Knee Problems in the Young Dancer

Abstract

Young dancers are at unique risk for knee injuries as the result of the inherent demands of dance and the biomechanical changes that occur during growth. The majority of knee injuries in young dancers are due to overuse, as opposed to macrotrauma. Since many young dancers have joint hypermobility and disordered eating patterns, these variables play a large role in the injury profile for this population. Bone health, including proper nutrition and vitamin D levels, is another unusually important variable to be considered in the assessment of dance injuries. This chapter deals with many of the knee injuries that young dancers commonly sustain, such as patellofemoral pain syndrome, fat pad syndrome, plica syndrome, Osgood–Schlatter syndrome, and Sinding–Larsen–Johansson syndrome. As with all activity-related injuries, the first task in dealing with these injuries is to make an accurate diagnosis. Next, the pathophysiology needs to be understood, as well as the risk factors involved. Treatment, and finally prevention, completes the medical management for optimal care.