical therapy: Physical therapy can help your child strengthen muscles, increase flexibility and safely return to physical activity after an injury. All of our physical therapists have a special interest in working with children. At the new Fight For Children Sports Medicine Center, our team will work with young athletes in a state-of-the-art rehabilitation gym to get them back to sports and regular activities as smoothly as possible. Learn more.
• Splints and braces: Special devices, including splints and braces, stabilize injured limbs, allowing them to rest and heal. Specialists from child life services can help you and your child navigate practical matters, such as how to find clothes that fit over a brace or how to safely get around on crutches.
• Minimally invasive surgery: When surgery is necessary, we use the latest minimally invasive techniques. Using small incisions and sophisticated surgical tools helps minimize disruption to surrounding tissue and speeds recovery. Learn more about minimally invasive orthopaedic surgery.
• Athletic training: A certified athletic trainer works directly with the sports medicine team to provide the best quality care possible and help patients return to the activities they love. The athletic trainer assists with evaluation and treatment of patients in the clinic, coordinates diagnostic testing and treatment and creates rehabilitation programs. The athletic trainer also works as a liaison to local athletic trainers and other healthcare providers in the community, providing access to the sports medicine department for consultation and treatment. Learn more about athletic training.

Learn more about the services offered at the Fight For Children Sports Medicine Center.

One of the best ways to care for pediatric sports injuries is to prevent them from happening. At the Sports Performance and Motion Analysis Lab in the Fight For Children Sports Medicine Center, we provide sports motion analysis services to aid young athletes looking to enhance their sports performance and reduce their risk of injury. In addition, our athletic trainers work with local school athletic training programs to help coaches, parents and young athletes have a fun and safe sports season.

Tips to prevent sports injuries include:

• Warming up before playing 
• Recognizing the signs of extreme tiredness (fatigue) and taking breaks when necessary
• Avoiding play when there is pain or discomfort
• Playing with children who are of similar physical size and skill level

For more information or to make an appointment, call us at 202-476-2112.