Sports Medicine Myths vs. Truths
By Matthew Matava, MD, Kevin Farmer, MD, Kevin Shea, MD, Lance LeClere, MD
stopsportsinjuries.org
Preventing and recovering from sports
injuries is an ongoing issue for
athletes of all ages. Below we address
some of the misperceptions about
some common injuries and their
treatment.
Myth: Throwing curveballs leads to
the highest risk of injury in young
pitchers.
Truth: Overuse, high pitch counts, and
poor mechanics are the highest risk factors
for injury. Throwing only fastballs with
inappropriate rest and high pitch counts is a
significant risk in young arms.
Myth: A reconstructed ACL is
stronger than the original ACL.
Truth: An original ACL is always stronger
than one that has been reconstructed from
foreign materials. No reconstruction allows
an athlete to perform better than the native
tissues.
Myth: A dislocated finger takes longer
to heal than a fractured one.
Truth: Fractures are typically worse in
terms of prognosis and return to play than
ligament injuries such as dislocations.
Myth: Both heat and ice should be
used immediately following an injury.
Truth: Ice should be used after an injury in
order to reduce inflammation and inhibit
pain. Heat should be used prior to exercise
to warm and stretch injured soft tissues.
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Myth: A patient is able to throw
faster following ulnar collateral
ligament reconstruction (“Tommy
John” surgery).
Truth: A common myth about Tommy John
surgery is that having surgery when the
ligament is not torn will add speed/strength
to a player’s pitches. Many players will
begin to lose accuracy and speed because
of pain, muscle fatigue, and ligament
damage before their ligament ruptures
completely. Having surgery on a healthy
ligament will not improve a player’s
performance.
Myth: An ankle sprain is worse than
an ankle fracture.
Truth: An ankle fracture typically takes
longer to heal than a sprain and
occasionally requires surgery. Even “high”
(eversion) ankle sprains, which take longer
to heal than the more common “low”
(inversion) sprains heal sooner than most
true ankle fractures
Myth: Weight lifting in preadolescents
and adolescents causes growth plate
injury.
Truth: Weight lifting and more generally,
strength training, requires proper technique
to avoid injury. While a few older,
retrospective case reports have
demonstrated growth plate injury due to
weight lifting, these injuries were caused by
improper technique, inadequate adult
supervision/direction, or inappropriate
weight selection. With the exception of
these settings, youth resistance training can
be done safety. Appropriate supervision,
technique, and loads are important to
ensure safer training with minimal risk of
injury.