GD9 CTW fileÒ  Medical 14, Ô Pediatric sports-related injuries are on the rise in America for a variety of reasons. One key reason is that our culture is by nature highly competitive and places a high value on athletic skill. The excitement of qualifying for the Olympics and the glamour and appeal of earning the high salaries of a sports professional are very enticing to both parents and their children. Both orthopedic surgeons and pediatric sports doctors are seeing a larger number of younger and younger patients than ever before. The types of injuries that the kids are coming in with are more serious than those that were seen in the past. Damaged or even severed cervical spines, torn ligaments, and traumatized limbs are becoming more and more common. Elbow pathology begins for many kids when they are active in baseball at a very young age. Much of this is related to throwing a baseball excessively. The types of injuries that can happen are things like torn ligaments, compressed joints, and fractured bones. These start out as very minor injuries in young kids, but they build up over time and can cause major problems as kids turn into adults. Basketball is causing a high number of problems to the knees. Swollen knees can be caused by sudden jumping and by quick take-offs. Almost any quick and severe change in position can cause an injury. What looks like a simple swollen knee could lead to a serious problem later on if it is not treated properly. Growth plates can close around age fifteen.