OPTION 3 SPORTS MEDICINE Flashcards
Ways to classify sports injuries: DIRECT
Caused by forces generated from outside the body
- E.G. tackle in rugby causes shoulder dislocation
- Signs & Symptoms = pain, tenderness, swelling, ↓ function, deformity
- Causes = collision or direct contact, external forces
Ways to classify sports injuries: INDIRECT
Caused by an intrinsic force and result from excessive stress on muscles, ligaments and tendons
- E.G. sprinter tearing a hamstring in a race
- Signs & Symptoms = pain, tenderness, swelling, ↓ function, deformity
- Causes = inadequate warm-up, excessive movement, internal force
Ways to classify sports injuries: SOFT
Acute damage to muscles, tendons, ligaments, cartilage, skin, blood vessels, organs and nerves
- E.G. sprain (which may involve severe and requires long rehabilitation)
Ways to classify sports injuries: HARD
Damage affecting bones and teeth
- E.G. fractured tibia in the leg or dislodging a tooth
Ways to classify sports injuries: OVERUSE
sustained injuries from repetitive use of a particular body part over a long period of time
- E.G. a stress fracture in the tibia of a marathon runner
- Signs & Symptoms = persistent pain, tenderness, swelling, ↓ function
- Causes = repetitive use, trauma on bones/joints/tendons/muscle, poorly designed training schedules
Types of Soft Tissue Injuries
- Tears (strains)
- Sprains
- Contusions (bruise)
- Skin abrasions
- Lacerations
- Blisters
What are tears (strains)
Occurs when tissue is excessively stretched or severed
- Blood flow bruising may be present at the point of injury
- Grade 1: fibres stretched & minor tearing
- Grade 2: a considerable amount of damaged fibres
- Grade 3: full muscle tear
What are sprains
Arises from the stretching or tearing of a ligament (connects bone to bone) and severity is measured using grades
- 1st degree: little damage/minor tear
- 2nd degree: moderate damage/half tear
- 3rd degree: extensive damage/full tear
What are contusions (bruises)
Caused by a sudden blow to the body, thus interrupting blood flow to the surrounding tissues
- Varys in intensity
- E.G. a haematoma forms on the bone as the blood clots
What are skin abrasions
- The skin area may be embedded with dirt, so requires cleansing to prevent infection
- Causes pain and shallow bleeding as a result of the skin being scraped
- Treatment: gentle cleansing & sterilisation to prevent infection
What are lacerations
- Wounds where the flesh has incurred an irregular tear
- Treatment: Stop bleeding, prevent infection, apply a non-adherent dressing & immobilise the wound
What are blisters
- Caused by a collection of fluid below or within the epidermal layer of the skin
- if blister top breaks, an infection may occur so must be kept clean
Identify is the inflammatory response
When a soft tissue injury occurs, the body activates a self-healing response
- Involves vasodilation allowing for more blood & fluid to exit the vessels and increase white blood cells
- Has 3 phases within it
What is Phase 1 in the inflammatory response
- Inflammatory stage: occurs in the first 48 - 72 hours
- Inflammation & redness is fast and painful & involves the vasodilation of blood vessels
- Increased blood flow to area and formation of blood cells to promote healing
What is Phase 2 in the inflammatory response
- Repair stage: occurs after 3 days - 6 weeks
- The body begins to fix the damaged site
- White blood cells clean up the debris from the injury and new tissues are formed
- Proper healing as scar tissue is weaker than normal