Cheerleading injuries

Skip breadcrumb navigation Preventing Cheerleading Injuries Legend has it that cheerleading started with a University of Minnesota student standing up in the stands and leading his fellow students in "cheering" for their team during a football game. Cheerleading has morphed drastically since then. Today, it's considered an athletic activity that incorporates elements of dance and gymnastics along with stunts and pyramid formations.

Ludwig, MD A quadriceps tendon rupture occurs relatively infrequently and usually occur in athletes older than 40 years old. Injuries to the quadriceps tendon can be very disabling.

They can cause significant loss of time from sport and work. If not treated appropriately, these injuries can have many negative long-term sequelae, however if diagnosed quickly Cheerleading injuries treated appropriately, one can expect a full recovery from a quadriceps tendon rupture.

What is the quadriceps tendon and why is it important? The quadriceps tendon is the strong tendon that inserts on the top of the patella knee cap. The quadriceps tendon is a confluence coming together of the four muscles that make up the muscles Cheerleading injuries extend the knee.

These four muscles are: These muscles are the strong muscle on the anterior front side of the femur thigh bone.

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Their main action is to extend the knee and leg. All four of these muscles come together just above the patella and form a strong, thick tendon. The quadriceps tendon is important because it allows the knee to be extended. If the quadriceps tendon is injured then the patient will not be able to extend their knee.

How does one suffer quadriceps tendon rupture? The quadriceps tendon is injured most commonly from a forced eccentric contraction contracting while lengthening against an outside force. This can happen during high-energy accidents such as motor vehicle crashes and during sporting activities, or during low energy injuries such as falls from a standing position.

What are some risk factors for a quadriceps tendon rupture? Really there are very few risk factors. Most quadriceps tendon ruptures are the result of either direct or indirect trauma.

However, even in patients with these disorders, the incidence of quadriceps tendon ruptures is still very low. What are the signs and symptoms of a quadriceps tendon rupture?

Usually this is precipitated by a fall or other traumatic event. The pain will be located at the level of the knee or just above the knee joint.

The patient with a complete rupture is unable to do a straight leg raise or extend their knee. These patients will have a difficult time walking on the affected leg. On physical examination the patient will be acutely tender to palpation directly above the patella. There is oftentimes a palpable defect in this area when compared to the contralateral side uninjured knee.

The knee will have a large effusion swelling in the knee. The patient will be unable to extend their knee. Some patients with a partial tear may still be able to extend their knee, but will have significant weakness when compared to the other leg.

What imaging studies are needed for a quadriceps tendon rupture? Initially a patient who presents with pain and swelling in the knee should undergo plain radiographs x-rays of the affected knee.

This will help to rule out a fracture as the cause of the problem. If these are negative, then a MRI scan can be obtained to evaluate the integrity of the quadriceps tendon.

The x-rays of a patient with a quadriceps tendon rupture may show patellar baja a knee cap that is lower than normal. There may also be a small piece of bone that is torn off of the patella with the tendon that can be visualized on x-ray.

The gold standard for diagnosis would be a MRI scan of the knee, which would evaluate all of the soft tissue structures in the knee including all of the cartilage and ligaments.

This would also help to distinguish between a complete and partial tear. What are some other injuries that can mimic a quadriceps tendon rupture?Cheerleading (Sports Injuries: How to Prevent, Diagnose & Treat) [Lisa McCoy] on regardbouddhiste.com *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers.

Introduces the sport of cheerleading and provides information on how to prevent and treat the most common injuries associated with the sport.

Cheerleading Injuries a Growing Concern Update: Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB into law, making competitive cheerleading an official sport in California. The California Interscholastic Federation and the state Department of Education would be required to develop .

Pop Warner is the largest and oldest youth football and cheer & dance program in the world. Pop Warner is the only youth football and cheerleading organization that . WHAT TYPES OF INJURIES ARE MOST COMMON IN CHEERLEADING? The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that cheerleading led to 16, emergency room visits in (the latest year for data).

A traumatic brain injury (TBI) is defined as a blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. TBI can result when the head suddenly and violently hits an object, or when an object pierces the skull and enters brain tissue.

Symptoms of a TBI can be mild, moderate or severe, depending on the extent of damage to the brain. CheerSafe’s mission is to educate parents, cheerleaders and administrators to the facts of cheerleading safety at every level – school, college and all star—and to promote and improve cheerleading safety through the involvement of a wide spectrum of organizations in the cheerleading community.