Musculoskeletal injury in an Australian professional ballet company, 2018-2021: 953 medical-attention and 706 time-loss injuries over 4 years.

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe the incidence rate, frequency, severity, recurrence, and burden of musculoskeletal injury in professional ballet. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiological (retrospective). METHODS: Professional dancers (n=73, 40 females, 33 males) provided consent for retrospective review of musculoskeletal injury data. Medical-attention injuries were reported to and recorded by onsite physiotherapists between January 2018-December 2021. Time-loss injuries were any injury that prevented a dancer from taking a full part in all dance-related activities for >1 day. Injuries were classified using the OSICS-10.1 system. Injury incidence rates (IIR; injuries/1000hours), severity, recurrence, and burden were calculated. RESULTS: Nine hundred and fifty-three medical-attention injuries were recorded in 72 (98%) dancers at an IIR of 2.79/1000hrs (95%CI 2.62-2.98). 706 were time-loss injuries, which were reported in 70 dancers at an IIR of 2.07/1000hrs (95%CI 1.92-2.23). Overuse injuries represented 53% of medical-attention injuries. The most frequently injured body area and tissue/pathology were thoracic facet joint (n=63/953, 7%) and ankle synovitis/impingement (n=62/953, 6%). Bone stress injuries (BSI) were the most severe with the highest median time-loss (135 days, IQR 181), followed by fractures (72.5 days, IQR 132). The injuries with the highest burden were tibial BSI (13 days lost/1000 hours, 95%CI 13-14). Jumping and lifting were most frequently reported injury mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS: Almost all dancers required medical-attention for at least one injury during the surveillance period. Approximately 74% of injuries resulted in time-loss. BSI and ankle synovitis/impingement were of high burden and a high proportion of BSI were recurrent.