Background: Open fractures in pediatric patients are uncommon but clinically relevant, often resulting from high-energy trauma or sports-related incidents. This study analyzes the demographic patterns, types of sports, injury mechanisms, treatment strategies, and outcomes in children and adolescents with sports-related open fractures. Methods: In this retrospective study, 74 pediatric patients with sports-related open fractures treated at a level 1 trauma center between 2002 and 2023 were documented. Parameters such as age, sex, fracture location, sport type, treatment modality, complications, and outcomes were evaluated. Results: The cohort included 74 patients, with a mean age of 13 ± 3.6 years. Open fractures of the upper extremity were most common (seen in 34 patients). Moreover, 10 open craniofacial and 27 open nasal fractures represented 50.0% of injuries, mainly in male athletes involved in contact sports. Soccer was the leading injury-related sport (n = 14; 18.9%). Surgical treatment was required in 28 patients (37.8%), most frequently using elastic stable intramedullary nailing, Kirschner wire fixation in the upper extremities or nasal bone reduction. Antibiotics were administered in 46 patients (62.2%), with a mean documented duration of 2.7 ± 3.1 days. An excellent outcome was documented in 95%. Conclusions: Sports-related open fractures in children primarily affect male adolescents in contact sports and involve the upper extremities and facial region. Conservative management is effective in stable, non-displaced and low-grade injuries. Surgical treatment is frequently indicated in open forearm fractures. The implementation of a structured trauma care protocol, incorporating early debridement, definitive treatment, and antibiotics, has been demonstrated to yield a safe and effective treatment outcome with a favorable prognosis for sports-related open fractures in children.

Background: Behavioral studies show changes and an overall decline in physical activity and general health literacy among children and adolescents. The objective of this study is to analyze and compare the incidence and distribution of leisure-time-related injuries among children and adolescents aged 0–17 years, examining two distinct time periods: 2000–2004 and 2015–2019. Methods: This retrospective analysis was conducted on a cohort of 27,761 children and adolescents who received treatment at our Level-1-Trauma Department due to leisure-time associated activities that occurred between 2000 and 2004 and 2015–2019. Data were stratified by age group, injury type, and anatomical region of injury. Results: The proportion of patients with leisure-related injuries among all injuries per period was significantly lower in the years 2015–2019 (total: 55,971 patients) than in the 2000–2004 period (total: 46,172 patients) (22%; 12,540/55,971 vs. 33%; 15,221/46,173; p < 0.001). Over the past twenty years, adolescents (11–17 years) revealed significantly fewer injuries (63.4%; 9651/15221 in 2000–2004 vs. 50.8%; 6367/12540 in 2015–2019; p < 0.001) while children up to the age of 5 represented an increasingly vulnerable age group (13%; 1975/15221 in 2000–2004 vs. 22.1%; 2771/12540 in 2015–2019; p < 0.001). In both time frames, majority of patients were male. Most common injuries were limb injuries, although age-dependent variations were observed. Conclusion: The findings reveal substantial shifts in pediatric injury patterns and a significant decrease of leisure time injuries in children and adolescents in the investigated time period of 20 years. These trends are indicative of changes in physical activity behaviors and evolving recreational preferences.