Overall Rate Of Injury Research Articles

Effects of COVID-19 on Rate of Injury and Position-Specific Injury During the 2020 National Football League Season.

Costello II, JP, Wagner, JD, Dahl, VA, Cohen, JL, Reuter, AM, and Kaplan, LD. Effects of COVID-19 on rate of injury and position-specific injury during the 2020 National Football League season. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000-000, 2023-Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Football League (NFL) made changes to its operations for the 2020 season. We hypothesize an increase in the rate of injuries during the 2020 season. Publicly available data were reviewed to identify NFL injuries from the 2015-2020 seasons. Player position, description of injury, date of injury, and injury setting were recorded. p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. For the 2020 season, compared with the 2015-2019 seasons, there was an increased risk of injury during the regular season overall relative risk (RR) = 1.308 (p < 0.05), week (W)1 RR = 7.33 (p < 0.05), W1-6 RR = 1.964 (p < 0.05), W7-12 RR = 1.8909 (p < 0.05), and during the postseason overall RR = 1.1444 (p < 0.05), calculated using analysis of variance. There was an overall increased risk of abdominal or core injuries RR = 1.248 (p < 0.05), groin or hip injuries RR = 2.534 (p < 0.05), and hamstring injuries RR = 3.644 (p < 0.05). There was an increased risk of hamstring injuries in cornerbacks RR = 3.219 (p < 0.05) and running backs RR = 1.1394 (p < 0.05), hip or groin injuries in guards RR = 1.105 (p < 0.05), Achilles tendon injuries in safeties RR = 1.6976 (p < 0.05), quadriceps injuries in running backs RR = 1.6191 (p < 0.05), and arm injuries in defensive tackles RR = 1.221 (p < 0.05). There was an increase in the overall rate of injuries in the 2020 NFL season, both in the regular season and postseason, compared with the 2015-2019 seasons. The overall rate of abdominal or core, groin or hip, and hamstring injuries increased. Specific player positions saw unique increases in rates of injuries. These findings may be due to numerous operational changes implemented, such as reduced in-person training and the elimination of the preseason, leading to suboptimal, sports-specific conditioning and increased risk of musculoskeletal injury.

Occupational Injuries and Illnesses among Paramedicine Clinicians: Analyses of US Department of Labor Data (2010 - 2020).

Paramedicine clinicians (PCs) in the United States (US) respond to 40 million calls for assistance every year. Their fatality rates are high and their rates of nonfatal injuries are higher than other emergency services personnel, and much higher than the average rate for all US workers. The objectives of this paper are to: describe current occupational injuries among PCs; determine changes in risks over time; and calculate differences in risks compared to other occupational groups. This retrospective open cohort study of nonfatal injuries among PCs used 2010 through 2020 data from the US Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics; some data were unavailable for some years. The rates and relative risks (RRs) of injuries were calculated and compared against those of registered nurses (RNs), fire fighters (FFs), and all US workers. The annual average number of injuries was: 4,234 over-exertion and bodily reaction (eg, motion-related injuries); 3,935 sprains, strains, and tears; 2,000 back injuries; 580 transportation-related injuries; and over 400 violence-related injuries. In this cohort, women had an injury rate that was 50% higher than for men. In 2020, the overall rate of injuries among PCs was more than four-times higher, and the rate of back injuries more than seven-times higher than the national average for all US workers. The rate of violence-related injury was approximately six-times higher for PCs compared to all US workers, seven-times higher than the rate for FFs, and 60% higher than for RNs. The clinicians had a rate of transportation injuries that was 3.6-times higher than the national average for all workers and 2.3-times higher than for FFs. Their overall rate of cases varied between 290 per 10,000 workers in 2018 and 546 per 10,000 workers in 2022. Paramedicine clinicians are a critical component of the health, disaster, emergency services, and public health infrastructures, but they have risks that are different than other professionals.This analysis provides greater insight into the injuries and risks for these clinicians. The findings reveal the critical need for support for Emergency Medical Services (EMS)-specific research to develop evidence-based risk-reduction interventions. These risk-reduction efforts will require an enhanced data system that accurately and reliably tracks and identifies injuries and illnesses among PCs.

Epidemiology of High Intensity Functional Training (HIFT) injuries in Brazil

BackgroundHigh intensity functional training (HIFT), usually called CrossFit, is a physical training that has gained much popularity in the past few years. The risk of acute and overuse injuries in HIFT is unclear. This study evaluated the incidence of injuries in HIFT, characterizing severity, location, and associated risk factors.MethodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted between January and May 2021. HIFT practitioners were recruited through social media and answered an online questionnaire on training characteristics and injury history.ResultsA total of 606 subjects (264 male and 342 female) were included. The average age of the participants was 29.78 ± 7.14 years. The mean height was 169.60 ± 8.96 cm, and the mean body mass was 73.69 ± 13.11 kg. Overall, participants were involved in HIFT for an average of 25.36 ± 20.29 months. A total of 58.6% of participants took part in 5 to 6 training sessions per week, 31.7% practiced 5 to 6 h per week. 62.7% of the responders performed other physical activities in parallel, 98.2% performed warm-up before the training, and a formal cooldown was accomplished by 29.4% of participants. 6.8% of athletes followed individual worksheets. 45.9% of participants participated in competition.ConclusionsThe overall rate of injuries was 3.51/1000 h. 59.2% of subjects experienced two or more injuries. The shoulder was involved in 21.3% of cases, lower back in 18.3%, and the knee in 13.4%. No difference was found in injury rate between males and females. Experienced athletes were more prone to injury compared to those who trained under 12 months. Approximately the half of injuries did not cause training interruption. No difference was found in injury rate between males and females. The purpose of the participant did not impact the injury rate, nor did the practice of warm-up and cooldown, the time of weekly training, the league and level of competition. Finally, the participation in other sports in parallel did not demonstrated association with the injury occurrence.Trial registration: The present study was approved by the Ethics and Research Committee by Plataforma Brazil and follows the Resolution 466/2012/CNS/MS/CONEP.

Injuries in Quidditch: A Prospective Study from a Complete UK Season

BackgroundQuidditch is a mixed-gender, full-contact sport founded in the USA in 2005, played worldwide by an estimated 25,000 players. It is one of the few mixed-gender full-contact sports, yet there remain few published studies regarding injury rates and patterns. A previous study suggested that the overall rate of injury in quidditch is in line with other contact sports, however raised concerns that female players were sustaining a higher rate of concussion when compared to male players.PurposeTo examine injury rates and injury patterns in UK quidditch athletes over the course of a single season.Study designProspective epidemiological studyMethodsData were prospectively collected by professional first aid staff for the 2017-18 season spanning all major UK tournaments, involving 699 athletes. Anonymized player demographics were collected by an online survey. Time loss injury rates were measured per 1000 athletic exposures (AEs) and hours of play.ResultsThe overall time loss injury rate was 20.5 per 1000 hours or 8.0 per 1000 AEs. The combined rate of concussion was 7.3 per 1000 hours or 2.8 per 1000 AEs. There was no statistical difference between time loss injuries in males (20.9/1000 hours and 8.1/1000 AEs) and females (13.9/1000 hours and 5.4/1000 AEs) (p=0.30) and no statistical difference between concussion rates in males (n=7) and females (n=4) (p=0.60).ConclusionsTotal time loss injury rates in quidditch appear to be comparable with other full-contact sports such as football. The rate of concussions for both males and females appear higher when compared to other contact sports.Level of evidence3

Sports Medicine Staffing Patterns and Incidence of Injury in Collegiate Men's Ice Hockey.

The relative availability of clinicians as well as the types and training of health care providers have been associated with morbidity and mortality in non-athletic health care settings. Whether staffing variations are associated with injury incidence in collegiate athletes is unknown. To evaluate whether the institutional ratio of athletes to athletic trainers (patient load) or the ratio of staff to nonstaff (graduate assistant and certified intern) athletic trainers or both is associated with the incidence of injuries sustained by male ice hockey athletes at the school. Descriptive epidemiology study. National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) men's ice hockey teams. Collegiate men's ice hockey athletes. The NCAA Injury Surveillance Program collected data from collegiate men's ice hockey athletes. Staffing patterns were obtained through telephone interviews. Injury counts, injury rates per 1000 athlete-exposures, and injury rate ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated and compared between the following groups: (1) schools with high (versus low) patient load and (2) schools with high (versus low) ratio of staff to nonstaff (graduate assistant and certified intern) athletic trainers. Both the patient load and relative number of staff athletic trainers were associated with variations in the incidences and types of diagnosed injuries in male ice hockey players. Specifically, fewer injuries were diagnosed by clinicians at institutions with high patient loads. The rates of injury overall and non-time-loss injuries were lower in the high patient-load group. Time-loss injury rates, severe injury rates, concussion rates, and overall rates of injury during competition were greater in the group with a higher proportion of staff athletic trainers, whereas non-time-loss injury rates were lower. In this study of collegiate men's ice hockey players, athlete health outcomes were directly related to the number and types of clinicians available. Future researchers should evaluate whether this finding extends beyond men's ice hockey.

Hip and Groin Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Women's Soccer Players.

Background:Hip and groin injuries are common in competitive soccer players and have been shown to be significant sources of time loss. There are few studies describing the epidemiology of hip and groin injuries in female National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) soccer players.Purpose:To describe the epidemiology of hip and groin injuries in women’s collegiate soccer players.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:The NCAA Injury Surveillance System/Program (ISS/ISP) was analyzed from 2004 through 2014 for data related to hip and groin injuries in female collegiate soccer players. Injuries and athlete-exposures (AEs) were reported by athletic trainers. Data were stratified by time of season, event type, injury type, treatment outcome, time loss, and player field position.Results:Between 2004 and 2014, there were 439 recorded hip or groin injuries in female soccer players and an overall rate of injury of 0.57 per 1000 AEs. Injuries were 12.0 times more likely to occur during the preseason (4.41/1000 AEs) as opposed to during the regular season (0.37/1000 AEs) (injury rate ratio [IRR], 12.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 9.92-14.55) or postseason (0.38/1000 AEs) (IRR, 11.55; 95% CI, 7.06-18.91). Rates of injury were similar during the regular season and postseason (IRR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.59-1.58). Rates of injury were higher during competition (0.69/1000 AEs) than during practice (0.52/1000 AEs) (IRR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.08-1.63). Most injuries were new (87.5%; n = 384) and unlikely to recur (12.5%; n = 55).Conclusion:Hip and groin injuries in female NCAA soccer players are uncommon, and fortunately, most players return to play quickly without recurrence. Future prospective studies should evaluate the effectiveness of strength and conditioning programs in preventing these injuries.

Hold the Phone! Cell Phone-Related Injuries in Children, Teens, and Young Adults Are On the Rise.

We describe trends in cell phone-related injuries in patients 21 years of age and under presenting to United States Emergency Departments. We calculated age-adjusted rates of cell phone-related injury per 100 000 individuals using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database and United States Census Bureau. From 2002 to 2015, an estimated 38 063 patients 21 years old and younger sustained a cell phone-related injury. The overall rate of injuries for all ages increased from 17.1 injuries per 100 000 in 2002 to 138 injuries per 100 000 in 2015, an increase of over 700%. The incidence of cell phone-related injuries increased across all age groups, with children 2 years of age and under experiencing the highest single incidence rate of 159 injuries per 100 000 in 2014. These findings highlight an important and relatively under-reported pediatric safety issue. Anticipatory guidance and injury prevention plans should be updated accordingly.

Elbow Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletes: A 5-Season Epidemiological Study.

Background:Little research has focused on the rates and patterns of elbow injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) student-athletes.Purpose:To describe the epidemiological patterns of elbow injuries in NCAA athletes during 5 seasons over the academic years 2009 through 2014 using the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) database.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:A voluntary convenience sample of NCAA varsity teams from 11 sports was examined to determine the rates and patterns of elbow injuries. Rates and distributions of elbow injuries were identified within the context of sport, event type, time in season, mechanism, time lost from sport, surgical treatment, and injury type. Rates of injury were calculated as the number of injuries divided by the total number of athlete-exposures (AEs). An AE was defined as any student participation in 1 NCAA-sanctioned practice or competition with an inherent risk of exposure to potential injury. Injury rate ratios (IRRs) and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were then calculated to compare the rates within and between sports by event type, season, sex, mechanism, surgical treatment, and time lost from sport. Comparisons between sexes were made using only sports data that had both male and female samples.Results:Overall, 373 elbow injuries were reported in the NCAA-ISP data set during the 2009-2010 through 2013-2014 academic years among 11 varsity sports. The overall rate of injury was 1.76 per 10,000 AEs. The rate of elbow injuries in men was 0.74 per 10,000 AEs, while women experienced injuries at a rate of 0.63 per 10,000 AEs. In sex-comparable sports, men were 1.17 times more likely to experience an elbow injury compared with women. Men’s wrestling (6.00/10,000 AEs) and women’s tennis (1.86/10,000 AEs) were the sports with the highest rates of elbow injuries by sex, respectively. The top 3 highest injury rates overall occurred in men’s wrestling, baseball, and tennis. Elbow injuries were 3.5 times more likely to occur during competition compared with practice. Athletes were 0.76 times less likely to sustain an elbow injury during the preseason compared with in-season. Contact events were the most common mechanism of injury (67%). For sex-comparable sports, men were 2.41 times more likely than women to have contact as their injury mechanism (95% CI, 0.78-7.38). The majority of athletes missed less than 24 hours of participation time (67%), and only a minority (3%) of patients with elbow injuries went on to have surgical intervention. Elbow ulnar collateral ligament injuries were most common (26% of total injuries).Conclusion:Analysis of the study data demonstrated a significant rate of elbow injuries, 1.76 injuries per 10,000 AEs in NCAA collegiate athletes. Higher injury rates can be expected in males within sex-comparable sports. Elbow injuries are most common in the setting of competitions and most commonly occur secondary to contact-type mechanisms. Injuries were more likely to occur during in-season play. The majority of injuries required less than 24 hours of time away from sport and did not require surgical intervention.

Injury Surveillance in Major League Soccer: A 4-Year Comparison of Injury on Natural Grass Versus Artificial Turf Field

Background: Artificial playing surfaces are becoming more common due to decreased cost of maintenance and increased field usability across different environmental conditions. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) has approved newer generation artificial turf for soccer competition at the elite level, but many elite-level athletes prefer to play on natural grass surfaces due to a perceived increase in injury rate, discomfort, and fatigability on artificial turf. Hypothesis: Injury rates and rates of individually categorized types of injury experienced on artificial turf are noninferior to rates of injury on the standard comparator, natural grass, in elite-level Major League Soccer athletes. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: Over the course of 4 Major League Soccer seasons (2013-2016), athlete injury data were recorded electronically. Injury data recorded in matches between 2 Major League Soccer teams were then analyzed. Playing surface was known for each venue, and all artificial turf surfaces were rated as 2-star according to FIFA criteria. Incidence rate ratios (Artificial Turf ÷ Natural Grass) were calculated with a 95% CI (α = .05) for both overall injury incidence and individual injury subgroups. A noninferiority margin (δ) of 0.15 was used to determine noninferiority of injury incidence rates. Results: A total of 2174 in-game injuries were recorded during the study period, with 1.54 injuries per game on artificial turf and 1.49 injuries per game on natural grass (incidence rate ratio, 1.033; 95% CI, 0.937-1.139). Within injury subgroups, overall ankle injury, Achilles injury, and ankle fracture were found to have a statistically higher incidence on artificial turf. Artificial turf was found to be noninferior to natural grass for overall foot injury and forefoot injury. No statistically significant differences were found in knee injuries between the 2 surfaces. Conclusion: The overall rate of injury on artificial turf was noninferior to that on natural grass. Within individual injury categories, a higher rate of ankle injury was found on artificial turf. No other injury subgroup demonstrated statistically significant differences between surfaces. Clinical Relevance: FIFA 2-star rated artificial turf is a viable alternative to natural grass in elite-level soccer competition. Innovative research methods for comparing artificial turf versus natural grass may elucidate relative advantages with respect to player safety.

Lumbar Spine Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletes: A 6-Season Epidemiological Study.

Background:Lumbar spine injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes have not been well studied.Purpose:To describe the epidemiology of lumbar spine injuries in NCAA athletes during the 2009/2010 through 2014/2015 academic years utilizing the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (ISP).Study Design:Descriptive epidemiology study.Methods:A voluntary convenience sample of NCAA varsity teams from 25 sports was examined. Mechanism of injury, injury recurrence, and time lost from sport were recorded. Injury rates were calculated as the number of injuries divided by the total number of athlete-exposures (AEs). AEs were defined as any student participation in 1 NCAA-sanctioned practice or competition. Injury rate ratios and injury proportion ratios were calculated to compare the rates within and between sports by event type, season, patient sex, mechanism, injury recurrence, and time lost from sport. Comparisons between sexes were made utilizing data that had both male and female samples.Results:An estimated 37,435 lumbar spine injuries were identified. The overall rate of injuries was 6.01 per 1000 AEs. The rate of injuries was 4.94 per 1000 AEs in men compared with 3.94 per 1000 AEs in women for sex-comparable sports. Men were 1.25 times more likely than women to suffer a lumbar spine injury. Men’s football (24.62 injuries/1000 AEs) and women’s gymnastics (11.46 injuries/1000 AEs) had the highest rates of lumbar spine injuries. Athletes were 1.83 and 3.71 times more likely to sustain a lumbar spine injury during the preseason than the regular season or postseason, respectively. Noncontact was the most common mechanism of injury (38%). Injury recurrence was most common in men’s outdoor track (58%). Most injuries resulted in less than 24 hours of time loss from event participation (61%).Conclusion:The rate of lumbar spine injuries was high in NCAA athletes, and injuries commonly recurred (20%). In general, men were more likely to sustain a lumbar spine injury compared with women. Higher injury rates occurred during competition and via a noncontact mechanism of injury. In addition to prevention programs, reconditioning programs should be considered to prevent these injuries.

Epidemiological Findings of Soccer Injuries During the 2017 Gold Cup.

Background:Surveillance programs are vital to analyze the cause and nature of lesions and ultimately establish protocols of action to lower injury rates.Purpose:To evaluate the adherence of team doctors to an electronic surveillance system and determine the incidence and characteristics of injuries among soccer players participating in the 2017 Gold Cup.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiological study.Methods:All data were collected from the electronic medical reports submitted during each match of the 2017 Gold Cup. Twelve teams participated in the tournament (each with 23 players), for a total of 276 players. A 19-question online survey was filled out by the team physician after each injury. Each report contained the player’s number, the exact time of injury (minute of play), the location and diagnosis of injury as indicated by a previously defined code, and its severity in terms of the number of days of absence from training and match play.Results:The electronic reporting system had a response rate of 100.0%, with 97.2% of questions answered completely. The mean age of injured players was 27 years (range, 21-35 years) and was not statistically significantly different from the overall mean player age (P > .05). There were no significant differences in the frequency of injuries when analyzed by player position (P = .743). The overall rate of injuries was 1.04 per match, with the most common injuries being contusions (42.3%), sprains (7.7%), strains (7.7%), and fractures (7.7%). These injuries were more commonly the result of contact (75.0%) than noncontact (25.0%) mechanisms (P < .001). Injuries most commonly occurred between the 60th and 75th minute of play when comparing all 15-minute time intervals (P = .004).Conclusion:This study supports the use of electronic injury reporting, which demonstrated a high level of adherence among an international cohort of team physicians and has significant potential for improving injury surveillance and tracking responses to prevention programs. Injury rates in the Gold Cup were similar to those in previous studies and demonstrated the highest rates late in the second half of the game, specifically between the 60th and 75th minute of play.

Epidemiology of Shoulder and Elbow Injuries Among United States High School Baseball Players: School Years 2005-2006 Through 2014-2015

Background: Shoulder and elbow injuries are common in young athletes, especially high school baseball players. Understanding the risk factors associated with baseball injuries is an essential first step in the development of injury prevention strategies. Purpose: To provide a comprehensive understanding of the epidemiology of shoulder and elbow injuries among high school baseball players in the United States. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: Baseball-related injury data were obtained from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study using High School RIO (Reporting Information Online), an Internet-based sports injury surveillance system. Athletic trainers from high schools across the country uploaded data regarding athlete-exposures (AEs) (defined as practice or game participation) and shoulder and elbow injuries from the school years 2005-2006 through 2014-2015. Results: A total of 241 shoulder injuries and 150 elbow injuries occurred during 1,734,198 AEs during the study period, for an overall shoulder injury rate of 1.39 per 10,000 AEs and an overall elbow injury rate of 0.86 per 10,000 AEs. The overall rates of injury were higher in competitions compared with practices for shoulders (rate ratio, 1.44; 95% CI, 1.11-1.85) and elbows (rate ratio, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.56-2.96). The majority of shoulder (39.6%) and elbow (56.9%) injuries were sustained by pitchers, and most injuries were chronic and caused by overuse. Position players were more likely to sustain injuries by contact with the playing surface or apparatus. For pitchers, muscle strains were the most common shoulder injuries (38.7%), while ligament sprains were the most common elbow injuries (42.7%). The majority of pitchers with shoulder (70.8%) and elbow (64.6%) injuries returned to play within 21 days. Among pitchers, a higher proportion of elbow injuries (11.4%) resulted in medical disqualification compared with shoulder injuries (5.6%). Among pitchers, the majority of shoulder (89.2%) and elbow (96.4%) injuries were managed nonsurgically. Conclusion: Shoulder and elbow injury rates and patterns in high school baseball players differed between field positions (pitchers vs position players) and by type of exposure (practice vs competition). This study suggests several areas of emphasis for targeted injury prevention interventions, most notably limiting fatigue and preventing overuse injuries.

Epidemiology of injuries in Australian school level rugby union.

There is a high incidence of injuries in rugby union due to the physical nature of the game. There is a lack of large-scale injury surveillance data reported for school level rugby players of different ages. Our study aimed to investigate the frequency and nature of injuries being sustained during an Australian school level rugby union season. Prospective observational study. Injury surveillance was conducted on 3585 rugby players from all 8 schools participating in an interschool rugby competition in Queensland, Australia. Match injury data were collected using paper-based injury recording forms during the season using a 'medical-attention' injury definition for each age group from opens (17 and 18year olds) through to year 5 teams (9-10year olds). There were 332 injuries recorded over 14,029 player hours during the season. The overall rate of injury was 23.7/1000 player hours (95% CI, 21.2-26.3). The incidence of upper and lower limb injuries were 6.3 and 5.6 injuries/1000 player hours respectively (95% CI, 5.1-7.8 and 4.5-7.0). The incidence of suspected concussion injuries was 4.3/1000 player hours (95% CI, 3.6-5.5). Injuries differed across age groups and tackling was the most common mechanism of injury. The injury patterns observed in this large sample of players could be used to guide injury prevention programs in school level rugby union. Injury prevention programs should include age appropriate interventions and focus on improving the techniques used during the contact phase of rugby.

FLOORBALL INJURIES DURING INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENTS

BackgroundLittle is known about sports injuries in international floorball competition.ObjectiveTo investigate the incidence and pattern of injuries among adult female and male floorball players during the major international floorball events...

High ankle injury rate in adolescent basketball: A 3-year prospective follow-up study.

This prospective study investigated the incidence and pattern of acute time-loss injuries in young female and male basketball players. Eight basketball teams (n=201; mean age 14.85±1.5) participated in the follow-up study (2011-2014). The coaches recorded player participation in practices and games on a team diary. A study physician contacted the teams once a week to check new injuries and interviewed the injured players. In total, 158 injuries occurred. The overall rate of injury (per 1000hours) was 2.64 (95% CI 2.23-3.05). Injury rate was 34.47 (95% CI 26.59-42.34) in basketball games and 1.51 (95% CI 1.19-1.82) in team practices. Incidence rate ratio (IRR) between game and practice was 22.87 (95% CI 16.71-31.29). Seventy-eight percent of the injuries affected the lower limbs. The ankle (48%) and knee (15%) were the most commonly injured body sites. The majority of injuries involved joint or ligaments (67%). Twenty-three percent of the injuries were severe causing more than 28days absence from sports. Number of recurrent injuries was high (28% of all injuries), and most of them were ankle sprains (35 of 44, 79%). No significant differences were found in injury rates between females and males during games (IRR 0.88, 0.55, to 1.40) and practices (IRR 1.06, 0.69, to 1.62). In conclusion, ankle and knee ligament injuries were the most common injuries in this study. Moreover, the rate of recurrent ankle sprains was alarming.

Apophyseal injuries in children's and youth sports.

The authors reviewed the current English literature regarding apophyseal injuries affecting young athletes, to highlight the frequency and characteristics of these injuries, to clarify risk factors and specific prevention measures, and to identify future research objectives. The authors performed a comprehensive search of the medical literature, using the Medline database, including all English articles. Various combinations of the Keywords 'injury', 'sports', 'athletic injuries', 'avulsion fractures', 'physeal', 'physis', 'apophysis', 'apophysitis', 'growth plate' were used. Growth benefits from a moderate physical activity. Growth deficit may occur in young athletes involved in intensive practice of sport following apophysitis. Apophyseal injuries occurring during sport are less common than overall rate of injuries affecting the adolescent population. Growth disturbance occurs only rarely after an apophyseal injury. Further studies should consider analytical as well as descriptive components of apophyseal injuries, to allow the identification of new possible risk factors and preventive measures and to help early detection and proper treatment as well.

Epidemiology of meniscal injuries in US high school athletes between 2007 and 2013.

Knowledge of epidemiologic trends of meniscal injuries in young active populations is limited. Better awareness of injury patterns is a first step to lowering injury rates. Our hypothesis was that meniscal injuries in high school athletes would vary by gender, sport, and type of exposure. During the 2007/2008 and 2012/2013 academic years, a large nationally disperse sample of US high schools reported athlete exposure and injury data for 22 sports by having certified athletic trainers complete an internet-based data collection tool. One thousand and eighty-two meniscal injuries were reported during 21,088,365 athlete exposures for an overall injury rate of 5.1 per 100,000 athlete exposures. The overall rate of injury was higher in competition (11.9) than practice (2.7) (RR = 4.4; 95% CI 3.9-5.0), and 12/19 sports showed significantly higher injury rates in competition compared to practice. Of all injuries, 68.0% occurred in boys, yet among the gender-comparable sports of soccer, basketball, track and field, lacrosse, and baseball/softball injury rates were higher for girls than boys (5.5 and 2.5, respectively, RR = 2.2; 95% CI 1.8-2.7). Contact injury represented the most common mechanism (55.9%). Surgery was performed for the majority of injuries (63.8%), and 54.0% of athletes had associated intra-articular knee pathology. Meniscal injury patterns among high school athletes vary by gender, sport, and type of exposure. Our study is clinically relevant because recognition of distinct differences in these injury patterns will help drive evidence-based, targeted injury prevention strategies and efforts. III.

Injury patterns and rates amongst students at the national institute of circus arts: an observational study.

Despite the ever-growing global participation in circus arts, very little research has been conducted into injuries associated with this physical discipline. To date, no studies have examined the incidence of injuries in circus training institutions and schools. In this study, data were collected over an academic year from all student injury presentations to the physiotherapy staff at one Australian circus school. A total of 351 injuries resulting in 1,948 treatments occurred in 33 female and 30 male circus students. The most common mechanisms of injury were acrobatics/tumbling (23%), handstands (12%), adagio (11%), and Chinese pole (10%). The most commonly injured body parts were the ankle (25%), lumbar spine (14%), and shoulder (12%). Interestingly, combined spinal injuries (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar) contributed to 35% of all initial injuries. Females sustained 71% of all hip injuries, but only 33% of all forearm injuries. Males accounted for 59% of all ankle injuries. There were no significant gender-based differences in other body areas. Results indicated that there is no gender-based difference in the overall rate of injury. However, females sustained significantly higher rates of hip injuries and males presented with more forearm and ankle injuries, perhaps reflecting the specific form and style of circus training and contortion undertaken. Spinal injuries had the highest overall rate of initial and follow-up presentations, indicating that both preventative and rehabilitative strategies could be addressed. It is suggested that the most common mechanisms of injury reflect both the amount of time spent training specific disciplines and the extreme physical difficulties and demands placed on the body.

Epidemiology of Basketball, Soccer, and Volleyball Injuries in Middle-School Female Athletes

Background: An estimated 30 to 40 million school children participate in sports in the United States; 34% of middle-school participants become injured and seek medical treatment at an annual cost close to $2 billion. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the injury incidence and rates in female athletes in the middle-school setting during the course of 3 seasons. Methods: Female basketball, soccer, and volleyball players were recruited from a single county public school district in Kentucky consisting of 5 middle schools. A total of 268 female athletes (162 basketball, 26 soccer, and 80 volleyball) participated. Athletes were monitored for sports-related injury and number of athlete exposures (AEs) by an athletic trainer. Injury rates were calculated for specific types of injuries within each sport. Injury rates for games and practices were also calculated and compared for each sport. Results: A total of 134 injuries were recorded during the 3 sport seasons. The knee was the most commonly injured body part (99 injuries [73.9%]), of which patellofemoral dysfunction (31.3%), Osgood-Schlatter disease (10.4%), and Sinding-Larsen-Johansson/patella tendinosis (9%) had the greatest incidence. The ankle was the second most commonly injured body part, accounting for 16.4% of all injuries. The overall rates of injury by sport were as follows: soccer, 6.66 per 1000 AEs; volleyball, 3.68 per 1000 AEs; and basketball, 2.86 per 1000 AEs. Conclusions: Female middle-school athletes displayed comparable injury patterns to those seen in their high-school counterparts. Future work is warranted to determine the potential for improved outcomes in female middle-school athletes with access to athletic training services. Clinical Relevance: As the participation levels and number of injuries continue to rise, middle-school athletes demonstrate an increasing need for medical services provided by a certified athletic trainer.

EPIDEMIOLOGIC REVIEW OF COLLEGIATE ACL INJURY RATES ACROSS 14 SPORTS: NATIONAL COLLEGIATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION INJURY SURVEILLANCE SYSTEM DATA 2004-05 THROUGH 2011–12

BackgroundExtensive effort has been put into awareness and prevention programs to decrease the overall rate of injury and the difference between sexes.ObjectiveThe objective of this review is to document the...