Research In Action

Are you excited to watch the individual figure skating event at the Winter Olympics which kicked-off last night? I will certainly be rooting on "quad king" Nathan Chen, Adam Rippon, and Vincent Zhou on our US men's team. And how about our ladies! Competing in the team event, Mirai Nagasu was the first US woman to land a triple axel at the Olympics and only the third...ever. Bradie Tennel skated a clean program in her Olympic debut.

But as I've been learning of their individual paths to greatness, what strikes me is the frequency of serious injury among these gifted athletes. Nathan Chen's hip avulsion injury during his US Nationals exhibitation skate in 2016. Adam Rippon's foot fracture in early 2017. Bradie Tennel suffering stress fractures in her lower back twice in 2015-2016, each requiring months of recovery. Marai, now age 24, suffered stress fractures as a teenager. The resilience and commitment of these athletes is inspiring.

As we cheer them onto the podium, I thought it would be worth revisiting some of our blog posts related to sports-related injuries: 

• At the previous summer Olympics, Dr. Naomi Brown shared her expertise on the cost of hidden athleticism in girls.
• In another post, I discussed the unique considerations for injury prevention among Special Olympians.
• Finally, in early 2017, we shared a post on current guidelines and research in the area of concussion injury in youth soccer. 

If a child has sustained an injury, help them emotionally cope using AfterTheInjury.  For more concussion resources for clinicians and families, visit CHOP's Concussion Care: Minds Matter website.