There is currently an unprecedented level of youth sports injuries, particularly in girls. Most alarming is the incidence of torn ACLs. Girls suffer two-to-ten times greater number of ACL injuries than boys. Most girls who play sports have either had a sports injury or have had a friend suffer a sports injury. Research shows ACL injury rates improve significantly when athletes participate in sports-specific conditioning and strengthening programs.

The Greenwich Academy Athletic Department has invited Greenwich Academy parents and students to attend a presentation tonight about adolescent sports injuries by the ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and Education. ONS orthopaedic surgeons Dr. Michael Clain and Dr. Katie Vadasdi will discuss the risk for and prevention of injuries to the lower leg, knee, shin and ankle.

The speakers will talk about injury prevention and about the latest treatments for the most common sports injuries. The audience will be encouraged to ask questions.

The ONS Foundation provides expertise and evidence-based guidelines for sports-related injury prevention for athletes, coaches, as well as the aging population. The goal of the Foundation is to help raise the health status of all people to the highest possible level by decreasing the incidence of injuries through prevention.

ONS is Connecticut’s premier center for orthopedic and neurosurgery specialists. ONS physicians are trained at the top universities and hospitals in the country and have expertise and vast experience in diagnosing and treating sports-related injuries. ONS physicians serve as consultants for professional sports teams as well as college and high school programs.

ONS is the lead sponsor for the 2010 American Platform Tennis Association (APTA) junior championship, which takes place on January 30 at the New Canaan Field Club in New Canaan. The APTA Junior Nationals is the last of thirteen APTA Junior Tour events. Tournament director Mike Gillespie said the host committee was very pleased to have such strong community support for the championship event. “We depend heavily on the generosity of volunteers and sponsors to present this championship tournament. 200 to 250 kids will come from Massachusetts to Philadelphia to compete and we encourage anyone interested to come watch, and to learn about paddle. It’s an exciting sport and there will be some excellent players competing,” he said.

Nestle Waters North America (Poland Springs) of Greenwich is also a sponsor. Other area sponsors are Comina, New Canaan Racquet Club, Tennis General Store and William Raevis of New Canaan, the Center for Advanced Pediatrics in Norwalk, Bebands Water ID Bracelets of Fairfield, Switch Beverage Company of Darien and the Fairfield County Platform Tennis League (FCPTL). The Wilson platform ball will be the official ball of the tournament. The tournament is also sponsored by the APTA.

Matches will take place at eleven clubs within a 10-mile radius of New Canaan. Players must be APTA members and will be grouped for competition by age; 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under and 18 and under. A welcoming party will take place Friday evening, January 29 at 7 p.m. at New Canaan Field Club. Tournament play begins Saturday morning at 11 a.m. and will continue until evening.

To register, go to www.platformtennis.org/tournaments/National_Championships.htm. For more information, contact Mike Gillespie at 203-966-2543 or michaelegillespie@yahoo.com. (more…)

Dr. Gloria Cohen will serve as a member of the host medical staff for the XXI Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada from February 12 to 28. While there, Dr. Cohen will blog about her experiences on the “team behind the team”. She will write daily posts beginning when she arrives for pre-training on February 8th to tell what it is like to be with the athletes during practice and in competition.

Dr. Cohen has served on three prior Olympics medical teams. This time she has been assigned as a primary care sports medicine physician for the Olympic long track speed skating events.  She joins a multidisciplinary sports medicine team that includes orthopedic surgeons, neurosurgeons, primary care physicians and athletic trainers.  Robb Kelley wrote about Dr. Cohen for the Greenwich Citizen last week.  We will post a link to the article as soon as it is available on the newspaper’s website, so check back soon.

The free ONS Ski Injury Prevention Seminar will take place on January 26 at 7 PM.  It’s not too late to get ready for the ski season.  Don’t miss this opportunity to hear important tips for safe skiing, information about the most advanced treatments for common injuries such as a ruptured ACL, and a presentation on the latest ski and snowboard technology by Hickory and Tweed of Armonk.  Orthopedic and sports medicine specialists Steven Hindman, MD and Katherine Vadasdi, MD will discuss the causes of the most common skiing injuries and how many of them may be avoided. Physical Therapist Chalon Lefebvre, PT will discuss the importance of a pre-season conditioning and strengthening program.

Admission is free but registration is requested. Call 203-869-3470 or send email to clinicalresearch@onsmd.com to register.

The ski injury prevention seminar is offered by the ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and Education. The goal of the ONS Foundation is to improve standards of excellence for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders through clinical research, physician and patient education, and community outreach programs. For more information about the ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and Education, call Ifeoma Inneh at (203) 869 3131. The ONS Foundation for Clinical Research and Education is an alliance with Greenwich Hospital. For further information, visit www.ons-foundation.org or call (203) 869-3131.