Knee Injuries in Gymnastics - A Complete Guide

In gymnasts, the knee joint has the highest rate of "severe" injuries. Unfortunately, this refers to injuries tending to cause the most tissue damage and pain when they occur. Alongside this, knee injuries also tend to create the most missed time from training and competition.  Lastly, as long-term studies have suggested, there is a concerning trend for athletes who suffer injuries like ACL tears having long-term issues related to knee injuries they experienced when younger.

Due to these concerning concepts in research studies, and the unfortunate reality that 1000s of gymnasts still struggle with knee injuries each competitive season, we must take more dedicated actions to help. In an ongoing effort to provide high-quality, science-based education to the gymnastics community, I have started this "mega-blog" series.

My hope is that by laying out the current science as we know it, and describing it in a way that is accessible to everyone in the gymnastics community, we can all work together to make a positive impact on reducing the rates of knee injuries in gymnastics.

0:00 - Introduction

12:30 - Factor 1 - Forces in Gymnastics

15:00 - Factor 2 - Improper Landing Patterns

17:35 - Factor 3 - Repetitive Impact

22:25 - Factor 4 - Lack of Weight Training

32:00 - Factor 5 - Competition Season Structure

35:00 - Factor 6 - Athletes Are Kids

38:30 - Factor 7 - Early Specialization/Year-Round Training

47:40 - Basic Knee Anatomy

1:15:50 - Patellofemoral Joint Pain

1:23:00 - Osgood Schlatters

1:24:20 - Sinden Jarsen Lohanssen Syndrome

1:25:30 - ACL Tears

1:26:10 - MCL Tears

1:27:40 - Meniscus Tears

1:30:15 - Patellar Tendinopathy

1:36:45 - Bone Bruises & Fractures

1:40:00 - OCD & Cartilage Injuries

1:41:45 - Timelines for Knee Injuries

1:43:20 - 4 Phases of Rehabilitation

1:45:00 - Swelling & Pain Management

1:48:15 - Increasing Knee Mobility

1:50:00 - Basic Knee Strength

1:54:00 - Intermediate Knee Strength Programs

1:58:30 - Building Knee Power & Plyometrics

2:04:35 - Return to Gymnastics Programs

2:08:00 - Reducing Risk

2:10:35 - What To Do If Knee Injuries Aren't Improving

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