Education Is Prevention
Education is prevention.
Research on youth climbing injuries is new territory.
However, multiple papers (citations below) suggest growth plate injuries, specifically the Salter-Harris type III, are the most common finger injuries. We all know that training volume is risky, but are there guidelines for what these athletes "shouldn't" do? That is a trickier question.
Many preventative recommendations for fingers injuries have to do with the hand position shown above. There is simultaneous DIP joint extension with PIP joint flexion in the full crimp grip. This puts tremendous stress on the growth plate of the middle bone. In addition to crimping, campus-style moves that involve both hands simultaneously are considered a risk. It's the same position with an even higher load.
A paper by Meyers, Rachel N et al. ("Are Adolescent Climbers Aware of the Most Common Youth Climbing Injury and Safe Training Practices?) highlights the need for educating youth climbers.
Their data suggest that over 50% of their sample (267 youth climbers) weren't even aware of growth plate injuries. Furthermore, of those who reported having previous pulley injuries, 82% had never even heard of a growth plate injury. So it was assumed, and rightfully so, many fractures were misdiagnosed.
Can we blame any single training practice?
Probably not. But we can be more aware of reasonable training practices for youth climbers.
Takeaways: My Suggestions For Youth Climbers
No feet-off campus board training! Risk > Benefit
Full-crimp in moderation. Sometimes they've got to "get over" a hold, but it SHOULD NOT be the "go-to". THIS DOES NOT MEAN 3-FINGER DRAG EVERYTHING EITHER!
No weighted pull-ups. There are plenty of ways to overload the pull movement without it.
STOP using monos and 2-finger pockets in youth climbing comps.
Fingerboard often (warmup) but never with added load. It's just not necessary.
Seek attention from a healthcare provider who understands this data.
For coaches interested in learning more about recommendations for training youth climbers, we have created a certification course. Contact us for additional information.