The incidence of injury in Texas high school basketball. A prospective study among male and female athletes.

Recent publications have reported differences in the incidence, rate, risk, and type of sports injury among men and women. We undertook a prospective study to determine the incidence of injury among high school basketball players and to examine the differences in injury type, incidence, rate, and risk between male and female athletes. During a single basketball season, an injury survey of girls' varsity teams at 100 class 4A and 5A high schools in Texas was conducted. These data were previously reported. We surveyed the same 100 high schools during a subsequent season to gather injury data from the boys' varsity teams. The athletic trainer collected data on each reportable injury and reported the data weekly to the University Interscholastic League. A reportable injury was defined as one that occurred during a practice or a game, resulted in missed practice or game time, required physician consultation, or involved the head or the face. The boys' and girls' data were compared and statistically analyzed. The rate of injury was 0.56 among the boys and 0.49 among the girls. The risk of injury per hour of exposure was not significantly different between the two groups. In both groups, the most common injuries were sprains, and the most commonly injured area was the ankle, followed by the knee. Female athletes had a significantly higher rate of knee injuries including a 3.79 times greater risk of anterior cruciate ligament injuries. For both sexes, the risk of injury during a game was significantly higher than during practice.     

Soccer injuries among youth

This study reports the quantitative and qualitative aspects of sports injuries in a 5-day youth soccer tournament with 12,907 players. A total of 132 injuries that resulted in at least one days' absence from soccer playing were of special interest. The overall injury rate was 3.6 for boys and 4.4 injuries per 1000 hours of play for girls. Statistically significantly higher injury rates between players in puberty and differences in type and location of injuries between boys and girls were found. In 77% of the cases, the injury happened while the injured player was in physical contact with another player, 59% had ball contact and 7% had no contact with any person or ball at all. Five months later a questionnaire was send out to the serious injured players. Of 85 injured players, 10 were absent from school or work on average 11.5 days. Five had surgery. Injury prophylaxis in soccer tournaments is proposed.     

Injuries in team sport tournaments during the 2004 Olympic Games

BACKGROUND: Several authors have analyzed the incidence of injuries in a given sport, but only a few have examined the exposure-related incidence of injuries in different types of sports using the same methodology. PURPOSE: Analysis of the incidence, circumstances, and characteristics of injuries in different team sports during the 2004 Olympic Games. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: During the 2004 Olympic Games, injuries in 14 team sport tournaments (men's and women's soccer, men's and women's handball, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's field hockey, baseball, softball, men's and women's water polo, and men's and women's volleyball) were analyzed. After each match, the physician of the participating teams or the official medical representative of the sport completed a standardized injury report form. The mean response rate was 93%. RESULTS: A total of 377 injuries were reported from 456 matches, an incidence of 0.8 injuries per match (95% confidence interval, 0.75-0.91) or 54 injuries per 1000 player matches (95% confidence interval, 49-60). Half of all injuries affected the lower extremity; 24% involved the head or neck. The most prevalent diagnoses were head contusion and ankle sprain. On average, 78% of injuries were caused by contact with another player. However, a significantly higher percentage of noncontact (57%) versus contact injuries (37%) was expected to prevent the player from participating in his or her sport. Significantly more injuries in male players (46%) versus female players (35%) were expected to result in absence from match or training. The incidence, diagnosis, and causes of injuries differed substantially between the team sports. CONCLUSION: The risk of injury in different team sports can be compared using standardized methodology. Even if the incidence and characteristics of injuries are not identical in all sports, prevention of injury and promotion of fair play are relevant topics for almost all team sports.     

Epidemiology of meniscal injuries in US high school athletes between 2007 and 2013

Purpose

Knowledge of epidemiologic trends of meniscal injuries in young active populations is limited. Better awareness of injury patterns is a first step to lowering injury rates. Our hypothesis was that meniscal injuries in high school athletes would vary by gender, sport, and type of exposure.

Methods

During the 2007/2008 and 2012/2013 academic years, a large nationally disperse sample of US high schools reported athlete exposure and injury data for 22 sports by having certified athletic trainers complete an internet-based data collection tool.

Results

One thousand and eighty-two meniscal injuries were reported during 21,088,365 athlete exposures for an overall injury rate of 5.1 per 100,000 athlete exposures. The overall rate of injury was higher in competition (11.9) than practice (2.7) (RR = 4.4; 95 % CI 3.9–5.0), and 12/19 sports showed significantly higher injury rates in competition compared to practice. Of all injuries, 68.0 % occurred in boys, yet among the gender-comparable sports of soccer, basketball, track and field, lacrosse, and baseball/softball injury rates were higher for girls than boys (5.5 and 2.5, respectively, RR = 2.2; 95 % CI 1.8–2.7). Contact injury represented the most common mechanism (55.9 %). Surgery was performed for the majority of injuries (63.8 %), and 54.0 % of athletes had associated intra-articular knee pathology.

Conclusions

Meniscal injury patterns among high school athletes vary by gender, sport, and type of exposure. Our study is clinically relevant because recognition of distinct differences in these injury patterns will help drive evidence-based, targeted injury prevention strategies and efforts.

Level of evidence

III.

     

Baseball and softball sliding injuries. Incidence, and the effect of technique in collegiate baseball and softball players

We prospectively observed seven softball and three baseball Division I collegiate teams to study the incidence of sliding injuries, the types of injuries resulting from the sliding technique, and the amount of time lost from participation. Slides were categorized as either feet- or head-first on the basis of the leading part of the body during the slide. Slides were further stratified depending on whether a diveback technique was performed. We recorded 37 injuries in 3889 slides in 637 games and 7596 athlete game exposures. The overall incidence of sliding injuries was 9.51 per 1000 slides and 4.87 per 1000 game exposures. Softball players had a significantly higher incidence of sliding injuries (12.13 per 1000 slides) than did baseball players (6.01 per 1000 slides). In baseball, the injury rate was higher for feet-first slides (7.31 per 1000 slides) than for headfirst slides (3.53 per 1000 slides) or divebacks (5.75 per 1000 divebacks). In softball, injury rates were higher for head-first slides (19.46 per 1000 slides) than for feet-first slides (10.04 per 1000 slides) or divebacks (7.49 per 1000 divebacks). The majority of injuries sustained were minor, with only four (11%) injuries causing the athlete to miss more than 7 days of participation.     

Epiphyseal Fracture in Sports

In this evaluation of 203 acute epiphyseal fractures in the long bones of 183 patients aged 3 to 18, 79 fractures (39%) were related to the following ten sports activities: football, hockey, basketball, downhill skiing, baseball/softball, wrestling, soccer, gymnastics, tennis, and volleyball. An additional 21 fractures occurred in weight lifting, roller skating, ice skating, and skateboarding. Approximately 50% of the fractures in this urban population were sports- related. The symptoms of epiphyseal fractures are the same as symptoms of fractures or ligament injuries in general. Physicians should always consider the possibility of epiphyseal fracture in adolescent injuries.     

Hand injury patterns in softball players using a 16 inch ball

Softball is a popular recreational and competitive sport among both men and women. The injury rate in softball players is as high as that in baseball and basketball players. We conducted a retrospective analysis of 119 hand injuries in 108 patients treated at the University of Chicago hand clinic. All of the injuries were caused by the impact of a 16 inch circumference softball. Of the 119 injuries, 87 (73%) had bone involvement. Operative treatment was required in 26 (22%) injuries, 23 involving fractures and 3 involving soft tissue only. There was one (3.8%) operative complication. Of all injuries, 101 (86%) involved the finger joints, including 46 (39%) injuries to the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint, 48 (40%) to the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint, and 7 (6%) to the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint. The most common DIP joint injury was a mallet injury. This fracture, the most common single type of injury in our series, accounted for 27% of all injuries. Of all mallet injuries, 86% were fractures. The most common PIP joint injury was a volar plate fracture, the second most common injury in our series. Variables such as the patient's sex, dominance or nondominance of hands, and early or late season play were not associated with a higher risk of injury. Certain parts of the hand, such as the more ulnar digits and the DIP and PIP joints, were at particularly high risk of injury.     

Injuries in youth amateur soccer and rugby players--comparison of incidence and characteristics

OBJECTIVES: In reviewing the literature on sports injuries, few studies could be found in which exposure related incidences of injury in different types of sport were compared. These studies indicated that ice hockey, handball, basketball, soccer, and rugby are popular team sports with a relatively high risk of injury. The aim of the study was to compare the characteristics and incidence of injuries in male youth amateur soccer and rugby players. METHODS: This prospective cohort study comprised an initial baseline examination to ascertain the characteristics of the players and their level of performance, and a one season observation period during which a physician visited the team weekly and documented all occurring injuries. Twelve soccer and 10 rugby school teams with male amateur players aged 14-18 years were selected for the study. 145 soccer and 123 rugby players could be followed up over one season. RESULTS: Comparison of the incidence of soccer and rugby injuries indicated that rugby union football was associated with a significantly higher rate of injury than soccer. The differences were pronounced for contact injuries, injuries of the head, neck, shoulder, and upper extremity, as well as for concussion, fractures, dislocations, and strains. Rugby players incurred 1.5 times more overuse and training injuries in relation to exposure time, and 2.7 times more match injuries than soccer players. Three rugby players but no soccer players had to stop their participation in sport because of severe injury. CONCLUSION: The incidence of injury in New Zealand school teams playing soccer or rugby union is high, probably in part because of the low ratio of hours spent in training relative to hours spent playing matches. The development and implementation of preventive interventions to reduce the rate and severity of injury is recommended.     

Intraarticular injuries associated with anterior cruciate ligament tear: findings at ligament reconstruction in high school and recreational athletes. An analysis of sex-based differences

BACKGROUND: Despite research on the increased risk of anterior cruciate ligament tears in female athletes, few studies have addressed sex differences in the incidence of associated intraarticular injuries. HYPOTHESIS: When patients are stratified by sport and competition level, no sex differences exist in either the mechanism of injury or pattern of intraarticular injuries observed at anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Two hundred twenty-one athletes undergoing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction met our inclusion criteria of anterior cruciate ligament tear as a singular event without reinjury or history of prior injury or surgery in either knee. Data were collected on competition level (high school, amateur), sport (basketball, soccer, skiing), mechanism of injury, articular cartilage injuries, and meniscal tears. Data were statistically analyzed by sex with the chi-square test and Student's t-test. RESULTS: High school athletes had no significant sex differences in mechanism of injury. Female soccer athletes had fewer medial meniscal tears than did male athletes, and female basketball players had fewer medial femoral condyle injuries. At the amateur level, female basketball players had more contact injuries, an earlier onset of swelling, and fewer lateral meniscal tears than did male players. CONCLUSION: At the high school level, male and female athletes shared a common mechanism of injury, and yet the female athletes had fewer intraarticular injuries in basketball and soccer. If such intraarticular injuries prove to be a significant risk factor for poor long-term outcome, women may enjoy a better prognosis after reconstruction.     

The epidemiology of knee injuries in Iranian male professional soccer players

Detailed injury epidemiology is an invaluable tool for minimising risk associated with sporting injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate epidemiology of knee injuries in Iranian male professional soccer players. In total, 390 soccer players of 16 clubs were studied during one season. A total of 43 injured soccer players were interviewed and 16 team physicians were consulted. All information was collected through standard questionnaires. Furthermore, medical personal prospectively reported time-loss injuries sustained by players over one season and the knee injuries were evaluated. The results showed that in total, from 390 players, 43 of them suffered knee injuries (14.9 per 100 players). The anterior cruciate ligament was the most commonly injured ligament of the knee, in which 12.5% were accompanied by injuries to the medial meniscus and medial collateral ligament. There was a significant difference in incidence of injury between the preferred (62.9%) and non-preferred leg (37.1%). Most injuries were characteristically severe (82.3%). Most injuries occurred in away games (52.94%), mostly in the second half and most commonly in the final 15 min (35.3%). The incidence of non-contact injuries (66.12%) was significantly higher than contact injuries (33.87%). It can be concluded that the incidence of knee injury was high (0.12 injuries per team per match). Injury tends to be more common in match play and mostly at the end of season. Midfielders suffered more knee injuries. Most injuries occurred in the losing teams.     

Epidemiological survey of anterior cruciate ligament injury in Japanese junior high school and high school athletes: cross-sectional study

We investigated the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among athletes in junior high school and high school by retrospectively reviewing Japan Sports Council notification data registered over a period of 10 years. The total number of ACL injuries during the 10-year period was 30,458, with an incidence of 0.81 per 1000 athlete-years. Among those with ACL injuries, the ratio of girls to boys was 2.8, and incidence of injury was significantly greater among girls than boys (1.36 as against 0.48). Athletes in the 11th grade demonstrated the highest incidence of ACL injuries. We also found that the greatest incidence of ACL injuries was among female high school basketball players; the second highest being among female high school Judo athletes. For sports with a greater number of ACL injuries and a higher injury rate, it is necessary to obtain more detailed data and analysis to determine an effective prevention programme.     

Men's and Women's Injuries in Comparable Sports

The author studied men's and women's sports injury patterns in basketball, baseball/softball, and gymnastics. She found more similarities than differences.     

Injuries among young soccer players

We registered all new injuries among 496 male youth soccer players, aged 12 to 18 years, during the course of one year. The incidence of injury was 3.7 injuries per 1000 hours of soccer per player. The incidence increased with age, and at the higher ages within the youth players, approached the incidence rate of senior players (age greater than or equal to 18 years). Seventy percent of the injuries were located in the lower extremities, particularly the knee (26%) and ankle (23%). Back pain occurred in 14% of players. Fractures, which accounted for 4% of injuries, were most often in the upper extremities. We conclude that youth soccer is a relatively low-risk sport with an injury pattern that differs slightly from that of senior players.     

Comparing the incidence of anterior cruciate ligament injury in collegiate lacrosse, soccer, and basketball players: implications for anterior cruciate ligament mechanism and prevention

BACKGROUND: Female college basketball and soccer athletes have higher rates of anterior cruciate ligament injury than do their male counterparts. Rates of anterior cruciate ligament injuries for women and men in collegiate lacrosse have not been examined. Understanding anterior cruciate ligament injury patterns in lacrosse, a full-contact sport for men and noncontact sport for women, could further injury prevention efforts. HYPOTHESES: Female anterior cruciate ligament injury rates will decrease over time owing to longer participation in sports. Lacrosse anterior cruciate ligament injury rates will be lower than rates in basketball and soccer possibly owing to beneficial biomechanics of carrying a lacrosse stick. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study (Prevalence); Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance System were analyzed to compare men's and women's anterior cruciate ligament injuries in basketball, lacrosse, and soccer over 15 years. RESULTS: Anterior cruciate ligament injury rates in women's basketball and soccer were 0.28 and 0.32 injuries per 1000 athlete exposures, respectively, and did not decline over the study period. In men's basketball, injury rate fluctuated between 0.03 and 0.13 athlete exposures. Rates of anterior cruciate ligament injury did not significantly change in men's soccer over the study period. The rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury in men's lacrosse (0.17 athlete exposures, P < .05) was significantly higher than in men's basketball (0.08 athlete exposures) and soccer (0.12 athlete exposures). Injury rate in women's lacrosse (0.18 athlete exposures, P < .05) was significantly lower than in women's basketball and soccer. CONCLUSION: There was no discernable change in rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury in men or women during the study period. Men's lacrosse is a high-risk sport for anterior cruciate ligament injury. Unlike basketball and soccer, the rates of anterior cruciate ligament injury are essentially the same in men's and women's lacrosse. The level of allowed contact in pivoting sports may be a factor in determining sport-specific anterior cruciate ligament risk.     

Previous injuries and persisting symptoms in female soccer players

One hundred and fifty players in a female senior soccer division, starting up a new season, were examined for past injuries and persisting symptoms. An incidence of 0.18 injury/player/year was found, which is not significantly different from previously reported injury rates for male soccer. Sprains to the lower extremity and shin-splints were the most common previous injuries. Forty-three percent of the players had some kind of persistent symptom as a result of a past injury. Symptoms from previous ankle and knee sprains and from overuse injuries were the most common. Players who had sustained an ankle joint injury were more prone to have persistent symptoms (p less than 0.05) if they had persistent mechanical instability. Compared to previous retrospective studies on men's soccer, the women showed a higher rate of previous patellar dislocations. These injuries often caused persistent symptoms. The women showed fewer serious knee injuries. This might depend on a real difference in incidence or is just a reflection of female players ceasing to play soccer after a severe knee injury.     

A 7-year study on risks and costs of knee injuries in male and female youth participants in 12 sports

Knee injuries are common and account in various sports for 15-50% of all sports injuries. The cost of knee injuries is therefore a large part of the cost for medical care of sports injuries. Furthermore, the risk of acquiring a knee injury during sports is considered higher for females than for males. The nationwide organization "Youth and Sports" represents the major source of organized sports and recreation for Swiss youth and engages annually around 370000 participants in the age group of 14 to 20 years. The purpose of this study was to combine data on knee injuries from two sources, the first being data on the exposure to risk found in the activity registration in "Youth and Sports" and the second injuries with their associated costs resulting from the activities and filed at the Swiss Military Insurance. This allowed calculation of knee injury incidences, to compare risks between males and females and to estimate the costs of medical treatment. The study comprises 3864 knee injuries from 12 sports during 7 years. Females were significantly more at risk in six sports: alpinism, downhill skiing, gymnastics, volleyball, basketball and team handball. The incidences of knee injuries and of cruciate ligament injuries in particular, together with the costs per hour of participation, all displayed the same sports as the top five for both females and males: ice hockey, team handball, soccer, downhill skiing and basketball. Female alpinism and gymnastics had also high rankings. Knee injuries comprised 10% of all injuries in males and 13% in females, but their proportional contribution to the costs per hour of participation was 27% and 33%, respectively. From this study it can be concluded that females were significantly more at risk for knee injuries than males in six sports and that knee injuries accounted for a high proportion of the costs of medical treatment.     

The epidemiology of sports injuries in schoolaged children

In the 5-year-period 1988-1992, 6096 children aged 6-17 (54.5% boys and 45.5% girls) were treated at the Emergency Department at Esbjerg Central Hospital after having sustained a sports injury. The data were registred according to the European Home- and Leisure-Accident Surveillance System (EHLASS) protocol. We found a total incidence rate in the municipality of Esbjerg of 73.3 per 1000 per year. Boys were most often injured in soccer, skateboard, handball, gymnastics and basketball, and girls in handball, horseriding, gymnastics, basketball and roller-skating. The types of injuries were contusions 37.1%, fractures 22.0%, sprains 24.8%, wounds 9.5%, strains 5.0% and luxations 1.4%. The hospitalization rate was 3.8%. Compared to other studies the total incidence rate was high.