he musculoskeletal system is generally affected during sports or vigorous activities. The joints are also particularly susceptible because of the strain experienced during day to day activities. There are many such injuries that are mostly observed in athletes, the most common of them are:

1. Fractures

• Fractures can occur either due to a quick one-time injury (acute fractures) or due to repetitive stress on a bone (stress fracture).
• In growing children, bone plate fractures can be seen because growing bones are not as strong, therefore vulnerable to injuries.

2. Dislocations

• When two bones that form a joint get displaced, the joint is said to be dislocated.
• Dislocation is most common in shoulders, elbows, knees and fingers.

3. Sprain

• Sprains are stretches or tears occurring in the ligaments that are caused by forces that knock the joints out of place.
• Most common in elbows, knees and ankles and can be first degree, second degree or third degree.

4. Rotator cuff injury in shoulder

• Tendinitis or inflammation of rotator cuff tendons in the shoulder.
• Rotator cuff tears such that the tear could either be partial or full.

5. Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)

• During sports like tennis or badminton, tendons in the elbow can get inflamed. This causes pain on the outside of the elbow.
• Even other people that tend to do more handwork like painters, plumbers and carpenters can suffer tennis elbow.

6. Runner’s knee

• Runner’s knee shows symptoms like pain or tenderness near or under the kneecap.
• Common in runners but also hikers or during cycling.

7. ACL tear

• An ACL Tear occurs when the Anterior Cruciate Ligament is stretched beyond its physiological limits. This causes a partial or complete rupture of the collagen fibres that form the ligament.
• Rapid swelling or hemarthrosis takes place due to the blood vessels within the ligament rupturing too. It bleeds into the knee joint and this injury causes the ligament to lose mechanism of function and leads to instability in the leg region.

8. Meniscus tear

• A Meniscus Tear occurs when the meniscus cartilage is damaged or torn due to a sudden injury or as a result of gradual degeneration.
• The menisci can be easily injured by the force of rotating the knee while bearing weight. A partial or total tear can easily occur when a person quickly rotates the upper leg while the foot is planted.

9. Shin splints

• Pain caused by inflammation of muscles, tendons or bones in the shinbone or tibia, in the lower leg.

• Particularly seen in runners.

10. Achilles tendinitis

• Achilles tendinitis is a stretch or tear in the muscle connecting the calf to the heel.
• Patients usually feel pain in the back of the heel due to overuse.

These conditions are due to acute reasons as well as overuse and severe tear/stretches or even negligence can lead to major complications later on therefore physiotherapy for sports injuries becomes a requirement in such cases.