Knee problems in children and adolescents.

It is important to recognize that there are differences in the spectrum of knee injuries that occur in childhood and adolescence and to always keep these in mind when examining the younger athlete. Constant vigilance for hip pathology presenting as knee pain is also necessary in this age group. As the tendency becomes greater for practitioners to become more specialized in treatment modalities (for example, arthroscopic surgeons, knee surgeons, and so forth), the likelihood of making preventable errors in the case of young athletes increases. The comprehensive care of the athlete and his or her injury is paramount, and one should be wary of the pressure to treat the youngster as one might the college or professional athlete in order to return him or her to sports more quickly. Serious injuries require time to heal and even more time for the patient to convalesce and undergo rehabilitation.