Handball injuries. An epidemiologic and socioeconomic study.

A total of 570 injuries in handball players were prospectively registered in a well-defined geographic area of 124,321 inhabitants. The incidence of handball injuries was 46 per 10,000 inhabitants per year. The incidence in women (61 per 10,000 per year) was double that of men (31 per 10,000 per year). Sixty-two percent of the injuries were ligament sprains and tears and 12% were fractures. A total of 7% of the patients were hospitalized and the total loss of income because of sick leave was $3870. Sixty-eight percent of the injured handball players were absent from handball more than 1 week. Surprisingly, 8% of the minor injuries resulted in a sick leave of more than 6 days.