Epidemiology of Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Track and Field: 2014-2015 Through 2018-2019.

Abstract

College athletes have been competing in championship track and field events since 1921; the numbers of competing teams and participating athletes have expanded considerably. Monitoring injuries of men's track and field athletes using surveillance systems is critical in identifying emerging injury-related patterns. Exposure and injury data collected in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program during the 2014-2015 through 2018-2019 academic years were analyzed. Injury counts, rates, and proportions were used to describe injury characteristics; injury rate ratios were used to examine differential injury rates. Overall, men's track and field athletes were injured at a rate of 2.37 per 1000 athlete-exposures; injuries occurred at a higher rate during competition compared with practice. Most injuries were to the thigh (26.2%), lower leg (17.3%), or knee (10.7%) and were caused by noncontact (37.2%) or overuse (31.5%) mechanisms. The most reported injury was hamstring tear (14.9%). The etiologies of thigh and lower-leg injuries warrant further attention in this population. Future researchers should also separately examine injury incidence during indoor and outdoor track and field seasons.