Research in Sports Medicine

Apophyseal Stress Injuries in Youth Athletes: Contemporary Clinical Perspectives on Growing Pains and Gains

Youth sports participation continues to rise worldwide, and with it, growing concern about apophyseal stress injuries, one of the most common yet underdiagnosed conditions in the developing youth athlete. This Special Issue invites researchers and clinicians to contribute original studies, reviews, and clinical insights that advance our understanding of these injuries and improve outcomes for young athletes.

Aim

This Special Issue aims to provide an integrative platform for interdisciplinary research that advances both theory and best practice in paediatric sports medicine. By bridging clinical, developmental, and performance perspectives, it seeks to inform evidence‑based strategies for safeguarding health while supporting youth athlete development.

Main Outline

• From Stress Response to Ossification: A Conceptual Synthesis of Primary Physeal and Apophyseal Biology
• Apophyseal Stress Injuries (PSIs) Literature Reviews
• Complexities in Clinical Assessment, Diagnostic Pathways, and Therapeutic Management
• From Risk Identification to Preventive Action

Make an Impact

Submissions focusing on youth female athletes, as well as studies using female‑only or mixed cohorts, are particularly encouraged in order to address the gender data gap and to reflect the growing participation of girls and women in youth sport.

We welcome submissions of original and case series studies on topics including

• Epidemiology and burden of apophyseal injuries across different sports and gender groups
• Youth athlete development and training load management
• Imaging, clinical examination and diagnostic approaches for early detection
• Risk factors, including growth and skeletal maturation
• Primary prevention strategies of apophyseal injuries
• Rehabilitation guidelines and return-to-sport criteria
• Long-term outcomes and growth-related consequences
• Case series studies and clinical management approaches
• Site-specific injuries (e.g., hip-pelvis, knee, heel, shoulder, spine)

Why submit to this Special Issue?

• Contribute to a growing and clinically important area of paediatric and adolescent sports medicine
• Reach an engaged, international readership of sports medicine clinicians and researchers
• Help shape future prevention and management guidelines for youth athletes
• Be part of the collection that reflects the latest expertise in this clinical field

We welcome contributions from clinicians, researchers, and multidisciplinary teams working in sports settings, including orthopaedics, sports medicine, physiotherapy, radiology, and paediatric health. Both established investigators and early-career researchers are encouraged to submit.

We look forward to your contribution to this important collection in Research in Sports Medicine