A Pediatric Sports Medicine Specialist Practicing Near Fairfax, VA
When it comes to sports medicine, pediatric and adult patients are not the same and should not be treated as such. If your child has a musculoskeletal condition or sports-related injury, he or she can receive the specialized orthopedic care he or she needs at Nirschl Orthopaedic Center near Fairfax, Virginia. Our pediatric sports medicine specialist, Dr. Farshad Adib, MD, focuses her practice exclusively on treating pediatric and adolescent patients ages 8 to 19.
Here are some of the reasons why pediatric sports medicine is an orthopedic specialty:
Growth Plates
Unlike adults, growing children have active growth plates near the ends of their bones, which allow the bones to gain length and width as they develop. Made of flexible cartilage, growth plates are more fragile than mature bone and are often considered to be “weak links.” Growth plates remain open until the child stops growing; at that point, they close and fuse into a solid bone mass.
Open growth plates are significant to orthopedic care for several reasons. For instance, while adults with fully formed bones are susceptible to overuse injuries such as tendinitis, children with open growth plates are more likely to develop irritation of a growth plate, such as Osgood-Schlatter disease. Likewise, an adult may sprain his or her ankle after rolling or twisting it, but a child is more likely to sustain a fracture at or near a growth plate. To ensure proper treatment and minimize the risk of further damage, pediatric patients require specialized care for these and other types of injuries, such as fractures.
Growth Spurts
Many children experience a growth spurt around the time they reach adolescence. As a child grows, his or her bones may develop faster than the surrounding tissues. As a result, nearby muscles and tendons may tighten over a lengthened bone, leading to inflexibility and predisposing the child to injury. As a pediatric sports medicine physician, Dr. Adib is trained to identify such imbalances and other factors that may increase a child’s risk of injury. As such, she can provide valuable advice and injury prevention tips for a growing athlete.
Young Athletes Have Unique Needs
Dr. Adib is committed to meeting the unique needs of growing athletes and keeping them safe, healthy and at the top of their game. Contact Nirschl Orthopaedic Center today to request a consultation with our pediatric sports medicine specialist at our state-of-the-art facility near Fairfax, VA.