Åman M.1, Forssblad M.2, Larsén K.1
1GIH - The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden, 2Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm Sports Trauma Research Center, Stockholm, Sweden
Background: Acute sport injuries are still a problem among the sporting population, at a national level. These injuries will not only cause pain and dysfunction for the athletes in the short time, but some injuries may also result in lifelong impairments, e.g. osteoarthritis. Prevention of these injuries is essential to achieve greater safety for the athletes, and to reduce the costs associated with the injury. An earlier study, at a national level, identified five large sports with numerous of athletes, injuries and injuries leading to permanent medical impairment (PMI). The five sports were basketball, football (soccer), floorball, handball and ice hockey.
Purpose: The main aim of the study was to investigate what injuries were most common among male and female athletes in these five sports, at a national level in Sweden. What injuries have the highest risk of PMI and were should the injury prevention focus be to achieve the greatest acute injury prevention, at a national level?
Methods: The included five sports Associations had their mandatory accidental insurance in the same insurance company. All reported injuries were routinely kept in a systematic and structured manner by the insurance company, covering all athletes of all ages and levels of sport nationwide. The proportions and incidence of injuries and PMI injuries was calculated by dividing the number of injuries with the number of licensed athletes in each sport. Differences between gender and ages were calculated.
Results: In total there were 80 474 registered injuries during the study period (year 2006-2013), and in mean 529 522 licensed athletes each year. The most often injured body part in female athletes was the knee in all sports (19-47% of total injuries), while in male basketball and ice hockey players it was the teeth (18-20%), and in male handball players it was the hand/finger (21%). In all sports and both genders, except in male ice hockey players, the knee had the highest risk of resulting in a PMI. For male ice hockey players it was the shoulder/clavicula. The most severe PMI injuries were a knee injury in both genders in football and in female floorball players, an eye injury in male floorball and handball players and a sternum/rib injury in male ice hockey players. Basketball players as well as female handball and ice hockey players had no severe PMI injuries.
Conclusion(s): To achieve the greatest impact in reducing the adverse effects of acute sport injuries, at a national level in Sweden, preventive measures should focus on lower limb injuries, especially knee injuries in all the investigated team sports. The severe head/face and upper limb injuries also need attention. Further studies are needed to investigate how to best prevent these injuries.
Implications: A severe acute sport injury may for the individual lead to costly medical treatments, life-long complications and impairments, a reduced activity level, and an early onset of osteoarthritis. This will also place great demands on the medical resources in the nation.
Funding acknowledgements: Folksam, a Swedish insurance company
GIH, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences
GIH, The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences
Topic: Sport & sports injuries
Ethics approval: The project was approved by the Regional Ethical Committee in Stockholm (Dnr 2012/1436-31/1)
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
