Abstract
The main purpose of the current study was to analyze the injury incidence, characteristics and burden among sub-elite female futsal players. Individual exposure to match play and training, injury incidence and characteristics (player position, injury mechanism, type of injuries, severity of injuries, recurrent vs. new injuries, season variation of injury pattern) in a female futsal team were prospectively recorded for three consecutive seasons (2015–2018). Incidences were calculated per 1,000 h of exposure. A total of 30 injuries were reported during the three seasons within a total exposure of 4,446.1 h. The overall, match and training incidence of injuries were 6.7, 6.4 and 6.8 injuries/1,000 h of exposure, respectively. Most injuries had a non-contact mechanism (93%), with the lower extremity being the most frequently injured anatomical region (5.62 injuries/1,000 h of exposure). The most common type of injury was muscle/tendon (4.9 injuries/1,000 h of exposure) followed by joint (non-bone) and ligament (1.3 injuries/1,000 h of exposure). The injuries with the highest injury burden were those that occurred at the knee (31.9 days loss/1,000 h exposure), followed by quadriceps (15.3 day loss/1,000 h) and hamstring (14.4 day loss/1,000 h) strains. The first few weeks of competition after pre-season and soon after the Christmas break were the time points when most injuries occurred. These data indicate that sub-elite female futsal players are exposed to a substantial risk of sustaining an injury. To reduce overall injury burden, efforts should be directed toward the design, implementation and assessment of preventative measures that target the most common diagnoses, namely, muscle/tendon and ligament injuries.
Highlights
Futsal, the five-a-side version of associated football, is played worldwide with more than one million registered players all over the world
Four players dropped out due to transfers to another club or they were released by the club but their injury data were included based on their time at the club
Match and training incidence A total of 30 injuries were reported in 15 different players during the three seasons within a total exposure time of 4,446.1 h (310 h of match exposure and 4,136.1 h of training exposure), which is equivalent to an overall incidence rate of 6.75 injuries per 1,000 h of exposure
Summary
The five-a-side version of associated football, is played worldwide with more than one million registered players all over the world Characteristics and burden among female sub-elite futsal players: a prospective study with three-year follow-up. Futsal requires players to perform on a reduced (usually indoor) pitch size (40 × 20 m) and during 2 × 20 min periods (with time stopping at every dead ball and unlimited substitutions) a high number of repeated high intensity multiplanar movements such as sudden acceleration and deceleration, rapid changes of direction, tackling and kicking (Castagna et al, 2009; Beato, Coratella & Schena, 2016; Naser, Ali & Macadam, 2017). The combination of these repeated high intensity movements that are performed during training and match play alongside current congested training and competitive calendars and exposure to contacts might place futsal players at high risk of injury. Prior to implementing injury prevention programs into everyday futsal training routines, it is essential to establish the extent of the problem in terms of the incidence and characteristics of injuries (Van Mechelen, Hlobil & Kemper, 1992; Finch, 2006; Van Tiggelen et al, 2008)
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
