Youth Para and Adaptive Sports Medicine

Abstract

This review aims to provide an overview of sports medicine principles pertaining to youth Para athletes. While little research on youth Para athletics exists, recent elite Paralympic Games data confirms a higher rate of upper extremity injuries in wheelchair athletes and lower extremity injuries in ambulatory athletes, while showing a higher rate of acute injuries in the Winter Games and skin/soft-tissue injuries in Summer Games. These summer sport findings are consistent with historic youth Para sport data. Clinicians caring for youth Para athletes should be aware of medical considerations for Para athletes with various medical conditions. While little research exists specifically on youth Para sport, we review pediatric rehabilitation medicine and sports medicine principles and data from the adult literature to help prepare clinicians caring for this population. Future research should focus on injury patterns and injury prevention in the youth Para sport population.