Extension of 3-year contract with AJAX
AJAX has recently extended the contract of Sports physician Hans Tol for a period of 3 years. The contract, which runs since 2018, is thanks to the high-quality top sport medical care that is offered by the Academic Center for Evidence-Based Sports medicine (ACES) of Amsterdam UMC, location AMC.
ACES combines multidisciplinary care of elite athletes with scientific research and education. Tol: “Within ACES we have very short lines of communication between sports medicine, Gino Kerkhoffs of sport traumatology and orthopaedics, Peter Struijs of paediatric orthopaedics, Mario Maas of sport radiology and Harald Jorstadt of sports cardiology. As a result, we can offer AJAX the best possible care 24/7. Additionally, medical professionals of AJAX have direct access to our education and profit from the insights that we attain through scientific research. Meanwhile, we manage to keep our feet planted in the mud of elite football. The experiences that we gain there is beneficial to all athletes under treatment in Amsterdam UMC.”
Scientific Research
The cooperation with AJAX has enabled ACES to make growth related injuries a research priority. Tol: “Until recently, little research had been done on this topic, despite certain injuries being career-limiting at a very young age. Osgood-Schlatter is such an example; an injury of the knee that frequently occurs in growing young boys. It is described as an innocent injury that is self-limiting. However, we suspect that this injury has many long-term consequences than is currently assumed. A torn cross ligament, that always receives plenty of attention, is likely less career limitating than growth related injuries.”
Sports physicians Amsterdam UMC
The daily sports medicine care at AJAX is in the hands of a large team. Besides Hans Tol, two other sports physicians of Amsterdam UMC are part of that team: Guus Reurink and Niels Wijne. The last two mentioned physicians are employed by AJAX for this purpose. Reurink, together with Tol, is responsible for all care associated with the youth selections. Additionally, they accompany the games of the Young-AJAX. This team, with the big, young talents, play in the so-called Keuken Kampioen Divisie (First Division). Niels Wijne is head of the medical staff at AJAX and accompanies the first team.