Imaging of Physeal Injury

Physeal injuries are common and are crucial to recognize, as morbidity and the sequelae of missed physeal injury are not easily remedied. Trauma, both acute and chronic, is by far the most common cause of physeal injury. While acute traumatic events may result in physeal damage, chronic lowgrade trauma such as in overuse injuries can also injure the vulnerable growth plate. With increasing youth involvement in organized sports, the phenomenon of overuse injuries is a frequent reality among children. The intense training schedules, intense focus on a single sport, and lack of off-season rest all contribute to the overuse injuries seen in children. In the current age of competitive sports, 53% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 years sought medical care for an overuse injury in the cohort evaluated by Stracciolini et al, but debate persists as to whether the incidence of pediatric sports-related injuries is actually increasing. Whether the incidence of injury is trending upward, this article aims to highlight the utility of imaging in the medical workup of this patient population. EpidEmiology