DREAM DEFERRED; PANNER'S DISEASE SIDELINES RISING GYMNAST.

Byline: Heesun Wee Daily News Staff Writer

As an Olympic gymnast hopeful in training, 13-year-old Krystle Wong of Burbank knows discomfort.

``In this sport, there's all kinds of aches and pains,'' said Wong's coach, Hal Halvorson. ``She's got a high pain tolerance and she's very dedicated.''

But earlier this year, Wong began to feel sharp pains in her right elbow that she couldn't ignore. Moves that require hyperextending her arms suddenly eluded her.

``I wasn't stretching out,'' Wong said.

Halvorson scaled back training, but the pain persisted. The elbow area swelled. A physician examined Wong and concluded the injury probably was a fracture.

Meanwhile, word of Wong's nagging pain spread among the moms of young gymnasts at Golden State Gymnastics in Burbank, where Wong has trained four to five hours, six days a week for seven years. The news serendipitously reached a particular mom's husband - Charles Resnick, an orthopedic surgeon based in Pasadena and Los Angeles.

Resnick examined Wong and concluded she suffers from Panner's disease, a rare elbow ailment that often strikes child and preteen athletes.

Although the exact cause of Panner's disease remains elusive, two key contributing factors remain constant: a genetic predisposition that limits blood supply to a growing joint, and overuse of that joint, Resnick said.

The disease causes persistent pain in the elbow joints, sometimes for weeks at a time. It usually occurs in children who are heavily involved in sports that require frequent use of their elbows.

Panner's disease also crops up among Little League baseball players. Pitchers who, by the nature of their positions, overexert their arms, are particularly vulnerable, said Resnick, who also serves as chief of staff for Orthopaedic Hospital of Los Angeles and is a hand and upper extremity specialist.

Although no tests exist to detect Panner's disease, heightened awareness remains the best preventive measure. If your child-athlete complains of constant elbow pain, visit a physician.

Physicians and sports medicine experts say Panner's disease has been diagnosed for years. But because it's such a rare condition, it remains relatively unknown.

Larry Nassar, the national medical coordinator for USA Gymnastics, the United States' governing body for the sport, said he has been seeing cases of Panner's disease for 20 years. About two to three cases of Panner's disease pop up a year, he estimated.

``Every, single last one has gone back to gymnastics,'' Nassar said.

In most cases of children with Panner's disease, the persistent pain diminishes with growth.

But besides Panner's disease, Wong also suffers symptoms associated with another bone disorder, called osteochondritis dissecans, Resnick said. Since Wong began noticing extreme elbow pain in February, she has undergone three surgeries to remove bone chips - twice on her right elbow, once on her left.

The outpatient procedures haven't been fun but Wong has been an ideal patient - upbeat, no complaints. ``I'm kind of scared but I'm used to it,'' she said with a smile that revealed a mouthful of braces.

Her most recent cast removed, Wong is now recovering, diligently attending physical therapy sessions - and gymnastics practices. Although Wong doesn't have complete use of her arms, she's continuing to train her stomach and leg muscles.

But for Wong, who has Olympic dreams, Panner's disease is an annoying setback. If you study her face, her sadness shows. She really wants to be training and progressing along with her peers.

``I miss it a lot. It's hard to see everyone else improve,'' she said.

Her coach, surgeon and family remain positive about a full recovery and a gymnastics career. Wong has reached the ``pre-elite 10 level'' in the sport, near Olympic caliber. ``I want to go to nationals and work my way up from there,'' she said. Her goal: the 2004 Olympics.

She's anxious to get back to full-scale training. ``I can do certain things normal people can't do,'' said Wong with a smile. ``It's fun.''

CAPTION(S):

4 Photos

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) VAULTING BACK

Teen gymnast recovering from joint disease that affects young athletes

(2) Gymnast Krystle Wong, 13, keeps up her workouts while she waits for her elbow to regain strength after surgery.

(3) On Krystle Wong's first day back at practice, teammates listen as she shares stories about her surgery.

Andy Holzman/Daily News

(4) Dr. Charles Resnick diagnosed and operated on Krystle to correct the rare joint disorder Panner's disease, which afflicts young athletes.

Gene Blevins/Daily News