Sports Medicine: Classification & Management of Sports Injuries

These flashcards review the key concepts of classifying sports injuries—direct, indirect, hard-tissue, soft-tissue, and overuse—along with practical classification examples drawn from the lecture notes.

What are the three main ways sports injuries are classified?

(1) Direct vs Indirect, (2) Hard vs Soft Tissue, and (3) Overuse.

What defines a direct injury in sports medicine?

An injury caused by an external force at the point of contact, such as being struck by a ball or opponent.

Give two common examples of direct injuries.

A bruised leg from a cricket ball; a black eye from a boxing punch.

What is an indirect injury?

An injury produced by an internal force within the body, regardless of where the force originated (e.g., muscle strain while running).

Provide two examples of indirect injuries.

Hamstring strain during sprinting; ankle sprain after rolling the ankle.

Which tissues are involved in soft-tissue injuries?

Skin, muscles, tendons, and ligaments—essentially any tissue other than bone or teeth.

Give two examples of soft-tissue injuries.

ACL ligament sprain; hamstring strain.

What are hard-tissue injuries?

Injuries to bones or teeth, including bone bruises, fractures, and dislocations.

Provide two examples of hard-tissue injuries.

Fracture of the clavicle; dislocated shoulder.

What characterises an overuse injury?

It results from repetitive, excessive stress on a body part without adequate recovery time and develops gradually rather than acutely.

Give one soft-tissue and one hard-tissue example of overuse injuries.

Soft: Tendonitis (e.g., tennis elbow). Hard: Stress fracture.

Classify: A triple jumper has a tender heel after weeks of heavy training.

Overuse, Soft-Tissue.

Classify: A netball player fractures a rib after hitting the goal post.

Direct, Hard-Tissue.

Classify: A gymnast sprains an ankle ligament landing awkwardly off the vault.

Indirect, Soft-Tissue.

Classify: A basketball player dislocates a finger intercepting the ball.

Direct, Hard-Tissue.

Classify: A gymnast develops a lower-back stress fracture from repeated jarring landings.

Overuse, Hard-Tissue.

Classify: A tennis player suffers elbow tendonitis.

Overuse, Soft-Tissue.

Classify: A 100 m sprinter tears a hamstring during the heats.

Indirect, Soft-Tissue.

Classify: Two soccer players collide; one fractures his tibia.

Direct, Hard-Tissue.

Classify: A runner develops stress fractures from repetitive running on hard surfaces.

Overuse, Hard-Tissue.