Pediatric Orthopedics and Youth Sports Injuries

Fit Moines Podcast host Bryan Ladd speaks with Dr. Stephen Carveth, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Iowa Ortho, about youth sports injuries, growth-plate risks, and when children need specialist care. Dr. Carveth explains how year-round training and early sport specialization can contribute to preventable overuse injuries, while offering practical warning signs and advice for supporting young athletes’ long-term health.

What you’ll learn

• Dr. Stephen Carveth’s path to pediatric orthopedics, from a fourth-generation surgical family to playing soccer through college.
• Why year-round single-sport training and overlapping sports seasons can lead to overuse injuries in children.
• How growth plates make growing athletes vulnerable, including the risk of lasting wrist problems from repetitive loading in gymnastics.
• Dr. Carveth’s pain guidance: pain at four or below may be manageable, but persistent, daily pain that does not ease with rest deserves attention.
• How growth spurts can increase vulnerability to injuries such as slipped capital femoral epiphysis and growth-area fractures.
• What Osgood-Schlatter and Sever’s disease are, and how tight muscles and repeated stress can contribute to knee and heel pain.
• Why pediatric orthopedic care often starts with casts, braces, activity changes, and physical therapy before surgery.
• Red flags including painful joint mechanics, loss of range of motion, swelling, and a jammed finger that remains swollen or bruised.
• Why Dr. Carveth recommends multi-sport participation, rest, and at least two months away from a sport after eight months of participation.
• How communication between surgeons, physical therapists, and athletic trainers supports safe recovery and return to sport.

Takeaways

• “I think we’re breaking down our kids a little bit.”
• “Pain for me is a normal part of life.”
• “If that pain continues to creep up and it’s constant and it’s every day, it doesn’t go away with rest or it doesn’t go away the next morning, then that’s when I get more concerned.”
• “I would say it is a myth” that strength training damages growth plates; focus on moderation and technique, not personal records.
• “Pediatric orthopedics is hugely like, hey, we start with conservative management.”
• “I literally get to witness miracles on a daily basis because of how quickly kids can heal.”
• “The biggest thing is communication really.”
• “Sports specialization, early sports specialization, I’d say is not the way to go.”
• “Keep your kids exposed to any and all sports.”
• “My focus is on the kid, not necessarily the parent and their expectations or their desires.”

Action items for parents and young athletes

• Avoid year-round specialization when possible; let children experience multiple sports and build varied athletic skills.
• Build rest into training schedules. Carveth mentions a general rule of taking at least two months away from a sport after eight months of participation.
• Pay attention to pain that is persistent, occurs every day, or does not improve with rest or by the next morning.
• Seek medical evaluation for painful mechanical symptoms, joint swelling, restricted motion, or a finger that remains swollen or bruised after an injury.
• Prioritize technique over personal records when children strength train, and coordinate activity changes and rehabilitation with their care team.

Chapters

• 00:00 Meet Dr. Stephen Carveth, fourth-generation surgeon
• 03:42 Are youth sports breaking kids down?
• 07:43 From newborns to teens: what pediatric orthopedics covers
• 10:08 Growing bones, growth plates, and overuse injuries
• 13:02 When sports pain is a warning sign
• 16:38 Strength training, growth plates, and common overuse conditions
• 18:38 Scoliosis, hip dysplasia, and injuries that get missed
• 21:08 When conservative treatment is better than surgery
• 23:37 Why children often heal faster than adults
• 25:03 How therapists and surgeons coordinate care
• 29:13 Dissolvable implants and the future of pediatric surgery
• 34:35 Why young athletes should play multiple sports
• 36:50 Three orthopedic red flags parents should not ignore
• 38:28 Rest, recovery, nutrition, and sleep for young athletes
• 41:07 Concussions, specialization, and youth sports opinions
• 44:37 Carveth’s focus: the child’s health and well-being