4 June 2015

Hörst warns kids and coaches about growth plates injuries

Eric Hörst, one of the most well known climbing coaches in the world, as well as father of two of the hardest climbing boys, has written an article about kids injuries. Eric sees a risk with the increased boulder and campus training focus for kids and comments about the biggest injury risk, fractures of the growth plates. "The most disturbing injury trend among youth climbers is the increase in fractures to epiphyseal (growth) plates of the fingers. Though most often observed in the hardest-training, hardest-climbing youths, all youth climbers should be monitored for the onset of joint pain in the fingers. Growth plate injury often develops over time, first revealing as minor joint swelling and pain while crimping and, if not treated with rest, progressing to acute pain, increased swelling, reduced range of motion, and in the worst cases disfigurement that can become permanent. Adolescent climbers are most at risk for growth plate fractures during their growth spurt years (ages 11 – 14 in girls, and 12 – 16 in boys), although they can occur up to the age of eighteen, prior to complete fusing of the growth plates. European research and anecdotal evidence here in the States reveal that double-dyno campus training is a leading cause of growth plate injuries. However, epiphyseal fractures can also develop in youths who engage in frequent intensive bouldering—the kind involving copious dynamic movements and repeated extreme crimping moves."
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