Sports Medicine for Kids and Teens

Your young athlete’s body is still growing, even as a teen. That’s why your athlete needs care designed especially for growing bones, muscles and ligaments. Sports medicine specialists have special training that enables them to get kids moving and back on the field again—not just for one season but for many seasons to come. In some cases, seeking out a pediatric sports medicine specialists could mean your child would have more options than just surgery.

Children's sports medicine

The Sports Medicine Program at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta is Georgia’s only nationally ranked program for teens* and one of the only programs in the country dedicated exclusively to caring for growing athletes. This means we only treat youth and teen athletes so we have a wealth of experience treating pediatric sports injuries and illnesses.

Our sports medicine professionals deliver a complete package of care from start to finish. They guide athletes from assessment of their injuries through diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation until they can safely return to play.

We treat common and complex sports injuries. Our team of pediatric sports medicine specialists includes:

• Sports medicine primary care physicians (PCP)
• Orthopedic surgeons
• Certified athletic trainers
• Sports physical therapists

Our team is trained in age-appropriate techniques and focused on treating sports-related injuries and conditions in growing athletes. They work collaboratively to give each athlete the best chance at a good outcome.

Children’s has one of the largest pediatric sports medicine programs in the Southeast. We have 13 clinics, 11 sports physical therapy gyms, more than 25 sports physical therapists, and more than 30 certified athletic trainers at 40 high schools and clubs.

*U.S. News & World Report 2024-25

If your growing athlete has an injury, it’s important he sees a sports medicine team trained in pediatrics, and one that understands how to diagnose and care for kids and teens to avoid long-term damage. Our multidisciplinary team develops specialized, effective treatments that return teen athletes to playing their sport as safely and quickly as possible.

We treat growing athletes who have a wide range of sports-related injuries and conditions, including:

We provide a comprehensive assessment, treatment and expert advice for growing athletes with injuries and conditions that affect sports performance. Because we only work with kids and teens, we recognize when they're ready to progress to the next level of treatment and how to push them. We use special equipment and technology to find and correct techniques and mechanics to improve and refine sport performance. Our team performs research and also looks at outcomes to improve and refine treatments.

We offer a full range of comprehensive care options to get your athlete up and running again, including:

• Athletic training
• Sports medicine primary care
• Sports physical therapy
• Sports surgery

We also offer specialized treatment and testing, such as:

• Dry needling, which involves licensed therapists placing very thin needles into muscle fibers. It can be used to help treat muscle pain, headaches, swelling and nerve problems.
• Isokinetic testing, which is an objective way to evaluate dynamic stability of the knee joint to assess the quality of rehabilitation after surgery. With traditional strength training, an athlete lifts a set amount of weight. With isokinetic strength training, the amount of weight lifted varies, depending on how much effort the athlete puts forth.
• Sports motion analysis
• Sports nutrition education

While general orthopedic surgeons who see adults can treat pediatric patients, children make up only a small percentage of their practice. Our team, on the other hand, are specialists in kids and teens, treating children and teens 100% of the time.

Not all sports injuries will require surgery, so it’s important to see a pediatric sports specialist who is dedicated to diagnosing and treating the injuries of growing athletes. We have one of the largest pediatric orthopedic and sports medicine practices in the Southeast and four of our 15 orthopedic surgeons are dedicated to sports surgery for growing athletes. Not only are our surgeons trained in pediatric orthopedic surgery, they also specialize in sports medicine. We are the only nationally ranked pediatric orthopedics program in Georgia.*

Our surgery team works together with other disciplines to surround a patient with complete and comprehensive care. For example, our surgeons work closely with pediatric radiologists and anesthesiologists. We also partner with a patient’s medical home and physical therapist after surgery to provide insight into the patient’s recovery.

*U.S. News & World Report 2024-25

What sports surgeries does our team perform?

Our team of sports surgeons performs common and complex sports surgery procedures. Our team works to preserve your athlete’s joint, bones and muscles to keep your athlete active for years to come. Here is a list of procedures our team performs:

• ACL surgery
• Ankle arthroscopy
• Cartilage preservation
• Fracture repair
• Hip arthroscopy
• Hip labral surgery
• Knee arthroscopy
• Meniscus repair
• Rotator cuff repair
• Shoulder arthroscopy
• Shoulder instability surgery

How to prepare for sports surgery

What makes our sports surgery services unique?

Our highly specialized, pediatric-trained team:

• Works to get to know your athlete beyond his injury or condition, including what drives your athlete, the sports he plays and his goals.
• Is focused on getting your athlete back to sports safely and keeping him on the field or court for years to come.
• Has experience with rare injuries and conditions as well as common ones, like ACL injuries and fractures.
• Uses innovative surgical techniques that are driven by data and research.
• Collaborates during surgery to achieve the best possible outcome for the patient.
• Follows patients after surgery to track their outcome and adjusts surgical techniques accordingly.

Sports medicine primary care physicians and surgeons

We know that you want to bring your child to the best pediatric sports medicine doctors available to get them back to on the pitch, court or stage doing what they love. Our Sports Medicine Program, led by orthopedic and sports medicine specialists, includes doctors and surgeons who work closely with orthopedic surgeons in the community to help ensure complete, coordinated care is delivered seamlessly at our hospitals for growing athletes with sports medicine needs.

Our program is led by Michael T. Busch, MD, Surgical Director at Children's. Our orthopedic quality and outcomes initiatives are led by Crystal Perkins, MD, Medical Director at Children's.

Children's Physician Group–Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine

Sports medicine primary care physicians

• Ashley Brouillette, MD
• James Crownover, MD
• J. Stephen Kroll, MD
• Stephen Miller, MD
• Tatiana Patsimas, MD
• Armand Scurfield, MD
• Matthew Vosters, MD

Orthopedic surgeons

• Michael T. Busch, MD
• Anthony "Ace" Egger, MD
• Crystal Perkins, MD
• S. Clifton Willimon, MD

Certified athletic trainers

We have more than 30 certified athletic trainers on our team.

Physical therapists

We have more than 25 sports physical therapists on our team.

Sports medicine primary care physicians and surgeons

Our sports medicine primary care physicians and pediatric orthopedic surgeons see patients at 13 office locations.

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Sports physical therapy

Our sports physical therapists see patients at our 12 sports medicine gyms.

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