Common Injuries in Volleyball

Summary

Although previous retrospective studies have led one to expect injuries in volleyball to be quite frequent and relatively serious in nature, a recent prospective study has shown that actual injury rates are quite low, most injuries did not require a player to lose time from play, and only a very few injuries were sufficiently severe to force a player to take more than 5 days of rest. Anterior cruciate injuries were quite rare in the prospective study. As was previously thought, ankle sprain is the most common injury in volleyball. Front-row positions and attempts to block the ball are most often associated with injuries compared with the back-row positions and other attempted manoeuvres. Overuse injuries far outstrip acute injuries in terms of frequency and appear to be related both to repetitive use and to technique errors. Technique evaluation is recommended when overuse injury is diagnosed. Prevention of injury is best accomplished through preseason strength training and attention to technique during the season.