Many of these arise from the overuse of certain muscles or because a child's skeletal and muscular systems are not yet fully developed. These growing muscles, ligaments and tendons are vulnerable to injury. During puberty, children experience a growth spurt, when bones grow more quickly than muscles and tendons, making muscles and tendons short, tight and easily injured. In addition, preteens going through puberty may also become less coordinated as they adjust to their physical changes, which can increase the risk of injury. The chance of injury increases with the degree of contact in a sport.
Knee injuries are the most common serious injury in major sports.
Most sports injuries involve the soft tissues of the body, not the bony skeleton. Only about 5 percent of sports injuries involve fractures. Sprains are injuries to the ligaments, which connect one bone to another. Strains are injuries to the muscles. If players wear protective equipment, many sports injuries can be prevented.