Research Interest Groups

RIGs are the engine of PRiSM’s collaborative research mission — bringing together members across disciplines to advance pediatric sports medicine science.

Research Interest Groups (RIGs) are member-led collaborative teams organized around specific pediatric and adolescent sports medicine topics. Each RIG brings together clinicians, researchers, and allied health professionals from multiple institutions to design and execute multi-site research projects that would not be possible at a single center alone.

Interest and enthusiasm are the only requirements to join a RIG. Members are encouraged to participate in one or more groups regardless of career stage or specialty background.

Active RIGs & Workgroups

The following RIGs and Workgroups are currently active. Contact [email protected] to get connected with a group.

Concussion
Research on the prevention, diagnosis, management, and outcomes of sport-related concussion in pediatric and adolescent athletes.
Female Athlete
Focused on health, performance, and injury considerations unique to female youth athletes across all sports and disciplines.
Sports Specialization
Examining the effects of early sport specialization on injury risk, burnout, and long-term athletic development in young athletes.
Motion Analysis
Using biomechanical and motion capture tools to study movement patterns, injury mechanisms, and performance in young athletes.
Meniscus
Collaborative research on meniscal injuries in skeletally immature athletes, including diagnosis, treatment, and return-to-sport outcomes.
Knee Injury
Multi-site research on ACL, patellar, and other knee injuries in pediatric athletes, with focus on surgical and non-surgical outcomes.
Shoulder Instability
Research on shoulder instability and dislocation in young athletes, covering epidemiology, surgical techniques, and rehabilitation.
Hip Disorders
Collaborative investigation of hip pathology in adolescent athletes, including FAI, labral tears, and developmental conditions.
Patellofemoral Instability
Multi-center research on patellar instability in skeletally immature patients, including surgical outcomes and recurrence prevention.
Injury Prevention
Developing and evaluating evidence-based strategies to reduce sports injury incidence and severity in youth athlete populations.
Rehabilitation
Research on return-to-sport protocols, rehabilitation outcomes, and best practices in the recovery of injured young athletes.
Outcome Measures
Focused on the development, validation, and use of patient-reported and functional outcome measures in pediatric sports medicine.
Stress Fractures / Overuse
Investigating the epidemiology, risk factors, and management of overuse injuries and stress fractures in youth athletes.
Spine / Spondylolysis
Research on spinal conditions including spondylolysis, spondylolisthesis, and other back disorders in young competitive athletes.
Tibial Spine
Multi-center collaborative research on tibial spine fractures in pediatric patients, including surgical approaches and functional outcomes.
Elbow (UCL / Epicondyle)
Research on elbow injuries in youth throwing athletes, including UCL tears, medial epicondyle apophysitis, and surgical outcomes.
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound
Advancing the use of point-of-care ultrasound in the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal conditions in pediatric athletes.
 

2026 RIG Zoom Meetings

RIG meeting dates are listed below. Members can submit a workgroup update, express interest in getting involved, submit a discussion point, and access Zoom links by logging in to the member dashboard. 

All workgroups have been approved by the Research Oversight Committee (ROC). If your workgroup is missing, you need to log in and complete the ROC Form.

Head
Workgroups: Concussion Return to Free Play • Concussion Epic Foundations • Optimizing the Clinical Approach to Concussion Rehab • Concussion Outreach • Referral Patterns After Concussion
RIG Meeting: Monday, April 14, 2026 — 7:00 PM Central
Join Zoom Meeting  |  Meeting ID: 830 6543 3465  |  Passcode: 234640
Upper Extremity
Workgroups: Shoulder Instability Return to Sport Testing Outcomes • SI-RSI Validation • Multi-site Retrospective Study of Gymnast Wrist in Young Athletes • Upper Extremity Return to Play SOP
RIG Meeting: Wednesday, April 29, 2026 — 7:00 PM Central
Join Zoom Meeting  |  Meeting ID: 883 6682 1039  |  Passcode: 005591
Lower Extremity
Workgroups: Registry of Arthroscopy for Meniscal Pediatric Pathology (RAMPP) • Tibial Spine (ASTEROID) • MCL Injuries • PCL Injuries • BSI COVID • Interdisciplinary Communication for Non-Operative PT Management • 4 in 1 outcomes • Ankle Instability & OCD • Hamstring Return to Play Assessment
RIG Meeting: Thursday, April 16, 2026 — 7:00 PM Central
Join Zoom Meeting  |  Meeting ID: 857 8987 7075  |  Passcode: 445014
Non-Extremity Diagnoses
Workgroups: Adolescent Athletes with Spinal Conditions • Spondy Delphi • Femoral Neck BSI Retrospective Review • Corticosteroid Injections in Skeletally Immature Patients • Perceived Needs for Mental Health Services Survey Study • Isthmic Spondylolysis Prevalence Systematic Review • Psychological Readiness in Return to Sport Decision Making
RIG Meeting: Thursday, April 16, 2026 — 7:00 PM Central
Join Zoom Meeting  |  Meeting ID: 837 0779 2148  |  Passcode: 534389
Practitioner Specialties
Workgroups: Reimbursement for Mocap Testing/Screening • Self-Assessment of Neuromuscular Control (SANC) • Injury Prevention Activities by Athletic Trainers • Therapist Gender Influence on Exercise Prescription after ACLR • Health Equity • Blood Flow Restriction Tolerance and Adverse Events • PT Visit Utilization • Motion Lab Equipment Education • Exercise Dosing in Rehabilitation • Quality of Movement Assessment After ACLR
RIG Meeting: Wednesday, April 8, 2026 — 12:00 PM Central
Join Zoom Meeting  |  Meeting ID: 813 7364 0000  |  Passcode: 568943
Athlete Specialties
Workgroups: Sport-Specific Patterns in Sport Specialization • Physical Literacy in Children with Physical Disabilities • Coach Perceptions of Sport Specialization: Qualitative Focus Group Study • Sports Bra Characteristics in Gymnasts, Dancers and Cheerleaders • Female Athlete Culture • Hormonal Variability and Injury Risk • Assessment of Athlete Physical Literacy • Return to Dance - Modified Delphi Study
RIG Meeting: Thursday, April 23, 2026 — 3:00 PM Central
Join Zoom Meeting  |  Meeting ID: 824 6135 8668  |  Passcode: 840285