ABP Sports Medicine study guide
ABP Sports Medicine · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
This page covers the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) subspecialty certifying examination in Sports Medicine, one of the subspecialty certifications listed under the ABP's Subspecialty Certification section. The credential is intended for pediatricians who have completed accredited sports medicine fellowship training and who want to demonstrate subspecialty knowledge extending beyond general pediatrics. The ABP Sports Medicine study guide has 8 sections and about 2,674 words.
01General Principles and Preparticipation Evaluation
The preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE) is a screening encounter: it aims to detect conditions that raise the risk of injury or sudden death, meet administrative and legal requirements, and establish a baseline for future care. It is not a substitute for routine health maintenance, and its positive predictive value is low.
354 words, about 2 min02Exercise Physiology, Training, and Nutrition
The Fick equation (VO2 = cardiac output × arterial-venous oxygen difference) explains most cardiorespiratory adaptations: stroke volume rises with training, and so does peripheral oxygen extraction. Know the three energy systems, their substrates and durations, and the concept of lactate threshold, which marks the intensity above which lactate appearance exceeds clearance.
330 words, about 2 min03Musculoskeletal Injury Evaluation and Management
Use a consistent sequence: history mechanism, observation, palpation, range of motion, strength, neurovascular status, then special tests. Mechanism narrows the differential - valgus contact suggests medial knee injury, a planted foot with rotation suggests meniscal or ligamentous damage, and a pop with immediate swelling suggests hemarthrosis.
325 words, about 2 min04Medical Conditions and Illnesses in the Athlete
Exercise-induced bronchoconstriction is common in endurance athletes and is treated with pre-exercise short-acting beta-agonists plus controller therapy. Distinguish it from poor conditioning and vocal cord dysfunction.
326 words, about 2 min05Emergency Assessment and Management
Approach every collapsed athlete with a primary survey: airway, breathing, circulation, disability, and exposure, with cervical spine precautions when the mechanism suggests trauma. Assume sudden cardiac arrest in any athlete who collapses and is unresponsive, especially if there was no protective response or if seizure-like activity occurred.
347 words, about 2 min06Injury Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Return to Play
Effective prevention is multifactorial. Neuromuscular training programs reduce ACL and lower-limb injury in youth sport and combine strength, plyometrics, balance, and landing mechanics.
340 words, about 2 min07Special Populations and Psychosocial Issues
Children have a greater surface-area-to-mass ratio, lower sweating rates, and slower acclimatization, which raises heat-illness risk. Growth plates are vulnerable to repetitive traction and compression, so apophyseal and physeal injuries are more common than tendon ruptures.
330 words, about 2 min08Administration, Ethics, and Legal Issues
Negligence requires four elements: a duty of care, a breach of that duty, causation, and damages. The standard of care is what a reasonably prudent practitioner with similar training would do in similar circumstances.
322 words, about 2 min