Epidemiology of Injury in Elite Youth Sports

Chapter
Part of the Contemporary Pediatric and Adolescent Sports Medicine book series (PASM)

Abstract

Systematic injury registrations at the child and adolescent level have been performed in recreational sports to gain knowledge on injury risk, as well as on the most common and most severe sport-specific injuries. However, information on injury risk of the young athlete competing in high-level sports seems less available or unknown. This chapter reviews the current knowledge on injury risk in youth and adolescent elite athletes participating in sports represented at the International Olympic Committee-organized Youth Olympic Games. Apart from football, little is known about injury epidemiology among young elite athletes. Compared to summer sports, even fewer surveillance projects have been published for winter sports. Systematic injury surveillance of this highly competitive population is needed to monitor injuries, identify high-risk sports, and ensure new knowledge on injury trends, which can form the basis for further research on injury risk factors, mechanisms, and, in the final step, injury prevention.

Keywords

Injury risk Injury prevention Elite athlete Player-to-player contact Surveillance 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. 1.
    Haskell WL, Lee IM, Pate RR, et al. Physical activity and public health: updated recommendation for adults from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007;39:1423–34.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  2. 2.
    LaMonte MJ, Blair SN, Church TS. Physical activity and diabetes prevention. J Appl Physiol. 2005;99:1205–13.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  3. 3.
    Caine D, Purcell L, Maffulli N. The child and adolescent athlete: a review of three potentially serious injuries. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2014;6:1–10.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. 4.
    Myklebust G, Bahr R. Return to play guidelines after anterior cruciate ligament surgery. Br J Sports Med. 2005;39:127–31.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  5. 5.
    Emery CA, Tyreman H. Sport participation, sport injury, risk factors and sport safety practices in Calgary and area junior high schools. Paediatr Child Health. 2009;14:439–44.PubMedCentralPubMedGoogle Scholar
  6. 6.
    Emery CA, Meeuwisse WH, McAllister JR. A survey of sport participation, sport injury and sport safety practices in adolescents. Clin J Sport Med. 2006;16:20–6.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  7. 7.
    Leadbeater B, Babul S, Jansson M, et al. Youth injuries in British Columbia: type, settings, treatment and costs, 2003–2007. Int J Inj Contr Saf Promot. 2010;17:119–27.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  8. 8.
    Maffulli N, Caine D. The epidemiology of children’s team sport injuries. In: Maffulli N, Caine D. (editors). Epidemiology of pediatric sports injuries: team sports, vol. 29. Med Sport Sci. Basel: Karger; 2005. p. 1–8.Google Scholar
  9. 9.
    Engebretsen L, Steffen K, Bahr R, et al. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Statement on age determination in high level young athletes. Br J Sports Med. 2010;476–484.Google Scholar
  10. 10.
    van Mechelen W, Hlobil H, Kemper HC. Incidence, severity, aetiology and prevention of sports injuries. A review of concepts. Sports Med. 1992;14:82–99.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  11. 11.
    Ruedl G, Schobersberger W, Pocecco E, et al. Sport injuries and illnesses during the first Winter Youth Olympic Games 2012 in Innsbruck, Austria. Br J Sports Med. 2012;46:1030–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  12. 12.
    Steffen K, Engebretsen L. More data needed on injury risk among young elite athletes. Br J Sports Med. 2010;44:485–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  13. 13.
    Ljungqvist A, Jenoure P, Engebretsen L, et al. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Consensus Statement on periodic health evaluation of elite athletes March 2009. Br J Sports Med. 2009;43:631–43.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  14. 14.
    Decloe MD, Meeuwisse WH, Hagel BE, et al. Injury rates, types, mechanisms and risk factors in female youth ice hockey. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:51–6.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  15. 15.
    Palmer-Green DS, Stokes KA, Fuller CW, et al. Match injuries in English youth academy and schools rugby union: an epidemiological study. Am J Sports Med. 2013;41:749–55.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  16. 16.
    Jacobsson J, Timpka T, Kowalski J, et al. Injury patterns in Swedish elite athletics: annual incidence, injury types and risk factors. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47:941–52.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  17. 17.
    Møller M, Attermann J, Myklebust G, et al. Injury risk in Danish youth and senior elite handball using a new SMS text messages approach. Br J Sports Med. 2012;46:531–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  18. 18.
    Westin M, Alricsson M, Werner S. Injury profile of competitive alpine skiers: a five-year cohort study. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2012;20:1175–81.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  19. 19.
    Johnson A, Doherty DJ, Freemont A. Investigation of growth, development, and factors associated with injury in elite schoolboy footballers: prospective study. BMJ. 2009;338:b490.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  20. 20.
    Le Gall F, Carling C, Reilly T. Injuries in young elite female soccer players: an 8-season prospective study. Am J Sports Med. 2008;36:276–84.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  21. 21.
    Le Gall F, Carling C, Reilly T, et al. Incidence of injuries in French youth soccer players. A 10 season study. Am J Sports Med. 2006;34:928–98.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  22. 22.
    Price RJ, Hawkins RD, Hulse MA, et al. The Football Association medical research programme: an audit of injuries in academy youth football. Br J Sports Med. 2004;38:466–71.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  23. 23.
    Smoljanovic T, Bojanovic I, Hannafin JA, et al. Traumatic and overuse injuries among international elite junior rowers. Am J Sports Med. 2009;37:1193–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  24. 24.
    Yung PSH. Epidemiology of injuries in Hong Kong elite badminton athletes. Res Sports Med. 2007;15:133–46.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  25. 25.
    Kolt GS, Kirkby RJ. Epidemiology of injury in elite and subelite female gymnasts: a comparison of retrospective and prospective findings. Br J Sports Med. 1999;33:312–8.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  26. 26.
    Kolt GS, Kirkby RJ. Epidemiology of injuries in Australian female gymnasts. Sport Med Train Rehab. 1995;6:223–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  27. 27.
    Ergün M, Denerel HN, Binnet MS, et al. Injuries in elite youth football players: a prospective three-year study. Acta Orthop Traumatol Turc. 2013;47:339–46.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  28. 28.
    Rishiraj N, Taunton JE, Niven B. Injury profile of elite under-21 age female field hockey players. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2009;49:71–7.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  29. 29.
    Yard EE, Comstock RD. A comparison of pediatric freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling injuries sustained during a 2006 US national tournament. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2008;18:491–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  30. 30.
    Hutchinson MR, Laprade RF, Burnett 2nd QM, et al. J. Injury surveillance at the USTA Boys’ Tennis Championships: a 6-yr study. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1995;27:826–30.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  31. 31.
    Hägglund M, Waldén M, Ekstrand J. UEFA injury study-an injury audit of European championships 2006–2008. Br J Sports Med. 2009;43:483–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  32. 32.
    Waldén M, Hägglund M, Ekstrand J. Football injuries during European Championships 2004–2005. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2007;15:1155–62.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  33. 33.
    Junge A, Dvorak J. Injuries in female football players in top-level international tournaments. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41 Suppl 1:i3–7.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  34. 34.
    Junge A, Dvorak J, Graf-Baumann T, et al. Football injuries during FIFA tournaments and the Olympic Games, 1998–2001: development and implementation of an injury-reporting system. Am J Sports Med. 2004;32(1 Suppl):80S–9S.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  35. 35.
    Bere T, Flørenes TW, Krosshaug T, et al. Mechanisms of anterior cruciate ligament injury in World Cup alpine skiing: a systematic video analysis of 20 cases. Am J Sports Med. 2011;39:1421–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  36. 36.
    Koga H, Nakamae A, Shima Y, et al. Mechanisms for noncontact anterior cruciate ligament injuries: knee joint kinematics in 10 injury situations from female team handball and basketball. Am J Sports Med. 2010;38:2218–25.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  37. 37.
    Nilstad A, Bahr R, Andersen TE. Text messaging as a new method for injury registration in sports: a methodological study in elite female football. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2014;24:243–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  38. 38.
    Faude O, Junge A, Kindermann W, et al. Injuries in female soccer players: a prospective study in the German national league. Am J Sports Med. 2005;33:1694–700.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  39. 39.
    Steffen K, Andersen TE, Bahr R. Risk of injury on artificial turf and natural grass in young female football players. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41 Suppl 1:i33–7.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  40. 40.
    Randjelovic S, Heir S, Nordsletten L, et al. Injury situations in Freestyle Ski Cross (SX): a video analysis of 33 cases. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:29–35.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  41. 41.
    Bakken A, Bere T, Bahr R, et al. Mechanisms of injuries in World Cup Snowboard Cross: a systematic video analysis of 19 cases. Br J Sports Med. 2011;45:1315–22.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  42. 42.
    Bere T, Mok KM, Koga H, et al. Kinematics of anterior cruciate ligament ruptures in World Cup alpine skiing: 2 case reports of the slip-catch mechanism. Am J Sports Med. 2013;41:1067–73.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  43. 43.
    Nilstad A, Andersen TE, Bahr R, et al. Risk factors for lower extremity injuries in elite female soccer players. Am J Sports Med. 2014;42:940–8.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  44. 44.
    Bahr R. No injuries, but plenty of pain? On the methodology for recording overuse symptoms in sports. Br J Sports Med. 2009;43(13):966–72.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  45. 45.
    Mountjoy M, Junge A, Engebretsen L, et al. Sports injuries and illnesses in the 2009 FINA world aquatic championships. Br J Sports Med. 2010;44:522–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  46. 46.
    Alonso JM, Edouard P, Fischetto G, et al. Determination of future prevention strategies in elite track and field: analysis of Daegu 2011 IAAF Championships injuries and illnesses surveillance. Br J Sports Med. 2012;46:505–14.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  47. 47.
    Bahr R, Reeser J. Injuries among world-class professional beach volleyball players: the Federation Internationale de Volleyball beach volleyball injury study. Am J Sports Med. 2003;31:119–25.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  48. 48.
    Clarsen B, Krosshaug T, Bahr R. Overuse injuries in professional road cyclists. Am J Sports Med. 2010;38:2494–501.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  49. 49.
    Clarsen B, Rønsen O, Myklebust G, et al. The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center questionnaire on health problems: a new approach to prospective monitoring of illness and injury in elite athletes. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:754–60.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  50. 50.
    Fuller CW, Ekstrand J, Junge A, et al. Consensus statement on injury definitions and data collection procedures in studies of football (soccer) injuries. Br J Sports Med. 2006;40:193–201.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  51. 51.
    Clarsen B, Myklebust G, Bahr R. Development and validation of a new method for the registration of overuse injuries in sports injury epidemiology: the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre (OSTRC) overuse injury questionnaire. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47:495–502.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  52. 52.
    Finch C. A new framework for research leading to sports injury prevention. J Sci Med Sport. 2006;9(1–2):3–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  53. 53.
    Junge A, Dvorak J. Injury surveillance in the world football tournaments 1998–2012. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47:782–8.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  54. 54.
    Dvorak J, Junge A, Derman W, Schwellnus M. Injuries and illnesses of football players during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Br J Sports Med. 2011;45:626–30.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  55. 55.
    Fuller CW, Junge A, Dvorak J. A six year prospective study of the incidence and causes of head and neck injuries in international football. Br J Sports Med. 2005;39 Suppl 1:i3–9.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  56. 56.
    Fuller C, Laborde F, Leather RJ, et al. International Rugby Board Rugby World Cup 2007 injury surveillance study. Br J Sports Med. 2008;42:452–9.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  57. 57.
    King D, Gabbett T, Dreyer C, et al. Incidence of injuries in the New Zealand national rugby league sevens tournament. J Sci Med Sport. 2006;9(1–2):110–8.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  58. 58.
    Best J, McIntosh A, Savage T. Rugby World Cup 2003 injury surveillance project. Br J Sports Med. 2005;39:812–7.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  59. 59.
    Langevoort G, Myklebust G, Dvorak J, et al. Handball injuries during major international tournaments. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2007;17:400–7.PubMedGoogle Scholar
  60. 60.
    Feddermann-Demont N, Junge A, Edouard P, et al. Injuries in 13 international Athletics championships between 2007–2012. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:513–22.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  61. 61.
    Alonso JM, Junge A, Renström P, et al. Sports injuries surveillance during the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Championships. Clin J Sport Med. 2009;19:26–32.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  62. 62.
    Junge A, Engebretsen L, Mountjoy M, et al. Sports injuries during the Summer Olympic Games 2008. Am J Sports Med. 2009;37:2165–72.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  63. 63.
    Engebretsen L, Steffen K, Alonso JM, et al. Sports injuries and illnesses during the Winter Olympic Games 2010b. Br J Sports Med. 2010;44:772–80.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  64. 64.
    Engebretsen L, Soligard T, Steffen K, et al. Sports injuries and illnesses during the London Summer Olympic Games 2012. Br J Sports Med. 2013;47:407–14.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  65. 65.
    Engebretsen AH, Myklebust G, Holme I, et al. Intrinsic risk factors for acute knee injuries among male football players: a prospective cohort study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2011;21:645–52.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  66. 66.
    Engebretsen AH, Myklebust G, Holme I, et al. Intrinsic risk factors for acute ankle injuries among male soccer players: a prospective cohort study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2010;20:403–10.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  67. 67.
    Engebretsen AH, Myklebust G, Holme I, et al. Intrinsic risk factors for groin injuries among male soccer players: a prospective cohort study. Am J Sports Med. 2010;38:2051–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  68. 68.
    Engebretsen AH, Myklebust G, Holme I, et al. Intrinsic risk factors for hamstring injuries among male soccer players: a prospective cohort study. Am J Sports Med. 2010;38:1147–53.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  69. 69.
    Andersen TE, Árnason A, Engebretsen L, et al. Mechanisms of head injuries in elite football. Br J Sports Med. 2004;38:690–6.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  70. 70.
    Andersen TE, Flørenes TW, Árnason A, et al. Video analysis of the mechanisms for ankle injuries in football. Am J Sports Med. 2004;32:S69–79.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  71. 71.
    Tscholl P, O’Riordan D, Fuller CW, et al. Tackle mechanisms and match characteristics in women’s elite football tournaments. Br J Sports Med. 2007;41 Suppl 1:i15–9.PubMedCentralCrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  72. 72.
    Major DH, Steenstrup SE, Bere T, et al. Injury rate and injury pattern among elite World Cup snowboarders: a 6-year cohort study. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:18–22.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  73. 73.
    Flørenes TW, Nordsletten L, Heir S, et al. Recording injuries among World Cup skiers and snowboarders: a methodological study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2009;21:196–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  74. 74.
    Soligard T, Steffen K, Palmer-Green D, Aubry M, Grant ME, Meeuwisse W, Mountjoy M, Budgett R, Engebretsen L. Sports injuries and illnesses in the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(7):441–7.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  75. 75.
    Timpka T, Alonso JM, Jacobsson J, et al. Injury and illness definitions and data collection procedures for use in epidemiological studies in Athletics (track and field): consensus statement. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48:483–90.CrossRefPubMedGoogle Scholar

Copyright information

© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports MedicineNorwegian School of Sport SciencesOsloNorway

Personalised recommendations