Common sports injuries to the foot and leg.

Running related injuries to the leg and foot account for approximately 45 per cent of the total injuries to the lower extremity. The incidence of running injuries has increased significantly in the past decade, thus, creating a demand for increased proficiency in treating runners. Specifically, overuse injuries account for most of the runner's complaints. The goal of sports medicine as mentioned previously is to keep the athlete active and injury free. To achieve this goal the etiologies of the injuries must be recognized and treated. Common, preventable causes of overuse injuries would include training errors and biomechanical factors. The biomechanical factors as they relate to foot and leg have been addressed within this article. Early recognition and biomechanical treatment will decrease the vast majority of the lower limb injuries.