Damages that occur when the whole or part of the body encounters resistance that the tissues cannot meet during a sporting activity, exceeding the endurance limit of the tissues, are called sports injuries.

The reasons that increase the risk of these injuries can be divided into two main groups, depending on the person and the environment. Personal reasons include the age and gender of the athlete, the person's body structure or physical deficiencies that are not suitable for the chosen sport (muscle weakness, joint limitation, etc.), psychological factors (risk acceptance, excessive motivation, etc.), previous and not fully treated injuries, inadequate training or overload.

Examples of environmental reasons include poor ground and weather conditions, use of poor quality or inappropriate sports equipment, non-compliance with the rules, poor training program and lack of coordination with the medical team.

The type of sport performed also paves the way for the formation of certain injuries. For example, muscle, tendon and ligament tears may occur more frequently in sports such as football and basketball that require sudden stops while running, turning sideways, jumping and falling to the ground, sudden turns and pivot movements.

While overuse problems and chronic muscle fatigue are prominent in runners, shoulder-related injuries are more common in sports such as handball. In sports that require strength in short times and distances, tendon ruptures and muscle tears may occur.

The risk and frequency of muscle and tendon injuries are higher in people over the age of 40 or in people who restart sports after taking a break for a certain period of time. The most common of these injuries is the rupture of the Achilles tendon, which allows us to stand on tiptoe. In order to protect from these injuries, sports appropriate to age and health status should be preferred. Especially if you have done sports before and taken a break for a while, it is beneficial to enter a preparation period before starting again.

Ligament injuries are more common, especially in large joints such as the knee and ankle. The most common ligament tear we encounter in the knee joint is the "Anterior cruciate ligament tear". This area does not hold stitches and cannot heal itself. Therefore, surgical tissue transplantation is mandatory. In order to protect from ligament injuries, it is necessary to do warm-up exercises before starting sports, thus reducing the load on the ligament. It is also very important that the ground is suitable for the sport performed.

Meniscus tears are among the most common knee-related injuries. Menisci are structures that have a cartilage structure and ensure the harmony of the joint surfaces of the knee with each other. Tears that occur in young people while playing sports are called "Traumatic tears". After the age of 40, abrasion tears may occur even if not during sports. While the meniscus tissue is tried to be protected by stitching in young age tears, partial removal of the damaged meniscus is performed on those that cannot be stitched and in older patients' tears.

In order to prevent injuries, the warm-up exercises before the workout as well as the cool-down exercises afterward are very important. Particularly great importance should be given to stretching exercises.

Working tempo should always be increased very slowly, and if an injury occurs, one should not continue working with this pain. Otherwise, even a condition that can be treated simply may become incurable and surgery may even become necessary.

Periodic health checks of athletes are also very important in preventing injuries. With these checks, the current situation of the athlete at the beginning of the season can be revealed, deficiencies can be identified and necessary measures can be taken to eliminate those deficiencies.

When sports, which is an absolute necessity for a healthy life, is done consciously and under suitable conditions, injuries that may occur can be minimized and the efficiency of the person from this sport can be maximized. I wish everyone healthy days where they enjoy their sports.

Op. Dr. Barış PEKER
orthopedics and Traumatology specialist

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