BY KATHRYN DOYLE
Thu Jan 22, 2015 11:06am EST
(Reuters Heath) – In a study of Dutch professional footballers, a bone deformity at the hip was much more common among men who started playing the sport at least four times a week before age twelve.
If the bones of the hip don’t develop normally during childhood, a so-called cam deformity can occur, with extra bone growing near the ball-shaped top of the femur, potentially leading to joint damage and pain, according to the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS).
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“Severe muscular training and high loading activities should be restricted until skeletal maturity for any joint and sport,” he said. “At young age sportsmen should train on endurance, and maybe most of all technique.”
The results would likely be similar for non-elite athletes, but they would not have the same close medical follow-up and their hip problems may not be detected until middle age, he said.
The results of other investigations have been mixed and the new study only looks back at the pasts of current adult players, said Dr. Kasper Gosvig of Hvidovre Hospital in Denmark, who was not involved in the Dutch report. Another study following kids as they play sports and their cam deformities emerge is needed, he told Reuters Health by email.
