What are the most common injuries among children who play soccer?

Ankle injuries, knee sprains, groin sprains, head injuries, cuts and scrapes are among the most common injuries among soccer players that require some level of medical attention, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Of 77,540 children age 5 to 14 who were treated by emergency-room workers in 1998 for soccer-related injuries, nearly 12,000 complained of ankle problems (the No. 1 injury reported to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission). Following ankle sprains, soccer-playing children also were treated for injured fingers, wrists, knees and lower arms, according to the CPSC's annual emergency room survey. ... more