Researchers estimate that more than 4 million children between the ages of 5 and 19 visited an emergency room for a basketball injury between 1997 and 2007.
Muscle strains, joint sprains and fractures accounted for 67 percent of the injuries. Traumatic brain injuries, including concussions and skull fractures, accounted for less than 3 percent.
However, the number of brain injuries climbed 70 percent from 1997 to 2007. Researchers say this could indicate the sport is getting rougher, or parents, coaches and trainers can better recognize the symptoms of a head injury and are taking children to the emergency room more often.
The study is in the online edition of the journal Pediatrics.
