Abstract
Injuries are common in the various disciplines that make up the sport of athletics. Diagnosis depends on an accurate history and competent examination, possibly assisted by imaging techniques such as ultrasound, magnetic resolution imaging and computerized tomography. It is also important to consider the influence of various intrinsic and extrinsic factors in deciding on the mechanism of injury. Most acute injuries relate to overstretching of soft tissue, whereas overuse injuries reflect repetitive microtrauma with degenerative or inflammatory consequences. Steroid injections should be restricted to situations where inflammation predominates. Surgery may be required for specific acute injuries and when supervised rehabilitation over 6 months fails to resolve chronic injury. Following surgery, physical and psychological rehabilitation should be carefully planned.
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