Growing Athlete — Sports Injuries in Adolescents
Young athletes are not simply small adults. Their growing skeletons — particularly the growth plates and apophyses — are vulnerable to injury patterns rarely seen in adults.
Overview
Dr Will Cundy has a special interest in adolescent knee injuries. His approach to young athletes considers their developing bones and joints alongside their rehabilitation and return-to-sport goals.
Conditions Treated
- Growth plate (physeal) fractures
- ACL and ligament injuries in adolescents
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome
- Apophysitis (hip, knee, heel)
- Patellofemoral pain and patellar instability
- Stress fractures in young athletes
Approach
Dr Cundy takes a conservative-first approach where possible, prioritising return to sport without compromising skeletal development. Where surgery is required — such as ACL reconstruction in a skeletally immature patient — technique selection is carefully tailored to protect the growth plate.
When to Refer
Refer any young athlete with persistent joint or bone pain affecting sport participation, any suspected growth plate injury, or recurrent episodes of joint swelling or instability. Include any available imaging and note the sport, training load, and growth stage.
Referring a Patient
Dr Cundy welcomes referrals from GPs, paediatricians, and emergency physicians across South Australia.
Contact Dr Will Cundy
Consulting rooms at Memorial Medical Centre, North Adelaide and Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
Phone: (08) 8267 8200
Email: contact@drcundy.com.au
Fax: (08) 8267 8201