Throwing arm injuries in high-level athletics throwers

Abstract

Summary Purposes To determine the frequency, location, types and severity of the throwing arm injuries in athletics throwers. Methods This retrospective study focused on 121 French high-level athletes practicing throwing events during the 2009 French Elite Athletics Championships. Information concerning the throwers and their history of throwing arm injuries were collected by a questionnaire. Results Twenty-four questionnaires were completed adequately (20%): 75% of throwers had presented one or more injuries of the throwing arm during their career, 40% of them required a time-loss over 28 days. The incidence of throwing arm injuries was 0.36 per 1000 hours exposure. The shoulder was the most commonly injured body part (70%). Conclusion Although caution is needed when interpreting these results due to methodological limitations, throwing arm injuries seem to have an important impact on athletics throwers that justifies athletics injuries surveillance to develop strategies of sports injury prevention. More detailed prospective investigations are needed to better understand the physiological adaptations to throw and mismatches leading to shoulder pathologies, because these could also be involved in the thrower's injury prevention strategies.