Skeletal fractures are traumatic injuries that are widely accepted as requiring acute treatment to avoid long-term disability and dysfunction. There are a number of soft-tissue injuries or non-traditional fractures, frequently treated by sports medicine surgeons, which additionally require treatment in an expedited fashion in order to optimize healing and function. Sports medicine injuries of the lower extremity requiring acute treatment include, but are not limited to, multiligamentous knee injuries, proximal hamstring ruptures, quadriceps tendon ruptures, patellar sleeve avulsions, patellar tendon ruptures, tibial spine avulsions, posterior cruciate ligament avulsions, bucket handle meniscus tears, and achilles tendon ruptures. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the sports medicine injuries of the lower extremity which require acute/urgent management to facilitate optimal treatment.
Keywords: Lower Extremity; Orthopaedic Surgery; Sports Medicine; Trauma.