From youth and high school to adult and professional leagues, basketball players of all levels and age groups are susceptible to a variety of sports injuries. We asked board-certified orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Scott Smith, to break down the most common basketball injuries and what can be done to prevent them.
You can see often see Dr. Smith sitting on the sidelines at Austin Spurs games to help injured players as part of Texas Orthopedics partnership with the semi-professional basketball team. He not only treats players, he loves the game!
Top 5 Basketball Injuries
- Ankle Sprains Ankle sprains happen when the ligaments within the joint are torn and thus unable to support your ankle properly. Swelling, bruising and pain are common immediate effects of this type of injury.
- Achilles Tendonitis This common injury occurs when the Achilles tendon — which follows the back of your leg down to your heel — becomes inflamed. It’s typically caused by overuse or wearing the wrong type of shoes for the sport or workout you’re doing.
- Jumper’s Knee Also called patellar tendonitis, “jumper’s knee” is caused by overuse and results in small tears in the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shinbone. Athletes who jump a lot — such as basketball and volleyball players — are more prone to jumper’s knee than other athletes, hence its nickname.
- ACL Tears Sports like basketball and football that require quick, sudden movements can put you at a greater risk of ACL tears. This injury causes your knee to become unstable and requires rest and, in some cases, surgery in order to properly recover.
- Muscle Strains Virtually every muscle in your body can become strained with overuse, making this a very common injury for all athletes. Muscle strains vary in severity and commonly affect areas such as the groin, hamstrings and quadriceps.
To prevent these common basketball injuries, always warm up properly before training or a game, wear properly fitting shoes for the activity you’re doing and allow your body to rest when needed. Pushing yourself to “power through” an injury can make matters worse.
When you do find yourself dealing with a sports-related injury, Texas Orthopedics has got you covered. We offer specialized sports medicine services to help you recover quickly and get back to doing what you love. Learn more about our sports injury services here.
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