Download Classifying Injuries

• Injuries can be classified and discussed a
number of ways
• The 2 most common classifications are:
1. Causation and Anatomy
2. The forces involved
• Injuries/Illnesses can be placed into 2 categories:
– Primary Injuries = injury that results from the stress
imposed by a particular sport
• Can be caused by EXTRINSIC FORCES like other players,
equipment, etc
- Or INTRINSIC FORCES, which are stresses created
within the athlete’s body like overuse, etc.
 Secondary Injury
• Injuries or complaints that arise as a result
of the primary injury
–Can happen if an athlete was not cared for
properly
–Those that were allowed to return to
participation too quickly after an injury
• Examples?
–Chronic swelling, chronic pain
• Sports injuries can also be described according
to the primary structure that has been affected
and the extent of the trauma
• These injuries can be classified as
EXTERNAL and INTERNAL
• External or exposed injuries usually involve
the skin and are classified into basic
categories or types...
– Abrasions
– Lacerations
– Avulsions
– Puncture wounds
– Incisions
– Blisters
• When the skin is scraped
against a rough surface
• The top layer of skin is
worn away, thus exposing
numerous capillaries
• High likelihood of infection
from dirt and debris
– Must be cleaned and dressed
properly
• When a sharp or pointed
object tears the skin
• The wound is jagged in
appearance
• Must also be cleaned and
dressed and often require
suturing
• When a flap of skin or
tissue is torn away from
the body and left hanging
or is completely torn
away
• Tx = Clean, dressed and
probably sutures
• The direct penetration of
an object into the body
tissues
• Most dangerous because
they can be fatal
• Should always be referred
to the doctor because of
the possibility of
infection/tetanus
• Cleanly cut wounds that often
appear where a blow has
been delivered over a sharp,
bony area of the body
• Not as serious as the other
types of wounds
• Easy to repair via sutures or
simple closure
• Continuous friction causing a collection of
fluid within the layers of the skin
• Caused by the pooling of blood and fluid in a
tissue space usually caused by a broken blood
vessel
• Can form anywhere in any tissue
• Injuries that happen to tissues and muscles on
the inside of the body…
• 5 different mechanisms:
– Tension
– Stretching
– Compression
– Shearing
– Bending
• Tension
– pulls or stretches tissue
• Stretching
– pulls beyond elastic limit
• Compression
– force that crushes tissue
• Shearing
– force that moves across the parallel organization
of the tissue
• Bending
– force on a horizontal bone that places stress
within the structure causing the bone to bend or
strain
• Strain
– Stretch, tear or rip in muscle, fascia or tendon
– Mechanism of injury (MOI)
• Forceful muscle contraction
• Strength imbalance
• Inability of muscle to react
• Characterized by pain, muscle spasm, and
muscle weakness
• Signs and Symptoms (S/S)
– Swelling
– Cramping
– Inflammation
– Loss of muscle function
• Most common: Back and Hamstrings
• Two goals for treatment:
1. Reduce swelling and pain
•
Done through RICE
–
–
–
–
REST
ICE
COMPRESSION
ELEVATION
2. Rehabilitation
– Must improve condition of injured part and
restore function
– Unlike bone – muscle heals with scar tissue so it
is NOT as good as new
•
Very often re-injured
• Measures to take to reduce the risk:
– Health, well balanced diet
– Healthy weight
– Proper fitting shoes
– Stretch/warm-up before activity
– Avoid exercise or sports when tired or in pain
– Run on even surfaces
• Tendonitis
– Inflammation that occurs when tendons become
irritated
– Most commonly occurs from overuse
– Treatment:
•
•
•
•
Avoid aggravating movements
NSAID’s
Ice
Physical therapy
• Contusion aka bruise
– Occurs from a direct blow or blunt injury
• Doesn’t penetrate the skin
– Deep contusion = more severe
– Extra blood pools in surrounding tissue creating a
bruise = ecchymosis
• S/S:
–
–
–
–
Swelling
Pain during palpation
Redness
Ecchymosis
• Most respond well to RICE
• If not treated properly myositis ossificans can
form
– Calcification forms within the muscle
• Injury to ligaments
– Connect bone to bone
• One of the most common and disabling of
athletic injuries
– Ankle sprains account for 25% of all sports
injuries!!
• Occurs when a joint is forced beyond its
anatomical limit
• S/S:
–
–
–
–
Pain
Swelling
Ecchymosis
Loss of ROM
• Treatment:
– RICE
– ROM exercises
– Strengthening exercises
to prevent “weak
ankles”
• All injuries are given a grade to represent the
severity of injury
• Grade 1
• Grade 2
• Grade 3
• Grade 1: Some fibers stretched/torn, some
tenderness, little or no swelling, and pain with
motion
• Grade 2: Pain, moderate loss of function,
swelling, moderate instability
• Grade 3: Extremely painful initially, loss of
function, inability to move/walk, severe
instability, tenderness and swelling