The ankles and feet are especially susceptible to injury because of the repetitive, fast-paced movements necessary in basketball. “We see a lot of ankle injuries,” says Dr. Caplan. “The most common is an inversion injury, where the foot rolls inward and stretches the ligaments on the outside of the ankle.”

For younger kids, this inversion or rolling of the ankle may cause an ankle fracture or a broken ankle. “There is a growth plate on the outside of the ankle that is vulnerable to fracture in younger kids instead of a simple ligament sprain. That’s why it’s important to have an ankle sprain assessed early on to be sure kids are treated appropriately,” says Dr. Caplan.

If your child has an ankle injury from basketball, an X-ray may help determine if they have a broken ankle or an ankle sprain. “If it’s a fracture, the ankle will be immobilized in a boot or a cast,” says Dr. Caplan. Broken ankle recovery time can vary depending on the location and severity of the injury; your doctor will discuss this with you once a diagnosis is made.

An ankle sprain is treated differently. “Depending on how severe the injury is, we will typically put kids in a boot or lace-up brace for a brief period of time, but the mainstay of treatment is to promote early range of motion,” says Dr. Caplan. “The longer the ankle is immobilized, the more stiff and weak the ankle gets, which puts kids at risk for longer return-to-play and for re-injury later.”

As long as a fracture has been ruled out, Dr. Caplan advises parents to encourage kids to move the ankle to maintain range of motion, and work on strength and balance until they feel strong enough to return to the basketball court.

As basketball players run up and down the court, jump and make quick changes in direction, it can put stress on the knees, which may lead to acute and overuse injuries. Children are particularly at risk for overuse injuries because their bodies are still developing. They may lack the strength and coordination to properly stabilize their joints, and they have growth plates in the knee that are more prone to a knee injury.

Overuse knee injuries typically occur because of irritation on the growth plates around the knee. Some of the most common overuse knee injuries include:

• Osgood-Schlatter disease (irritation of the growth plate at the top of the shin)
• Jumper’s knee or tendinitis of the patella tendon (inflammation of the tendon at the front of the knee)
• Runner’s knee or patellofemoral pain syndrome (irritation of the kneecap)

The good news is that in most cases, these conditions can be managed at home. If your child’s knees hurt after playing basketball, Dr. Caplan recommends resting for a short period of time, using ice and sometimes over-the-counter pain relief medications to see if it eases the pain. “These conditions generally don't lead to a serious problem, but kids certainly should be seen by a doctor if they're not getting better,” says Dr. Caplan. "Additionally, some knee pads or knee braces may help kids get back to sports more comfortably. If that is something your child wants to wear, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor to choose the right brace, but it's never wrong to try that out," she adds.

 

Acute injuries of the knee during basketball often result from a bad landing, an awkward pivot or a collision with another player, and can be serious. “Sometimes a child will describe feeling a pop in the knee,” says Dr. Caplan. “When associated with pain and swelling, this is a sign they should see a doctor prior to returning to play.”

Some of the most common acute knee injuries that occur in basketball include:

• Torn or sprained ligament, such as the ACL, MCL or LCL
• Torn meniscus
• Bone bruise
• Fracture

Some of these knee injuries require imaging to confirm a diagnosis and determine the best course of treatment. If you’re uncertain whether your child has a knee injury that needs to be evaluated by a doctor, Dr. Caplan recommends looking for the following red flags:

• The knee is swollen with a lack of definition.
• An inability to fully extend or flex the knee.
• Feeling like the knee is locking, catching or buckling.
• Pain that is persistent and keeps your child from sleeping or causes them to limp.

In some cases, an acute knee injury may require surgery. Bone bruises and certain knee ligament injuries, such as a sprained LCL or MCL, are the exceptions. The type of surgery needed and the time for recovery will vary depending on your child’s injury, and your doctor will discuss this with you in detail prior to any procedure.

 

The most common hand and finger injury for young basketball players is a jammed finger. In basketball, a jammed finger is usually due to a hard hit to the finger from a ball or another player. “A jammed finger is a spectrum of injury and not an actual diagnosis,” says Dr. Caplan. “It’s any injury that forces the finger to move in an abnormal way. It can cause a finger fracture, a dislocation or a tear in the ligaments. All of those are treated differently.”

Most of the time, a jammed finger is minor and kids can get by with a bit of tape and a splint to protect the finger while playing basketball. However, there are cases in which a jammed finger is a serious injury that needs to be addressed early on. Signs your child may need further evaluation by a doctor include:

• Swelling, bruising or deformity of the finger
• Inability to fully flex or extend the digit at any of the joints
• Difficulty moving the wrist or finger

If an X-ray shows a fracture or dislocation, doctors may use a cast or brace to immobilize the finger or, in severe cases, surgery may be necessary.

 

The nonstop action and repetitive movements required during basketball—not to mention the occasional collisions that happen when players are battling for control of the ball under the basket—can lead to other types of injuries parents might not expect. Hip injuries and back pain do show up occasionally in young basketball players, and it’s important to get to the root cause to ensure kids don’t make the problem worse.

Hip injuries

“There are multiple growth plates in the hip that can get irritated with the repetitive running, jumping and pivoting of basketball,” says Dr. Caplan. Kids can also experience acute hip injuries like a fracture or a pulled muscle.

Due to their location, treatment for hip injuries often requires a period of rest from basketball. “Typically, hip injury treatment will include taking it easy for a few weeks and then gradually working into a physical therapy program, usually with a formal physical therapist as opposed to doing therapy on their own at home,” says Dr. Caplan. “Then they’ll often need to check back in with their doctor to confirm they have full function before returning to sports. It’s typically a gradual process because of the nature of the injury.”

Back Pain After Playing Basketball

Back pain isn’t something kids often experience, so if your child is complaining about a sore back after playing basketball, it’s a good idea to have them seen by a doctor. “The biggest thing that we worry about, especially in basketball players who are doing a lot of jumping, is a stress fracture of the back,” says Dr. Caplan. “So if a child is having back pain, it's important that it be evaluated just to make sure that it's not something serious.”

Most of the time, the back pain will be related to a muscular injury. Kids may take a hard fall or a weird pivot, and they might strain the muscles of the back. “That's definitely more common, but we prefer to see kids in the office to confirm the correct diagnosis,” says Dr. Caplan.

In any competitive sport, some injuries are unavoidable. But there are steps kids can take to lower their risk for common basketball injuries.

• Conditioning: In the offseason, training that helps with stability and core strengthening will help correct muscular imbalances and improve jumping, landing and squatting mechanics.
• Supportive footwear: Many foot injuries kids experience while playing basketball can be prevented with supportive footwear. Children should wear shoes with stiff soles, good traction, cushioning and arch support. High-top sneakers may help reduce the risk of ankle injury in basketball players.
• Stretching: A good stretching program for the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves may help reduce knee and ankle overuse injuries.
• Bracing and taping: In the case of ankle injuries, some athletes may benefit from the added protection of a brace or a good tape job.
• Play smart: Good coaching and regular practice will help provide young athletes with better awareness and solid skills that will help them avoid many basketball injuries. “Playing smart” also means knowing when it’s time to give the body some rest.

“A child should not be playing sports—any sport—for more hours a week than their age. So an 8-year-old should be playing for eight hours a week or less,” advises Dr. Caplan. A leading cause of overuse injuries is playing the same sport year-round. “An athlete should take one month off for every six months they are participating in a sport or two months per year," she added.

 

If your child has a basketball injury, it’s important to take them to a pediatric sports medicine specialist for evaluation. The largest pediatric sports medicine program in the Southeast, Children’s offers access to a team of sports medicine specialists who understand kids and teens, and are dedicated to keeping them healthy and active.

“We know that kids are not just little adults. They have to be treated with a very different approach because of their physiologic development, their growth plates, the changes to their coordination as they get older—all of this impacts their risk of injury and how injuries are treated,” says Dr. Caplan.

For a parent, choosing Children’s means choosing a place where your child will be treated by specialists who have dedicated their entire careers to pediatric care. “We’re very comfortable communicating with kids, teens and families because we do it on a daily basis. We have fun with it,” she adds. “As pediatric sports medicine doctors, we want to get children back to playing sports as quickly and as safely as possible.”