Knee pain in young sports players aged 6–15 years: a cross-sectional study in Japan

Abstract

Background Knee is the most commonly injured part of the body in young athletes. Knee pain in several studies have been seen to be more prevalent in active adolescents compared to inactive, although common in both groups. Nevertheless, few studies with large sample size have been published reporting the difference of the prevalence of knee pain for each sport among young sports players. This study investigated the point prevalence of knee pain among young sports players aged 6–15 years old according to age, sex, and sports discipline. Furthermore, this study investigated the association between knee pain and sports discipline among young sports players. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a self-reported questionnaire on young sports players aged 6–15 years from the Miyagi Amateur Sports Association. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between knee pain and sports discipline and were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index (BMI), training days per week, and training hours per weekday and weekend. Results A total of 7234 young sports players were included. The point prevalence of knee pain was 10.9%. Females (13.3%) had more knee pain than males (9.8%). Young, 13-year-old sports players had the highest prevalence of knee pain (19.1%). The multivariable analysis showed that the highest odds ratio [95% confidence interval] was observed for handball players (2.42 [1.01–5.81]). In addition, hand ball, mini-basketball (odds ratio 1.85; 95% CI 1.38–2.47), and basketball (odds ratio 1.66; 95% CI 1.23–2.26) were significantly associated with knee pain, compared with football. The lowest odds ratio was observed for swimming (0.34 [0.05–2.54]), followed by karate (odds ratio 0.38; 95% CI 0.16–0.89) and baseball (odds ratio 0.47; 95% CI 0.35–0.64). Conclusion The prevalence of knee pain among young athletes differed according to age, sex, and sports discipline. Their parents and clinicians should recognize this information to manage knee pain among young sports players.

Observational Study of Growth-Related Knee Pain in Japanese Footballers Aged 12–15 Years: A Subsequent Series Following Children Aged 8–12 Years

“…The prevalence of GRNP in the 7 th to 9 th grades was approximately two-fold higher than that in the 3 rd to 6 th grades (11.2%, as shown by Sasaki et al, 2023), which could prove our first hypothesis. Another study (Iwatsu et al, 2023) also investigated the point prevalence of knee pain among young Japanese players (7,234 participants from several sports) aged 6-15 years and showed that 13-year-old athletes had the highest rate of knee pain at 19.1%, which is similar to the present results. In an epidemiological study conducted in a Middle Eastern country (Qatar), the prevalence and occurrence rates of apophyseal knee injuries in young elite footballers aged 9-18 years were a median of 33.2% and 13.1 years old, respectively (Materne et al, 2022).…”

The Role of MRI Scan in Sports-Related Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries: A Case Report-Based Literature Review

“…Despite their physical benefits, knee injuries are common, particularly in contact and pivoting sports, such as touch football, netball, soccer, rugby union, rugby league, and Australian football. Australia has one of the highest numbers of ACL reconstruction surgeries [ 9 , 10 ]. Most young athletes with knee injuries can resume, to some extent, a level of sports activity through non-pharmacological treatment, such as rest from aggravating activities, icing, and medications if required [ 11 ].…”