Alricsson M1, Lundgårdh F2, Svensson K3
1Linnaeus University, Department of Sports Science, Kalmar, Sweden, 2Mid Sweden University, Swedish Winter Sport Research Centre, Östersund, Sweden, 3Karolinska Institutet, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Stockholm, Sweden
Background: The hip/groin is one of the most injury prone areas in football. Despite this, there has been limited research and little attention has been payed to seasonal variations.
Purpose: To investigate the incidence, pattern and burden of hip/groin injuries in Swedish professional male football players over five consecutive seasons.
Methods: Injury history from 16 football teams in the Swedish male first football league were evaluated during five consecutive seasons. The team's medical staff recorded team exposure and time-loss injuries prospectively between 2012 and 2016.
Results: In total, 467 time-loss injuries located in the hip/groin area were recorded among 1687 professional male football players with an overall incidence and burden of 0.82/1000 h and 15.6/1000 h respectively. There appeared to be an increased risk of hip/groin injuries during the last two seasons (2015-2016), however the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.24). Recurrent injury rate was relatively low (14%) and overuse injuries accounted for the majority of both injuries and absence days. Muscle injuries were the main injury type while kicking and sprinting/running were the primary causes of injury. Goalkeepers were at lowest risk of injury and absence days.
Conclusion(s): The present study suggests that hip/groin injuries is a substantial problem in Swedish professional football but seem, however, not to be an increasing phenomenon. Risk factors include index and overuse injuries, mechanisms such as kicking, sprinting/running, change of direction and stretch situations, and finally being an outfield player. Strategies to prevent first time injuries and overuse symptoms transforming into injuries should be the focus to decrease the hip/groin injury rate.
Implications: Strategies to prevent first time injuries and overuse symptoms transforming into injuries should be the focus to decrease the hip/groin injury rate.
Keywords: burden, incidence, injury rate
Funding acknowledgements: The authors would like to gratefully thanks all the participating teams, medical stuff and Mid Sweden University for economic support.
Purpose: To investigate the incidence, pattern and burden of hip/groin injuries in Swedish professional male football players over five consecutive seasons.
Methods: Injury history from 16 football teams in the Swedish male first football league were evaluated during five consecutive seasons. The team's medical staff recorded team exposure and time-loss injuries prospectively between 2012 and 2016.
Results: In total, 467 time-loss injuries located in the hip/groin area were recorded among 1687 professional male football players with an overall incidence and burden of 0.82/1000 h and 15.6/1000 h respectively. There appeared to be an increased risk of hip/groin injuries during the last two seasons (2015-2016), however the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.24). Recurrent injury rate was relatively low (14%) and overuse injuries accounted for the majority of both injuries and absence days. Muscle injuries were the main injury type while kicking and sprinting/running were the primary causes of injury. Goalkeepers were at lowest risk of injury and absence days.
Conclusion(s): The present study suggests that hip/groin injuries is a substantial problem in Swedish professional football but seem, however, not to be an increasing phenomenon. Risk factors include index and overuse injuries, mechanisms such as kicking, sprinting/running, change of direction and stretch situations, and finally being an outfield player. Strategies to prevent first time injuries and overuse symptoms transforming into injuries should be the focus to decrease the hip/groin injury rate.
Implications: Strategies to prevent first time injuries and overuse symptoms transforming into injuries should be the focus to decrease the hip/groin injury rate.
Keywords: burden, incidence, injury rate
Funding acknowledgements: The authors would like to gratefully thanks all the participating teams, medical stuff and Mid Sweden University for economic support.
Topic: Sport & sports injuries
Ethics approval required: Yes
Institution: The Regional Ethical Review Board
Ethics committee: Umeå University, Umeå, Swecen
Ethics number: 2016/491-31
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
