Module 1: Introduction to sports injuries

Sports Injuries

1. Introduction
   1. Classifications
   2. Stage of healing
   3. Injuries and tissue types
   4. Acute injury
   5. Sub-Acute
   6. Chronic injury
   7. Impact injury
2. Injury activity
3. Soft-tissue injuries
   1. Haematoma
   2. Concussion
   3. Strains
   4. Sprains
   5. Bone-cartilage damage
4. Hard tissue injuries
   1. Dislocation
   2. Fractures
5. Overuse injuries
   1. Stress fractures
   2. Shin splints
   3. Tendonitis
6. Naming injuries activity
7. Signs and symptoms of injuries activity

Stage of healing

Injuries are usually described in relation to their stage of healing, i.e. acute, sub-acute, or chronic. Put simply this means severe, moderate or mild.

• Acute Stage (Severe) 0-72 hours after injury
• Sub-Acute Injury (Moderate) 72 hours to 21 days after injury
• Chronic Continuum (Mild) 21 days after injury.

The severity of the injury will dictate sub-acute and chronic. For example, less severe injuries will meet the chronic stage sometimes before day 21, more severe may take longer than 21 days.

Injuries are also described as being regional (based upon the particular body region), sports related (common to a particular sport) and age related, for example Osgood-Schlatter's disease, which is an injury problem seen particularly in growing children (particularly boys) who play a lot of football.

Some sport and activity related problems are not best categorised as being injuries, such as the overtraining syndrome, but they are still problems none the less. For example, cramp or stitch. We also need to be aware that some medical conditions can, in some circumstances, be adversely affected by exercise, for example arthritic conditions.