I was thinking about posting this under the Parents section, but decided to post here instead, as it is important information for young gymnasts to read and know the importance of listening to your body during your training. [COLOR=#000000][QUOTE]"The broad constellation of recent injuries is unusual and might point to something new going on in gymnastics training that is affecting young athletes in different ways," said the study's lead author, Jerry Dwek, M.D., an assistant clinical professor of radiology at the University of California, San Diego and a partner of San Diego Imaging at Rady Children's Hospital and Health Center.[/COLOR]

In earlier studies, scientists found a large number of injuries to the growing portion of adolescent gymnasts' bones.

But, the current study has shed light on some injuries to the bones in the wrists and knuckles that have not been previously described. Besides, scientists also found that these gymnasts had necrosis, or "early death," of the bones of their knuckles.

"These young athletes are putting an enormous amount of stress on their joints and possibly ruining them for the future," said Dwek. The radius is the bone in the forearm that takes the most stress during gymnastics. Due to damage to the radial growth plates, the bone does not grow in proportion to the rest of the skeleton and may be deformed. [/QUOTE]

Young Gymnasts’ Acrobatic Antics Raise Risk of Arthritis

[COLOR=#000000]Related, Bart Conner:[/COLOR]

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[COLOR=#000000]Over the course of his career, Conner endured nine orthopedic surgeries, including operations on both shoulders, two on his left elbow, and five on his right knee. But in short order, he was always back in the game. It's ironic, then, that Conner's biggest struggle these days comes from a much more ordinary complaint. At age 22, Conner was diagnosed with osteoarthritis.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000000]"I didn't think much of it, until the doctor looked at me and said, 'My God, you've got the elbow of a 90-year-old man!' I'd been through so much worse in terms of pain and discomfort, I just laughed at first. But the strange thing is my arthritis is the one condition I still have to deal with on a daily basis — and one I have to treat with enormous respect."[/COLOR] [COLOR=#000000]Conner subsequently endured four more operations on his elbow and knee. And two years ago, at age 40, he developed chronic arthritis in his lower back. "Simple things, like washing the car or swinging a golf club, became so irritating, I just stopped," Conner remembers. But today, thanks to a comprehensive program of exercise, diet and medication, Conner is back to his normal routine.[/COLOR] [/QUOTE][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000000][COLOR=#0000ff]USATODAY.com - Gymnast Bart Conner aces arthritis[/COLOR][/COLOR]

[COLOR=#000000]Gymnastics is a great sport, but like other great things it is important not to overdo it or train just full force without any precaution or well thought out training schedule. For example, tumbling training shouldn't always be on hard surfaces, but should be mixed with training on the tubmle trak and mats and pits, especially for the landing of doule backs - or now the triple back. [/COLOR]