Management of foot and ankle injuries in pediatric and adolescent athletes: a narrative review

Laura E Gill,^1,2 Kevin E Klingele,<sup>1,2

1</sup>Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA; ²Department of Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

Abstract: In this review, we focus on the treatment of injuries to the foot and ankle in the adolescent athlete. While many injuries in the adolescent foot and ankle are similar to or overlap with their counterparts in the adult population, the anatomy of the adolescent ankle, especially the presence of growth plates, results in different injury patterns in many cases and calls for specific management approaches. We discuss the unique anatomy of the pediatric patient as well as the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of common injuries in the young athlete.

Keywords: foot, ankle, lower extremity, pediatric athlete, growth plate, Lisfranc injury
 

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