Philip von Rosen1, Annette Heijne1, Anna Frohm1, Cecilia Fridén1, Anders Kottorp2. 1. Division of Physiotherapy, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden. 2. Division of Occupational Therapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences, and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
Abstract
CONTEXT: Our understanding of the injury burden in elite adolescent athletes in most sports is limited or unknown because of the lack of prospective, long-term injury studies. OBJECTIVE: To describe injury patterns in terms of type, location, prevalence and incidence, recurrence, and severity grade; time to first injury; and prevalence of illness in elite adolescent athletes and to compare differences in injury data by sex and sport type. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Fifteen national sports high schools in Sweden. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 284 elite adolescent athletes (boys = 147, girls = 137; median age = 17 years; 25th-75th percentile range = 16-18 years) competing at a high national level for their age in athletics (track and field), cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, freestyle skiing, handball, orienteering, or ski orienteering. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): All athletes were monitored weekly over 52 weeks, using a validated online questionnaire to identify injury type, location, prevalence or incidence, and severity grade; time to first injury; and prevalence of illness. RESULTS: Among all athletes, 57.4% reported at least 1 new injury, whereas the 1-year injury prevalence was 91.6%. The overall injury incidence was 4.1/1000 hours of exposure to sport, and every week, on average, 3 of 10 (30.8%) elite adolescent athletes reported being injured. Of all injuries from which athletes recovered, 22.2% (n = 35) resulted in absence from normal training for at least 2 months. Female athletes reported higher ( P < .05) average weekly injury prevalence and substantial injury prevalence (injuries leading to a moderate or severe reduction in sport performance or participation or time loss) than male athletes. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of elite adolescent athletes were injured weekly, resulting in serious consequences for sport participation, training, or performance (or a combination of these). Appropriately designed interventions to prevent knee and foot injuries will target both the greatest number of injuries and the injuries with the most serious consequences in elite adolescent athletes.
CONTEXT: Our understanding of the injury burden in elite adolescent athletes in most sports is limited or unknown because of the lack of prospective, long-term injury studies. OBJECTIVE: To describe injury patterns in terms of type, location, prevalence and incidence, recurrence, and severity grade; time to first injury; and prevalence of illness in elite adolescent athletes and to compare differences in injury data by sex and sport type. DESIGN: Cohort study. SETTING: Fifteen national sports high schools in Sweden. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Participants were 284 elite adolescent athletes (boys = 147, girls = 137; median age = 17 years; 25th-75th percentile range = 16-18 years) competing at a high national level for their age in athletics (track and field), cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, freestyle skiing, handball, orienteering, or ski orienteering. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): All athletes were monitored weekly over 52 weeks, using a validated online questionnaire to identify injury type, location, prevalence or incidence, and severity grade; time to first injury; and prevalence of illness. RESULTS: Among all athletes, 57.4% reported at least 1 new injury, whereas the 1-year injury prevalence was 91.6%. The overall injury incidence was 4.1/1000 hours of exposure to sport, and every week, on average, 3 of 10 (30.8%) elite adolescent athletes reported being injured. Of all injuries from which athletes recovered, 22.2% (n = 35) resulted in absence from normal training for at least 2 months. Female athletes reported higher ( P < .05) average weekly injury prevalence and substantial injury prevalence (injuries leading to a moderate or severe reduction in sport performance or participation or time loss) than male athletes. CONCLUSIONS: A considerable number of elite adolescent athletes were injured weekly, resulting in serious consequences for sport participation, training, or performance (or a combination of these). Appropriately designed interventions to prevent knee and foot injuries will target both the greatest number of injuries and the injuries with the most serious consequences in elite adolescent athletes.
Authors: B Clarsen; R Bahr; M W Heymans; M Engedahl; G Midtsundstad; L Rosenlund; G Thorsen; G Myklebust Journal: Scand J Med Sci Sports Date: 2014-03-30 Impact factor: 4.221
Authors: Franck Le Gall; Christopher Carling; Thomas Reilly; Henry Vandewalle; Julia Church; Pierre Rochcongar Journal: Am J Sports Med Date: 2006-01-25 Impact factor: 6.202
Authors: John P DiFiori; Holly J Benjamin; Joel S Brenner; Andrew Gregory; Neeru Jayanthi; Greg L Landry; Anthony Luke Journal: Br J Sports Med Date: 2014-02 Impact factor: 13.800
Authors: Iván Martín-Guzón; Alejandro Muñoz; Jorge Lorenzo-Calvo; Diego Muriarte; Moisés Marquina; Alfonso de la Rubia Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2021-12-29 Impact factor: 3.390
Authors: Nirmala Kanthi Panagodage Perera; Markus Waldén; Hanna Lindblom; Ida Åkerlund; Sofi Sonesson; Martin Hägglund Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-12-14 Impact factor: 2.692