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Rowing Injuries: An Updated Review

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Abstract

Although traditionally seen as a sport for elite schools and colleges, rowing is a founding Olympic event and is increasingly enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. The sport’s rapidly changing demographics shows significant growth in masters (age 27 years and above) and para-rowing populations. It has further expanded beyond its traditional flatwater format to include the discipline of open-water or coastal rowing, and an increased focus on indoor rowing. Rowing-specific injury research has similarly increased over the last decade since our last review, revealing areas of improved understanding in pre-participation screening, training load, emerging concepts surrounding back and rib injury, and relative energy deficiency in sport. Through a better understanding of the nature of the sport and mechanisms of injury, physicians and other healthcare providers will be better equipped to treat and prevent injuries in rowers.

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Fig. 1

(credit: V. Nolte)

Fig. 2

(credit: S. Di Ciacca)

Fig. 3

Reproduced from Kleshnev V et al. [48] with permission

Fig. 4

(credit: M. Sechser)

Fig. 5

Reproduced from Evans and Redgrave [70], with permission

Fig. 6

Reprinted from Lebrun CM [109], with permission from Elsevier

Fig. 7

Reproduced from Smoljanovic et al. [138] with permission from British Rowing

Fig. 8

(credit: C. Lebrun)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Western Centre for Public Health and Family Medicine, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, 1st Floor, 1465 Richmond St., London, ON, N6G 2M1, Canada

    Jane S. Thornton

  2. Herlev Gentofte Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark

    Anders Vinther

  3. Discipline of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin, Dublin, Ireland

    Fiona Wilson

  4. Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Glen Sather Sports Medicine Clinic, Edmonton Clinic, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    Constance M. Lebrun

  5. Joint Preservation Center, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada

    Mike Wilkinson

  6. University of Western Ontario School of Physical Therapy, Elborn College, London, ON, Canada

    Stephen R. Di Ciacca

  7. Procare Rehabilitation, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Karen Orlando

  8. South West London Elective Orthopaedic Centre, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals NHS Trust, Epsom, Surrey, UK

    Tomislav Smoljanovic

  9. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University Hospital Center Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Tomislav Smoljanovic

  10. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

    Tomislav Smoljanovic

Authors
  1. Jane S. Thornton
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  2. Anders Vinther
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  3. Fiona Wilson
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  4. Constance M. Lebrun
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  5. Mike Wilkinson
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  6. Stephen R. Di Ciacca
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  7. Karen Orlando
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  8. Tomislav Smoljanovic
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jane S. Thornton.

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Funding

No financial support was received for the conduct of this study or preparation of this manuscript.

Informed consent

Consent for the publication of the figures was obtained from each the athletes depicted.

Conflict of interest

Jane Thornton, Tomislav Smoljanovic, Steve Di Ciacca, Karen Orlando, Mike Wilkinson, Anders Vinther, and Fiona Wilson declare that they have no conflicts of interest. Constance Lebrun has received honoraria from Rowing Canada as a team physician.

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Thornton, J.S., Vinther, A., Wilson, F. et al. Rowing Injuries: An Updated Review. Sports Med 47, 641–661 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-016-0613-y

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