Imaging of triathlon injuries.

Injuries in triathletes are common and are mostly overuse injuries. Rotator cuff tendinitis is the most common complaint from swimming, but the incidence of tendinopathy and rotator cuff tears on magnetic resonance imaging is comparable in triathletes without and with shoulder pain. Cycling injuries are mainly to the knee, including patellar tendinosis, iliotibial band syndrome, and patellofemoral stress syndrome, and to the Achilles tendon and the cervical and lumbar spine. Running is associated with most injuries in triathletes, during both training and racing, causing the athlete to discontinue the triathlon. In addition to knee injuries from running, triathletes may also develop foot and ankle, lower leg, and hip injuries similar to single-sport distance runners. Some injuries in triathletes may be mainly symptomatic during one of the three sports but are exacerbated by one or both of the other disciplines.