Clinical assessment, treatment, and referral trends for adolescent runners seeking care at an injured runners' clinic.
Alexandra F DeJong Lempke, Andrea Stracciolini, Sarah B Willwerth and 4 others
PMID 38007679WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescent runners with shin injuries received the most clinical resources, including imaging, referrals, and supplements.
Care shifted over ten years toward nutrition and gait training, reflecting updated consensus on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, while manual tests remained the primary diagnostic tool.
Key findings
01Shin injuries accounted for the largest proportion of clinical assessments, imaging services, and referrals compared to other body regions.
02Referral patterns changed over time, with increased nutrition and gait-training referrals coinciding with new consensus statements on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport.
03Manual and special physical examinations were the most common clinical assessments, comprising 56% of all tests performed.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study took place at a single specialized clinic with access to multiple specialists, so these resource levels may not be achievable in general practice. The patient population was predominantly White females, limiting generalizability to other demographics. The study did not track training volume or injury severity, which likely influenced the care provided. There were no data on treatment success or patient outcomes, only on the services rendered.
Declared interests
Funding was none. One author receives royalties from book publishers and philanthropic grants unrelated to running injury treatments.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the high volume of referrals and assessments for shin injuries as proof that these interventions improve outcomes. The study only reports what was done, not whether it worked.