Can we do better? Towards a child-centred approach in the rehabilitation of paediatric sport injuries

The American National SAFE KIDS Campaign estimates that >3.5 million children are injured annually during sports or recreational activities.1 More than 50% of these injuries are overuse injuries. This may be caused by an increased adulteration and professionalisation of youth sport,2 which contributes to children often specialising in one sport at an early age and intensifying their time in sport-specific training. Such augmented volume and frequency of training combined with little time to recovery increase the risk of injuries.3 Evidence shows that injuries may persist and force withdrawal from sport, disrupt friendships, lower quality of life and cause physical impairments in children.4 With a high number of sports-related injuries in children, we need effective and meaningful approaches that integrate child-specific needs and challenges into rehabilitation. The aim of this editorial is to issue a call for action towards child-centred rehabilitation for paediatric patients.