Selected issues for the master athlete and the team physician: a consensus statement.

Team physicians often treat injured active patients aged 50 yr and older. There are various definitions of master athletes. For the purpose of this document, master athletes will be defined as active individuals aged 50 yr or older. They desire optimal levels of performance or wish to exercise for general health and have high expectations for sports medicine care, including return to sport or activity. In addition, to the more common general illnesses and injuries seen in athletes, master athletes can experience specific illnesses and injuries owing to their physiology. This may require customized treatment to address the complexity of these conditions. This document will examine selected illnesses and injuries commonly seen in master athletes.