Overall Incidence Of Injuries Research Articles

Incidence of injuries and their prevention in Czech ice hockey players.

Ice hockey is a dynamic game. We can observe collisions between the players that bring a risk of injury. There are many hockey clubs in the Czech Republic. These clubs raise great hockey players and many competing players in various levels of national leagues. The aim of this study was to map injuries in Czech hockey players and outline the situation of injury prevention and body care in ice hockey players. We used a questionnaire survey method to obtain data. We received answers from 100 male active Czech ice hockey players, playing in the top three highest men's competitions (Extraleague - 2nd league). Individual injuries were analyzed according to specific body parts, injury type, playing position, level of competition using basic statistical characteristics and relative frequency analyses, including the recovery time, injury reason and the injury statistics per 1000 sporting performances in ice hockey. We found that 81% of participants suffered injuries with the overall incidence of injuries was 17.1 per 1000 sports performances and mainly happened during the match compared to training. The most common injuries were in the head and neck area (25%), often caused by a collision with another player, a stick or puck hit, or a collision with a board. Other frequently injured parts were the knees (21%), where internal ligament injuries predominate, and the shoulders (20%), where we recorded mainly ligament injuries. There is a high risk of various injury types of ice hockey players, that are developed accidentally in all body parts mostly in the match (mostly upper part of the body and knee) or by overloading (hip/groin area). We recommend strategies to avoid or minimize the injury risk of players. The hockey clubs, coaches, and players should extensively and regularly cooperate with physiotherapists, starting from the younger age of hockey groups, to prevent injuries and use regular strengthening of crucial muscle parts, regeneration, and compensatory exercises. We endorse adequately evaluating dangerous foul actions for referees and disciplinary officials also in minor competitions.

Injury incidence in golf-a systematic review and meta-analysis.

There is a lack of comprehensive analysis of injuries in golf per exposure time. Thus, the aim was to report the pooled incidence of injuries in golf. We searched PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases in March 2024 for this systematic review and meta-analysis. We included observational studies reporting the number of injuries per exposure time. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled injury incidence per 1000 athlete exposures (18 holes of golf) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Incidences were separately analyzed for men, women, amateurs, professionals, and special athletes. A total of 999 studies were screened, 29 full texts were assessed, and 7 studies with 269,754 athlete exposures were included. Seven studies assessed the overall incidence of injury, and the pooled estimate was 2.5 per 1000 athlete exposures (CI 0.9-7.5). The incidence was higher in special athletes (21.0, CI 7.7-45.1; one study) than among professionals (8.5, CI 7.6-9.4; one study), or in amateurs (1.3, CI 0.5-4.0; five studies). The injury incidence was 2.6 per 1000 athlete exposures (CI 0.7-9.6; four studies) in women and 1.4 per 1000 athlete exposures (CI 0.4-5.2; three studies) in men. A sensitivity analysis without special athletes had an incidence of 1.9 (CI 0.7-4.9; six studies). The injury incidence in golf is 2.5 injuries per 1000 athlete exposures (18 holes of golf). Reporting was limited as only one study reported injuries per exposure time in professionals, and in total, only seven studies were found. More research is needed in all levels and age groups to better estimate the injury incidence and associated risk factors in golf.

Epidemiology of Injuries in Men's Professional and Amateur Football (Part I).

Background (1): Football is the most popular sport among men, associated with a certain risk of injury, which leads to short- and long-term health consequences. While the injury profile of professional footballers is known, little is known about the injury profile of amateur footballers; amateur football is a major and diverse area, the development of which should be a priority for football associations around the world and UEFA. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review of epidemiological literature data on injuries in professional and amateur football players belonging to certain leagues. Methods (2): A systematic review according to the PRISMA guidelines was performed until June 2023 in the databases PubMed, Web of Science, Google Academic, Google Scholar, and Diva portal. Forty-six studies reporting injury incidence in professional and amateur men's football were selected and analyzed. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed study quality using an adapted version of the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and the Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) to assess risk of bias for the quality of external validity. Results (3): The overall incidence of injuries in professional male football players was 7.75 ± 2.28, 95% confidence interval, injuries/1000 h of exposure and that of amateur football players was 7.98 ± 2.95, 95% confidence interval, injuries/1000 h of exposure. The incidence of match injuries (30.64 ± 10.28, 95% confidence interval, injuries/1000 exposure hours) was 7.71 times higher than the training injury incidence rate (3.97 ± 1.35, 95% confidence interval, injuries/1000 h) in professional football players and 5.45 times higher in amateurs (17.56 ± 6.15 vs. 3.22 ± 1.4, 95% confidence interval, injuries/1000 h). Aggregate lower extremity injuries had the highest prevalence in both categories of footballers, being 83.32 ± 4.85% in professional footballers and 80.4 ± 7.04% in amateur footballers: thigh, ankle, and knee injuries predominated. Conclusions (4): Professional and amateur football players are at substantial risk of injury, especially during matches that require the highest level of performance. Injury rates have implications for players, coaches, and sports medicine practitioners. Therefore, information on football injuries can help develop personalized injury risk mitigation strategies that could make football safer for both categories of football players. The current findings have implications for the management, monitoring, and design of training, competition, injury prevention, especially severe injury, and education programs for amateur football players.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Hiatus From Sports Activities on Injuries Observed Among Division I NCAA Athletes.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly disrupted athletic activities, including those in the Pacific 12 (Pac-12) Conference of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. It is currently unknown how the disruption in training and competition impacted athletes' risk of injury upon resumption of activities. To describe and compare the rate, timing, mechanism, and severity of injuries among collegiate athletes across multiple sports in the Pac-12 Conference before and after the COVID-19 pandemic-associated hiatus of intercollegiate athletic activities. Descriptive epidemiology study. Descriptive and injury data among intercollegiate athletes from both the season before the hiatus and the season after the hiatus were acquired from the Pac-12 Health Analytics Program database. Injury elements (timing of injury onset, injury severity, mechanism, recurrence, outcome, need for procedural intervention, and event segment during which the injury took place) were compared by time using the chi-square test and a multivariate logistic regression model. Subgroup analyses were performed on knee and shoulder injuries among athletes participating in sports with traditionally high rates of knee and shoulder injuries. A total of 12,319 sports-related injuries across 23 sports were identified, with 7869 pre-hiatus injuries and 4450 post-hiatus injuries. There was no difference in the overall incidence of injury between the pre-hiatus and post-hiatus seasons. However, the proportion of noncontact injuries was higher in the post-hiatus season for football, baseball, and softball players, and the proportion of nonacute injuries in the post-hiatus season was higher among football, basketball, and rowing athletes. Finally, the overall proportion of injuries sustained by football players in the final 25% of competition or practice was higher in the post-hiatus season. Athletes competing in the post-hiatus season were observed to have higher rates of noncontact injuries and injuries sustained in the final 25% of competition. This study demonstrates that the COVID-19 pandemic has had varied effects on athletes from different sports, suggesting that many factors must be considered when designing return-to-sports programs for athletes after an extended absence from organized training.

2021/22 Rugby Europe Injury Surveillance Report: SuperCup, Under-20, and Under-18 Championship.

We conducted a prospective cohort study to determine the incidence rate and characterization of the injuries sustained by players during the 2021/22 season of the Rugby Europe SuperCup, Under-20, and Under-18 championships. Team medics reported the injuries, using an online platform. Ethical approval and informed consent were obtained. The overall incidence of injuries ranged from 33.33 (95% CI: 18.97-54.60) in the under-18s to 83.33 (95% CI: 60.34-112.40) in the under-20s, while in the SuperCup it was 41.35 (95% CI: 30.30-55.18) injuries per 1000 player-match-hours. Injury severity (mean days) was higher in the SuperCup (38.33) and lower in the Under-18 tournament (28.50). Lower limb and soft tissue were the most common type of injuries. Tackles caused almost two-thirds of all injuries. Concussion accounted for 10.0% to 25.6% of all injuries. Our data are consistent with previous reports for similar levels of competition and age grades. The injury incidence was higher in the senior competitions (Under-20s and SuperCup). However, for the under-20s, injury rates were higher than in the SuperCup. This might be related to the competition format; however, more studies need to be conducted in the future. Concussion is a common injury and the protocols used at this level seems to be effective to identify it.

Epidemiology of Sports-Related Clavicle Fractures in the United States: Injuries From 2015 to 2019.

Background:Clavicle fractures are common orthopaedic injuries that frequently occur during sports and recreational activity.Purpose:To (1) determine the incidence rate of sports-related clavicle fractures among patients evaluated in emergency departments in the United States over a 5-year period, (2) determine the most common sports and risks associated with clavicle fractures, and (3) update the literature by comparing past and present injury trends.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database was queried for patients evaluated with clavicle fractures in US emergency departments from 2015 to 2019. The authors evaluated the data by age, sex, race, and sport/recreational activity. Injuries were characterized based on sports-specific mechanism of injury. Using the NEISS weighted multiplier, the authors estimated annual incidence rates based on US Census data. Contingency table comparisons of categorical variables (ie, age groups vs sex distributions) were analyzed using either chi-square or Fisher exact tests as appropriate for the population size, while continuous variable comparisons were performed using 1-way analysis of variance statistical testing.Results:A total of 2386 athletic-related clavicle fractures were evaluated at participating emergency departments, translating to 304,211 clavicle fractures, with an annual per-year injury rate of 18.72 clavicle fractures per 100,000 persons at risk (95% CI, 15.28-23.67). Male athletes had disproportionately higher injury rates than female athletes (P < .001) for every year of the study and demonstrated a higher incidence of fractures compared with female athletes (injury proportion ratio, 5.54). Patients aged 10 to 19 years accounted for the highest overall incidence of injury (64.5%). The annual incidence rate of athletic-related clavicle fractures was not significantly different during the study period (P = .24). The most common mechanisms of injury were participation in football (26.87%), soccer (15.76%), snowboarding (5.03%), bicycling (3.77%), wrestling (3.65%), and snow skiing (3.52%).Conclusion:Study findings indicated that clavicle fractures sustained during sports and recreational activity disproportionately affect male athletes. Adolescent populations (10-19 years of age) had the highest overall incidence of injury, and the most common activities associated with clavicle fractures were football and soccer.

Effect of a Condensed NBA Season on Injury Risk: An Analysis of the 2020 Season and Player Safety.

Background:Health and safety concerns surrounding the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led the National Basketball Association (NBA) to condense and accelerate the 2020 season. Although prior literature has suggested that inadequate rest may lead to an increased injury risk, the unique circumstances surrounding this season offer a unique opportunity to evaluate player safety in the setting of reduced interval rest.Hypothesis:We hypothesized that the condensed 2020 NBA season resulted in an increased overall injury risk as compared with the 2015 to 2018 seasons.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:A publicly available database, Pro Sports Transactions, was queried for injuries that forced players to miss ≥1 game between the 2015 and 2020 seasons. Data from the 2019 season were omitted given the abrupt suspension of the league year. All injury incidences were calculated per 1000 game-exposures (GEs). The primary outcome was the overall injury proportion ratio (IPR) between the 2020 season and previous seasons. Secondary measures included injury incidences stratified by type, severity, age, position, and minutes per game.Results:A total of 4346 injuries occurred over a 5-season span among 2572 unique player-seasons. The overall incidence of injury during the 2020 season was 48.20 per 1000 GEs but decreased to 39.97 per 1000 GEs when excluding COVID-19. Despite this exclusion, the overall injury rate in 2020 remained significantly greater (IPR, 1.42 [95% CI, 1.32-1.52]) than that of the 2015 to 2018 seasons (28.20 per 1000 GEs). On closer evaluation, the most notable increases seen in the 2020 season occurred within minor injuries requiring only a 1-game absence (IPR, 1.53 [95% CI, 1.37-1.70]) and in players who were aged 25 to 29 years (IPR, 1.57 [95% CI, 1.40-2.63]), averaging ≥30.0 minutes per game (IPR, 1.67 [95% CI, 1.47-1.90]), and playing the point guard position (IPR, 1.67 [95% 1.44-1.95]).Conclusion:Players in the condensed 2020 NBA season had a significantly higher incidence of injuries when compared with the prior 4 seasons, even when excluding COVID-19–related absences. This rise is consistent with the other congested NBA seasons of 1998 and 2011. These findings suggest that condensing the NBA schedule is associated with an increased risk to player health and safety.

62 The Impact of ICD10 on the Incidence of Abuse in the National Burn Repository

IntroductionPreviously, cases of abuse may only have been coded as such when the investigation was complete, thus skewing the data available in the National Burn Repository (NBR) toward more severe or obvious cases of abuse. The introduction of the ICD10 coding system in 2015 brought with it the concept of “confirmed” and “suspected” cases of abuse. We hypothesized that the creation of these two categories might shift our understanding of non-accidental pediatric burn injuries.MethodsWe queried the NBR, a retrospective database maintained by the American Burn Association (ABA) which contains data submitted by all ABA-verified burn centers as well as some non-verified centers, for all children under the age of 18. Data were cleaned using e-codes where appropriate. To create equal samples, we created two cohorts: the ICD-9 sample comprises all children treated from 2012-2014, and the ICD-10 sample includes all children treated from 2016 to 2018. Data from 2015 were omitted as the ICD-10 coding system was introduced part way through the year.ResultsA total of 34,456 patients are included in the sample, including 18,783 (54.5%) in the ICD-9 group and 15,673 in the ICD-10 group. The most common causes of injury in both eras was scald (48.7% in ICD-9 and 55.2% in ICD-10), followed by fire/ flame (20.3% in ICD-9 and 20.9% in ICD-10). The overall rate of abuse (including both suspected and confirmed abuse in the ICD-10 group) was higher in the ICD-9 era than the ICD-10 era (4.2 vs 3.2%, p< 0.001). As seen in previous studies, children with injuries due to abuse were younger (median age 2.0 vs 3.0 years, p< 0.001), had a larger median burn size (3.0 vs 5.0%, p< 0.001), a longer hospital length of stay (2.0 vs 4.0 days, p< 0.001), and a higher rate of mortality (0.8 vs 0.5%, p< 0.001). In the ICD-10 cohort, only 17 cases were coded as “confirmed” abuse (0.1%) and 478 were coded as “suspected” (3.0%). In contrast, in the ICD-9 group, 789 patients (4.2%) were coded as being victims of abuse.ConclusionsWe expected that adoption of ICD-10, with its ability to yield increased data granularity, would yield a higher overall incidence of injury. Specifically, we expected more patients with smaller injuries to be included in the new “suspected” category, given the lower threshold to apply that diagnosis. However, this was not demonstrated in the NBR dataset, and in fact the overall incidence of abuse decreased. Given the added layers of complexity within the ICD-10 system, it is possible that the differences reflect challenges in coding cases of abuse rather than actual epidemiological changes.

Obstructive sleep apnea and injury events in Taiwanese adults: A retrospective cohort study.

The aim of this study was to examine the association between obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) diagnosis and diverse types of injuries. This population-based retrospective cohort study compared records from 2000 to 2013 in the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. 3025 patients identified with OSA were compared against the control cohort consisting of 12,100 age- and sex-matched patients. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis was performed to estimate the effects of OSA on injury risk. Patients with OSA exhibited a significantly higher overall incidence of injury of 2599 per 100,000 person-years compared to the control cohort (2248 per 100,000 person-years). After the confounding factors were considered, subjects with OSA showed a higher risk of injury than subjects in the control group (adjusted hazard ratio [HR]=1.78, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.64-1.93). The risk of unintentional injury (traffic, poisoning, falls) and intentional injury (suicide) in the group of patients with OSA was higher than that in the controls. Our study strongly supports the conclusion that adults with OSA are at increased risk of injury. The present results indicate the significance of OSA as a predictor of injury risk, which will provide valuable information for clinical practice and injury prevention.

Golf cart injuries in children: the experience of trauma centers in a single state in the USA.

Golf carts remain a source of morbidity in children. We aimed to establish the incidence and injury characteristics of pediatric patients injured due to golf cart usage over an 11-year period. This is a retrospective study using a single state trauma database of patients ages 0-17 years admitted to a trauma center and who sustained injures while a golf cart was in use. Thirteen Pediatric and Adult Trauma Centers within the state of Pennsylvania were evaluated from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2014. The inclusion criteria were met by 108 patients. The mean annual incidence of injuries was 0.35/100 000. The median age of patients was 11 years. The median hospital length of stay and injury severity score were 2 days and 9.5, respectively. The majority of the patients (75.9%) sustained at least one bone fracture. Skull fractures were more prevalent (43.5%), whereas extremity fractures were sustained by 26.9% of patients. Intracranial hemorrhages were sustained by 29.6% of patients. Ejections and rollovers accounted for 58.3% and 31.4% of patient injuries, respectively. The concussion rate was 26.9%. Neither age group nor sex was associated with a difference in fractures, intracranial hemorrhage or concussions. Golf cart injuries in pediatric patients commonly stem from ejections and rollover mechanisms resulting in skull fractures, extremity fractures, intracranial hemorrhages and concussions. The overall incidence of injury was 0.35 cases per 100 000. Further efforts are needed to increase awareness of these injuries and modify regulations regarding the use of golf carts in the pediatric population.

A retrospective descriptive analysis of race-day injuries of greyhounds in New Zealand.

To describe the distribution, and determine the incidence, of veterinary reported injuries experienced by greyhounds during racing in New Zealand. This retrospective cohort study utilised data obtained on all greyhound race starts and all racing injuries sustained in New Zealand between 10 September 2014 and 19 June 2019. Greyhound injuries were described by the number and percentage of the type, location, and presumed cause of injuries. The overall incidence of injuries per 1000 racing starts was calculated and stratified incidence rates were calculated for race year, racetrack, race number, sex of the greyhound, country of origin of the greyhound, starting box number, race type, race class and race distance. Poisson regression was used to calculate incidence rate ratios for the outcome of injury and race exposure variables. There were 213,630 race starts and 4100 injuries. The incidence of injury was 19.2 per 1000 starts, while the number of fatalities at the track was 1.3 per 1000 race starts. Most injuries experienced by greyhounds on race-day were minor (soft-tissue). Most injuries affected the limbs of the greyhounds (82.8%, n = 3393/4100). The rate of injuries was higher in Australian dogs compared with New Zealand dogs, the incidence rate of injury increased with advancing age group and the incidence rate varied among racetracks. The injury rates were similar to those previously reported for racing greyhounds in New Zealand. This study highlighted the need for greater uniformity and conciseness around the classification of injuries to permit comparisons across jurisdictions.

Preventing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries by Using a Tiered Protocol in Children Receiving ECMO in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Preventing Hospital-Acquired Pressure Injuries by Using a Tiered Protocol in Children Receiving ECMO in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit.

Injury Profile in Women's Football: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Football is the most popular sport among women; however, little is known about the injury profile in this population. This information would help design tailored injury risk mitigation strategies that may make football safer for women. The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological data of injuries in women´s football. A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was performed up to January 2020 in PubMed, Web of Science, Sportdiscus and the Cochrane Library databases. Twenty-two studies reporting the incidence of injuries in women football were analysed. Two reviewers independently extracted data (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] for inter-reviewer reliability = 0.87) and assessed study quality using the STROBE statement, GRADE approach, Newcastle Ottawa Scale and Downs and Black assessment tools. Studies were combined in pooled analyses (injury incidence and injury proportion) using a Poisson random effects regression model. The overall incidence of injuries in female football players was 6.1 injuries/1000h of exposure. Match injury incidence (19.2 injuries/1000h of exposure) was almost six times higher than training injury incidence rate (3.5 injuries/1000h of exposure). Lower extremity injuries had the highest incidence rates (4.8 injuries/1000h of exposure). The most common types of injuries were muscle/tendon (1.8 injuries/1000h of exposure) and joint (non-bone) and ligament (1.5 injuries/1000h of exposure), which were frequently associated with traumatic incidents. Slight/minimal injuries (1-3days of time loss) were the most common. The incidence rate of injuries during matches in the top five world ranking leagues was higher than the rest of the leagues (19.3 vs 10.7 injuries/1000h of exposure, respectively). The weighted injury proportion was 1.1 (95% confidence interval = 0.6-1.7) whereby on average players sustained more than one injury per season. Female football players are exposed to a substantial risk of sustaining injuries, especially during matches that require the highest level of performance. To markedly reduce overall injury burden, efforts should focus on introducing and evaluating preventative measures that target match specific dynamics to make football players more capable of responding to the challenges that they have to deal with during match play. This systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (ID = CRD42019118152).

Eight-season epidemiological study of match injuries in women’s international rugby sevens

ABSTRACT This study aimed to describe anthropometry and incidence, nature and causes of match injuries in women’s international rugby sevens and to compare these with results reported previously for men’s international rugby sevens. The study comprised an 8-season, prospective study of World Rugby’s women’s Sevens World Series. Over the eight seasons, the overall incidence of injury was 105.6 (95% CI: 96.0 to 116.3) injuries/1000 player-match-hours with a mean injury severity of 53.4 (95% CI: 46.9 to 59.9) days-absence. There were no statistically significant trends for backs or forwards in the incidence (backs: p = 0.470; forwards: p = 0.242) or mean severity (backs: p = 0.098; forwards: p = 0.544) of injuries sustained over the 8-season period. Head/face (20.8%), knee (19.7%), ankle (11.3%) and shoulder/clavicle (8.4%) were the most common injury locations while ligament sprain (31.7%), concussion (15.6%), haematoma/bruise (11.5%) and fracture (11.5%) were the most common types of injury sustained. Being-tackled (35.4%), tackling (26.3%), collisions (13.8%) and rucks (8.8%) were the match events responsible for most injuries. The study indicates that injury burden in women’s international rugby sevens (5,640 days-absence/1000 player-match-hours; 95% CI: 5,123 to 6,209) is similar to that reported previously for men’s international rugby sevens (5,263 days-absence/1000 player-match-hours; 95% CI: 5,000 to 5,540).

Effects of the FIFA 11+ on injury prevention in amateur futsal players.

To examine the effectiveness of the FIFA 11+ in reducing injury in futsal players. Ninety-one male futsal players from six amateur futsal clubs were recruited and assessed for eligibility, and 71 were randomized to the 11+ group (n=37, age: 27.0±5.1years) and a control group (n=34, age: 26.0±5.1years). The 11+ program was executed twice a week for 20weeks, separated by a 10-week period where both groups executed their regular warm-up. Data on match, training exposure, and injuries were recorded during the regular season. The players sustained a total of 58 injuries during the futsal regular season, with 24 injuries in the 11+ group and 34 injuries in the control group; the overall incidence of injuries per 1000 player-hours was significantly higher in the control group (11.6 vs 6.5; mean difference (95% CI) -5.1 (-9.1 to -1.1), P=.014). The 11+ group had a significantly lower incidence of acute (11.2 vs 5.7; -5.5 (-9.4 to -1.6), P=.007) and lower limb (8.7 vs 4.4; -4.2 (-8.1 to -0.4), P=.032) injuries per 1000 player-hours. Players from the control group had a higher number of days injured (20.4±17.3 vs 10.5±9.1, P=.036). The FIFA 11+ is an injury prevention program suited for injury reduction in amateur futsal players, as it reduces the incidence of overall, acute, and lower limb injuries during the season.

Ten-season epidemiological study of match injuries in men’s international rugby sevens

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to describe the incidence, nature and causes of match injuries in men’s international rugby sevens and to compare these to values for international rugby fifteens. The study comprised a 10-season, whole population, prospective study of the Sevens World Series. Over the ten seasons, the overall incidence of injury was 122.4 (95% CI = 116.3 to 128.9) injuries/1000 player-match-hours and the mean severity of injury was 43.0 (95% CI = 40.3 to 45.7) days-absence. There was an increasing trend in the incidence of injury over the ten-season period (slope = 5.3 injuries/1000 player-hours/season, R2 = 0.68, p = 0.003) but no trend in the mean severity of injury (slope = 0.02 days/season, R2 < 0.01, p = 0.971). Head/face (15.7%), knee (15.6%), ankle (15.4%) and shoulder/clavicle (11.9%) were the most common injury locations and ligament sprain (30.5%), muscle strain (16.4%), concussion (12.6%) and haematoma/bruise (10.6%) the most common types of injury sustained. Being-tackled (33.1%), tackling (23.4%), running (16.1%) and collisions (12.4%) were the most common events leading to injury. These results indicate that the burden of injury in international rugby sevens is two to three times higher than that reported for international rugby fifteens.

Influence of the ACTN3 R577X genotype on the injury epidemiology of marathon runners.

A common single nucleotide polymorphism in the ACTN3 gene might result in the complete deficiency of α-actinin-3 (i.e., XX genotype). It has been found that ACTN3 XX individuals have several traits related to lessened muscle performance. This study aimed to determine the influence, if any, of ACTN3 genotypes on injury incidence of marathoners during the year preceding to participating in a competitive marathon race. Using a cross-sectional experimental design, the type and conditions of sports injuries were documented for one year in a group of 139 marathoners. Injuries were recorded following a consensus statement on injuries in Athletics. Afterward, ACTN3 genotyping was performed, and injury epidemiology was compared among RR, RX, and XX genotypes. The distribution of the RR/RX/XX genotypes was 28.8/42.8/23.5%, respectively. A total of 67 injuries were recorded. The frequency of marathoners that reported any injury during the previous year was not different across the genotypes (55.0/38.8/40.6%, P = 0.241). Although the overall injury incidence was not different among genotypes (2.78/1.65/1.94 injuries/1000 h of running, P = 0.084), the likelihood of suffering an injury was higher in RR than in RX (OR = 1.93: 95%CI = 0.87–4.30), and higher than in XX (OR = 1.79: 0.70–4.58). There was no difference in the conditions, severity, body location, time of year, or leading cause of injury among genotypes. However, XX presented a higher frequency of sudden-onset injuries (P = 0.024), and the OR for muscle-type injuries was 2.0 (0.51–7.79) times higher compared to RR runners. Although XX marathoners did not have a higher overall incidence of injury, the OR in these runners for muscle-type injuries was superior to RR and RX runners. The likelihood of suffering a muscle injury, especially with a sudden-onset, was twice in XX than in RR endurance runners.

The pilot study on Down to Earth (D2E) injury prevention program among varsity netball players

BACKGROUND: Sports injuries involving lower extremities have been reported to be very common in netball. We explored the effect of Down to Earth, a program which focuses on safe-landing techniques during sport activities, in reducing lower limbs injuries among varsity netball players. METHODS: This was a single-blinded controlled trial, where 42 varsity netball players were randomly assigned into two groups, the intervention group (N.=17) and the control group (N.=25). The intervention group was instructed to incorporate Down to Earth program in their training, while the control group continued to train using their standard program for 6 weeks. Data on lower extremity injury were collected during training or competition for the period of 6 weeks post intervention. RESULTS: The overall incidence of injuries was 5.9 injuries per 1000 hours of participations throughout the study. The mean exposure hour was 77 hours during training and 32 hours during match. The intention to treat analysis showed that the rate ratio ranges from 0.01-0.71. The number of training injuries were significantly higher in the control group than the intervention group (P<0.05). Based on number to treat, number of players that were needed to prevent one injury during training was three players and 37% of the players in intervention group were protected by the Down to Earth program. The intervention group had 0.01 lower rate of lower limb injury during training than the control group. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that Down to Earth program is beneficial in reducing the risk of lower limbs injuries during training among the varsity netball player. As previous study also reported that more training hours are advantageous for athletes to reduce injury risk, this suggests that Down to Earth could be considered as one of the effective programs for sports injuries prevention.

Epidemiology of injuries among Italian footballers: the role of the playing field

BackgroundFootball has a higher injury rate compared with other team sports such as rugby, in terms of two main categories: intrinsic (individual) and extrinsic (environmental) factors. The playing field is...

Economic Conditions May Contribute to Increased Violence toward Children: A Nationwide Population-Based Analysis of Pediatric Injuries in Taiwanese Emergency Departments

Childhood injuries are unfortunately common. Analysis procedures may assist professionals who work with children with developing preventive measures for protecting children’s wellness. This study explores the causes of pediatric injuries presenting to an emergency department in Taiwan. This nationwide, population-based study was conducted using data from the National Health Insurance Research Database of Taiwan (NHIRD). Patients aged <18 years were identified from approximately one million individuals listed in the NHIRD. We followed up with these patients for nine years and analyzed the causes of injuries requiring presentation to an emergency department. Variables of interest were age, sex, injury mechanisms, and temporal trends. A total of 274,028 children were identified in our study. Between 2001 and 2009, the leading causes of pediatric injuries treated in emergency departments were motor vehicle injuries, falls, and homicide. The overall incidence of injuries declined over the course of the study because of reductions in motor vehicle accidents and falls. The incidence of homicide increased during the study period, particularly between 2007 and 2009. A moderately inverse correlation between homicide rate and economic growth was observed (correlation coefficient: −0.613, p = 0.041). There was a general decline in pediatric injuries between 2001 and 2009. Public policy changes, including motorcycle helmet laws and increases in alcohol taxes, may have contributed to this decline. Unfortunately, the incidence of homicide increased over the course of the study. Ongoing financial crises may have contributed to this increase. Multidisciplinary efforts are required to reduce homicide and reinforce the importance of measures that protect children against violence.