Outcome of muscle injuries in youth football

Abstract

Background: Muscle injuries are the most common injury in soccer and account for almost 30 percent of all time-loss injuries. The aim of this study was to investigate the muscle length as a risk factor to sustain a muscle injury and to grade and monitore muscle injuries during the rehabilitation. Methods: 110 young male football players of 5 soccer teams (U15, U16, U17, U18 and U21) with (age 16,8 (14,3–21) years, height 174,5 (146,1–190,0) cm, weight 65,7 (35,5–84,6) kg) were monitored for 12 months in a prospective cohort study. Initially, muscle length in all players were measured. Every muscle injury was documented and monitored in a standardized protocol and graded clinically based on the Muscle-­Injury-Score. Results: 53 muscle injuries accounted for a total of 949 missed trainings and 179 missed matches, averaging in missing 18 trainings and 3,4 matches per injury. In 191 trainings (88,4%) and in 36 matches (81,9%) one player per team was missing because of a muscle injury. Injuries of the rectus femoris muscle were leading to the longest time-loss (39,3 days). There was no statistical significance in muscle length between the injured and the not injured players. The Muscle-Injury-Score correlated clinically relevant and statistically significant with the severity of the injury (r2=0,54, p<0,001). Per point in the Muscle-Injury Score, the rehabilitation of a muscle injury took 5,8 days. Conclusion: Also in young football players, muscle injuries are responsible for long time-losses. In this study, muscle length was not a risk factor for muscle injuries. The muscle-injury score allowed grading of muscle injuries and prediction of the time-loss.