Your young athlete’s body is still growing, even as a teen. That’s why your athlete needs care designed especially for growing bones, muscles and ligaments. Pediatric sports medicine specialists have special training that enables them to get kids moving and back on the field again—not just for one season but for many seasons to come. In some cases, seeking out a pediatric sports medicine specialists could mean your child would have more options than just surgery.

Children's Sports Medicine Program

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is home to the go-to Sports Medicine Program for teen sports injuries. As Georgia's only nationally ranked program for teens*, we're one of the only programs in the country exclusively dedicated to caring for growing athletes after an injury or when they experience pain during or after playing their sport. This means we only treat youth and teen athletes so we have a wealth of experience treating pediatric sports injuries and illnesses.

Our sports medicine professionals deliver a complete package of care from start to finish. They guide athletes from assessment of their injuries through diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation until they can safely return to play.

We treat common and complex sports injuries. Our team of pediatric sports medicine specialists includes:

• Sports medicine primary care physicians (PCP)
• Orthopedic surgeons
• Certified athletic trainers
• Sports physical therapists

Our team is trained in age-appropriate techniques and focused on treating sports-related injuries and conditions in growing athletes. They work collaboratively to give each athlete the best chance at a good outcome.

Children’s has one of the largest pediatric sports medicine programs in the Southeast. We have 13 clinics, 11 sports physical therapy gyms, more than 25 sports physical therapists, and more than 30 certified athletic trainers at 40 high schools and clubs. 

When Should My Teen Go to a Pediatric Sports Medicine Specialist?

For a safe and speedy recovery from a sports injury, early detection is key. Detection of sports injuries can be difficult because they are not always traumatic—they can have subtle symptoms that progress over time. That's why teens need a go-to if they get hurt or are experiencing pain while playing.

Your teen athlete should see a sports medicine specialist if:

• They suffer an acute injury that prohibits them from returning to sports.
• Symptoms, such as pain, do not go away after rest or treatment at home. 
• If their training or performance is affected by an injury that has not been diagnosed or treated.

If your growing athlete has an injury, it’s important they see a sports medicine team trained in pediatrics, and one that understands how to diagnose and care for kids and teens to avoid long-term damage. Our multidisciplinary team develops specialized, effective treatments that return teen athletes to playing their sport as safely and quickly as possible.

We treat growing athletes who have a wide range of sports-related injuries and conditions, including:

We provide a comprehensive assessment, treatment and expert advice for growing athletes with injuries and conditions that affect sports performance. Because we only work with kids and teens, we recognize when they're ready to progress to the next level of treatment and how to push them. We use special equipment and technology to find and correct techniques and mechanics to improve and refine sport performance. Our team performs research and also looks at outcomes to improve and refine treatments.

We offer a full range of comprehensive care options to get your athlete up and running again, including:

• Athletic training
• Sports medicine primary care
• Sports physical therapy
• Sports surgery

We also offer specialized treatment and testing, such as:

• Dry needling, which involves licensed therapists placing very thin needles into muscle fibers. It can be used to help treat muscle pain, headaches, swelling and nerve problems.
• Isokinetic testing, which is an objective way to evaluate dynamic stability of the knee joint to assess the quality of rehabilitation after surgery. With traditional strength training, an athlete lifts a set amount of weight. With isokinetic strength training, the amount of weight lifted varies, depending on how much effort the athlete puts forth.
• Sports motion analysis.

Helping children and teens with disabilities find safe sports

We are committed to helping children and teens with disabilities find a sport they love and can play safely. Our Sports Medicine, Orthotics and Prosthetics, and Rehabilitation programs collaborate to provide growing athletes with disabilities access to and information about adaptive sports.

Helpful resources for adaptive sports athletes:

• Americans With Disabilities Act
• Atlanta Sparks
• Blaze Sports
• Catalyst Sports
• Full Radius Dance
• Henry County Parks and Recreation
• National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability
• Strong4Life
• The Kyle Pease Foundation

While general orthopedic surgeons who see adults can treat pediatric patients, children make up only a small percentage of their practice. Our team, on the other hand, are specialists in kids and teens, treating children and teens 100% of the time.

Not all sports injuries will require surgery, so it’s important to see a pediatric sports specialist who is dedicated to diagnosing and treating the injuries of growing athletes. We have one of the largest pediatric orthopedic and sports medicine practices in the Southeast and our sports medicine surgeons are dedicated to sports surgery for growing athletes. We are the only nationally ranked pediatric orthopedics program in Georgia*.

Our sports surgeons work closely with our pediatric radiologists, pediatric anesthesiologists and pediatric sports physical therapists to surround a patient with complete and comprehensive care—before, during and after your child's surgery.

What sports surgeries does our team perform?

Our team of sports surgeons performs common and complex sports surgery procedures. Our team works to preserve your athlete’s joint, bones and muscles to keep your athlete active for years to come. Here is a list of procedures our team performs:

• ACL surgery
• Ankle arthroscopy
• Cartilage preservation
• Fracture repair
• Hip arthroscopy
• Hip labral surgery
• Knee arthroscopy
• Meniscus repair
• Rotator cuff repair
• Shoulder arthroscopy
• Shoulder instability surgery

How to prepare for sports surgery

What makes our sports surgery services unique?

Our highly specialized, pediatric-trained team:

• Works to get to know your athlete beyond their injury or condition, including what drives your athlete, the sports they play and their goals.
• Is focused on getting your athlete back to sports safely and keeping them on the field or court for years to come.
• Has experience with rare injuries and conditions as well as common ones, like ACL injuries and fractures.
• Uses innovative surgical techniques that are driven by data and research.
• Collaborates during surgery to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient.
• Follows patients after surgery to track their outcome and adjusts surgical techniques accordingly.

Sports medicine primary care physicians and surgeons

We know that you want to bring your child to the best pediatric sports medicine doctors available to get them back on the pitch, court or stage doing what they love. Our Sports Medicine Program, led by orthopedic and sports medicine specialists, includes doctors and surgeons who work closely with orthopedic surgeons in the community to help ensure complete, coordinated care is delivered seamlessly at our hospitals for growing athletes with sports medicine needs.

Michael T. Busch, MD, leads the Sports Medicine Program as Surgical Director.

Children's Physician Group–Orthopedics and Sports Medicine

Sports medicine primary care physicians

• Ashley Brouillette, MD
• James Crownover, MD
• Logan Garfield Caplan, MD
• J. Stephen Kroll, MD
• Stephen Miller, MD
• Armand Scurfield, MD
• Matthew Vosters, MD

Orthopedic surgeons

• Michael T. Busch, MD, Surgical Director, Sports Medicine Program
• Crystal Perkins, MD, Medical Director, Orthopedic Quality and Outcomes; Medical Director, Girls Flag Football
• S. Clifton Willimon, MD, Chief, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center; Medical Director, Atlanta United Academy Team

Certified athletic trainers

We have more than 30 certified athletic trainers on our team.

Physical therapists

We have more than 25 sports physical therapists on our team.

Sports medicine primary care physicians and surgeons

Our sports medicine primary care physicians and pediatric orthopedic surgeons see patients at 13 office locations.

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Sports physical therapy

Our sports physical therapists see patients at our 12 sports medicine gyms.

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