Pediatric Sports Medicine

Children and teens are constantly on the move — running, jumping, climbing, and competing in sports they love. But even as active as they are, growing bodies are still developing, making young athletes more vulnerable to certain types of injuries. When your child experiences joint pain, fractures, or sports-related injuries, specialized care can help them recover safely and return to the activities they enjoy.

What Is Pediatric Sports Medicine?

Pediatric sports medicine is a subspecialty of pediatric orthopedics that focuses on diagnosing, treating, and preventing sports-related injuries in children and adolescents. These injuries can range from mild overuse problems—like tendonitis and stress fractures—to more serious conditions, such as ACL tears, growth plate injuries, or shoulder dislocations. Because children’s bones, muscles, and ligaments are still growing, they respond to injury and treatment differently from adults.

Our pediatric orthopedic sports medicine team combines expert medical knowledge with an understanding of how growth and development affect athletic performance and recovery. We provide comprehensive care for young athletes at all levels—from weekend soccer players to elite competitors—using advanced diagnostics, nonsurgical and surgical treatments, and individualized rehabilitation plans. Our goal is to help your child heal safely, stay active, and build lifelong strength and confidence.

The ultimate goal of pediatric sports medicine is not only to treat injury but also to prevent re-injury and encourage lifelong healthy movement.

Conditions We Treat

We treat the full range of pediatric sports injuries, including:

• Sports-related injuries such as sprains, strains, and fractures
• ACL tears, meniscus injuries, or ligament injuries in the knee
• Shoulder injuries, such as dislocations or labral tears
• Growth plate injuries from overuse or trauma
• Stress fractures or tendonitis
• Concussion symptoms or head injuries related to sports
• Repetitive strain injuries from gymnastics, baseball, dance, or running
• Chronic joint or muscle pain during or after activity

Care at Columbia

Our pediatric sports medicine surgeons and specialists are fellowship-trained in pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine. They have years of experience caring for young athletes at every level, from recreational players to competitive teams, and understand how to balance recovery with a child’s need to stay active. We offer the most advanced rehabilitation programs designed for pediatric athletes. Our team specializes in the latest techniques and technologies, including arthroscopic procedures, growth-plate-sparing reconstruction, biologic therapies, and sports-specific rehabilitation protocols, to ensure safe and effective recovery.

Thoughtful, Personalized Treatment

Not every sports injury requires surgery. We begin with nonsurgical treatment options, including monitoring, rest, bracing, physical therapy, and gradual return-to-play programs. If surgery is needed, we tailor it to your child’s size, age, and growth stage, using the least invasive and most effective methods available. Our personalized treatment plans take into account your child’s sport, position, age, and competitive goals. We focus on helping your child recover fully and return to the activities they love—stronger, safer, and more confident than before.