Employing Standardised Methods to Compare Injury Risk Across Seven Youth Team Sports

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Craig Barden ◽  
Kenneth L. Quarrie ◽  
Carly McKay ◽  
Keith A Stokes
Keyword(s):  
Injury Risk ◽  
Youth Sports ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Rugby League ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
American Football ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Youth Population

AbstractInjury surveillance systems seek to describe injury risk for a given sport, in order to inform preventative strategies. This often leads to comparisons between studies, although these inferences may be inappropriate, considering the range of methods adopted. This study aimed to describe the injury epidemiology of seven youth sports, enabling valid comparisons of injury risk. Consistent methods were employed across seven sports [male American football, basketball, soccer, rugby league, rugby union; female soccer and rugby union] at a high school in England. A 24-hour time-loss injury definition was adopted. Descriptive statistics and injury incidence (/1000 match-hours) are reported. In total, 322 injuries were sustained by 240 athletes (mean age=17.7±1.0) in 10 273 player-match hours. American football had a significantly greater injury incidence (86/1000 h; 95% CI 61–120) than all sports except female rugby union (54/1000 h; 95% CI 37–76). Concussion was the most common injury (incidence range 0.0–26.7/1000 h), while 59% of injuries occurred via player contact. This study employed standardized data collection methods, allowing valid and reliable comparisons of injury risk between youth sports. This is the first known study to provide epidemiological data for female rugby union, male basketball and American football in an English youth population, enabling the development of preventative strategies.

scholarly journals Tendon and Ligament Injuries in Elite Rugby: The Potential Genetic Influence

Sports ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. 138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon Brazier ◽  
Mark Antrobus ◽  
Georgina K. Stebbings ◽  
Stephen H. Day ◽  
Shane M. Heffernan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Rugby League ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Individual Variability ◽  
Ligament Injury ◽  
Molecular Characteristics ◽  
Surveillance Systems ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Body Contact

This article reviews tendon and ligament injury incidence and severity within elite rugby union and rugby league. Furthermore, it discusses the biological makeup of tendons and ligaments and how genetic variation may influence this and predisposition to injury. Elite rugby has one of the highest reported injury incidences of any professional sport. This is likely due to a combination of well-established injury surveillance systems and the characteristics of the game, whereby high-impact body contact frequently occurs, in addition to the high intensity, multispeed and multidirectional nature of play. Some of the most severe of all these injuries are tendon and ligament/joint (non-bone), and therefore, potentially the most debilitating to a player and playing squad across a season or World Cup competition. The aetiology of these injuries is highly multi-factorial, with a growing body of evidence suggesting that some of the inter-individual variability in injury susceptibility may be due to genetic variation. However, little effort has been devoted to the study of genetic injury traits within rugby athletes. Due to a growing understanding of the molecular characteristics underpinning the aetiology of injury, investigating genetic variation within elite rugby is a viable and worthy proposition. Therefore, we propose several single nucleotide polymorphisms within candidate genes of interest; COL1A1, COL3A1, COL5A1, MIR608, MMP3, TIMP2, VEGFA, NID1 and COLGALT1 warrant further study within elite rugby and other invasion sports.

scholarly journals A Systematic Review of Strength and Conditioning Protocols for Improving Neck Strength and Reducing Concussion Incidence and Impact Injury Risk in Collision Sports; Is There Evidence?

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 8
Author(s):  
Ed Daly ◽  
Alan J. Pearce ◽  
Lisa Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Cervical Spine ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
American Football ◽  
Neck Muscle ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Cervical Spine Injuries ◽  
Spine Injuries ◽  
Neck Strength ◽  
Impact Injury

The objective of this systematic literature review was to evaluate the evidence regarding the development of neck strength in reducing concussion and cervical spine injuries in adult amateur and professional sport populations. PubMed, CINAHL, Science Direct, and Web of Science databases were searched systematically. The criteria for inclusion in the review were as follows: (1) a human adult (≥18 or above); (2) involved in amateur, semi-professional, or professional sports; (3) sports included involved collisions with other humans, apparatus or the environment; (4) interventions included pre- and post-neck muscle strength measures or neck stability measures; (5) outcomes included effects on increasing neck strength in participants and/or injury incidence. Database searches identified 2462 articles. Following title, abstract, and full paper screening, three papers were eligible for inclusion. All of the papers reported information from male participants, two were focused on rugby union, and one on American football. Two of the included studies found a significant improvement in isometric neck strength following intervention. None of the studies reported any impact of neck strengthening exercises on cervical spine injuries. This review has shown that there is currently a lack of evidence to support the use of neck strengthening interventions in reducing impact injury risk in adult populations who participate in sport.

scholarly journals Sports-related injuries in New Zealand: National Insurance (Accident Compensation Corporation) claims for five sporting codes from 2012 to 2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (16) ◽  
pp. 1026-1033 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doug King ◽  
Patria A Hume ◽  
Natalie Hardaker ◽  
Cloe Cummins ◽  
Conor Gissane ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Epidemiological Data ◽  
Rugby League ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Study Data ◽  
Accident Compensation ◽  
Analytical Review ◽  
Serious Injury ◽  
Mean Cost

ObjectivesTo provide epidemiological data and related costs for sport-related injuries of five sporting codes (cricket, netball, rugby league, rugby union and football) in New Zealand for moderate-to-serious and serious injury claims.MethodsA retrospective analytical review using detailed descriptive epidemiological data obtained from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC) for 2012–2016.ResultsOver the 5 years of study data, rugby union recorded the most moderate-to-serious injury entitlement claims (25 226) and costs (New Zealand dollars (NZD$)267 359 440 (£139 084 749)) resulting in the highest mean cost (NZD$10 484 (£5454)) per moderate-to-serious injury entitlement claim. Rugby union recorded more serious injury entitlement claims (n=454) than cricket (t(4)=−66.6; P<0.0001); netball (t(4)=−45.1; P<0.0001); rugby league (t(4)=−61.4; P<0.0001) and football (t(4)=66.6; P<0.0001) for 2012–2016. There was a twofold increase in the number of female moderate-to-serious injury entitlement claims for football (RR 2.6 (95%CI 2.2 to 2.9); P<0.0001) compared with cricket, and a threefold increase when compared with rugby union (risk ratio (RR) 3.1 (95%CI 2.9 to 3.3); P<0.0001). Moderate-to-serious concussion claims increased between 2012 and 2016 for netball (RR 3.7 (95%CI 1.9 to 7.1); P<0.0001), rugby union (RR 2.0 (95% CI 1.6 to 2.4); P<0.0001) and football (RR 2.3 (95%CI 1.6 to 3.2); P<0.0001). Nearly a quarter of moderate-to-serious entitlement claims (23%) and costs (24%) were to participants aged 35 years or older.ConclusionsRugby union and rugby league have the highest total number and costs associated with injury. Accurate sport exposure data are needed to enable injury risk calculations.

scholarly journals Editorial: Fatigue and Recovery in Football

Sports ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. 192
Author(s):  
Neil Clarke ◽  
Mark Noon
Keyword(s):  
High Intensity ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
Rugby League ◽  
American Football ◽  
Low Intensity ◽  
Australian Rules Football

The football codes (soccer, American football, Australian rules football, rugby league, and union and Gaelic football) are intermittent team sports with bouts of high-intensity activity interspersed with low-intensity activities or rest [...]

Trends in match injury risk in professional male rugby union: a 16-season review of 10 851 match injuries in the English Premiership (2002–2019): the Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project

2020 ◽  
pp. bjsports-2020-102529
Author(s):  
Stephen W West ◽  
Lindsay Starling ◽  
Simon Kemp ◽  
Sean Williams ◽  
Matthew Cross ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Injury Risk ◽  
Injury Severity ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Injury Surveillance ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Match Play ◽  
Common Activity ◽  
Long Term Trends ◽  
The Mean

ObjectivesThe Professional Rugby Injury Surveillance Project is the largest and longest running rugby union injury surveillance project globally and focuses on the highest level of rugby in England.MethodsWe examined match injuries in professional men’s rugby over the period 2002/2003 to 2018/2019 and described trends in injuries over this time.ResultsOver the period 2002/2003–2018/2019, 10 851 injuries occurred in 1 24 952 hours of match play, equating to a mean of 57 injuries per club per season and one injury per team per match. The mean incidence, severity (days absence) and burden (days absence/1000 hours) of injury were 87/1000 hours (95% CI 82 to 92), 25 days (95% CI 22 to 28) and 2178 days/1000 hours (95% CI 1872 to 2484), respectively. The tackle accounted for 43% injuries with running the second most common activity during injury (12%). The most common injury location was the head/face with an incidence of 11.3/1000 hours, while the location with the highest overall burden was the knee (11.1 days/1000 hours). Long-term trends demonstrated stable injury incidence and proportion of injured players, but an increase in the mean and median severity of injuries. Concussion incidence, severity and burden increased from the 2009/2010 season onwards and from 2011 to 2019 concussion was the most common injury.ConclusionThe rise in overall injury severity and concussion incidence are the most significant findings from this work and demonstrate the need for continued efforts to reduce concussion risk as well as a greater understanding of changes in injury severity over time.

scholarly journals Similar head impact acceleration measured using instrumented ear patches in a junior rugby union team during matches in comparison with other sports

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
Doug A. King ◽  
Patria A. Hume ◽  
Conor Gissane ◽  
Trevor N. Clark
Keyword(s):  
Injury Risk ◽  
Linear Acceleration ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Head Impact ◽  
American Football ◽  
Football Players ◽  
Head Impacts ◽  
Impact Acceleration ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rugby Players

OBJECTIVE Direct impact with the head and the inertial loading of the head have been postulated as major mechanisms of head-related injuries, such as concussion. METHODS This descriptive observational study was conducted to quantify the head impact acceleration characteristics in under-9-year-old junior rugby union players in New Zealand. The impact magnitude, frequency, and location were collected with a wireless head impact sensor that was worn by 14 junior rugby players who participated in 4 matches. RESULTS A total of 721 impacts > 10g were recorded. The median (interquartile range [IQR]) number of impacts per player was 46 (IQR 37–58), resulting in 10 (IQR 4–18) impacts to the head per player per match. The median impact magnitudes recorded were 15g (IQR 12g–21g) for linear acceleration and 2296 rad/sec2 (IQR 1352–4152 rad/sec2) for rotational acceleration. CONCLUSIONS There were 121 impacts (16.8%) above the rotational injury risk limit and 1 (0.1%) impact above the linear injury risk limit. The acceleration magnitude and number of head impacts in junior rugby union players were higher than those previously reported in similar age-group sports participants. The median linear acceleration for the under-9-year-old rugby players were similar to 7- to 8-year-old American football players, but lower than 9- to 12-year-old youth American football players. The median rotational accelerations measured were higher than the median and 95th percentiles in youth, high school, and collegiate American football players.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Time-Loss Injuries in Senior and Under-18 Portuguese Male Rugby Players

2018 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Miguel Cruz-Ferreira ◽  
Eduardo Miguel Cruz-Ferreira ◽  
Pedro Barbosa Ribeiro ◽  
Luiz Miguel Santiago ◽  
Luis Taborda-Barata
Keyword(s):  
Team Sports ◽  
Incidence Rates ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Time Loss ◽  
Limb Injuries ◽  
Tier 1 ◽  
Type Contact ◽  
Position Type ◽  
Rugby Players

Abstract Rugby union has one of the highest injury incidence rates in team sports, however, most of the available data focus on the epidemiology of injuries in countries where rugby is popular. We aimed to report the incidence rate and relevant epidemiological aspects of injuries occurred in a group of Portuguese male rugby players. A prospective cohort study was conducted with a group of 45 senior and 32 under-18 male players (total of 77 players). Outcome measures included injury incidence, position, type, location and severity of injuries. The match injury incidence for all players was 55.84 per 1000 player match-hours (66.66 for seniors, 42.85 for under-18), while mean time-loss for injury was 20.79 days. No statistical differences were found between groups. Lower limb injuries accounted for 60.5% of all injuries, while joint/ligament injuries were the most prevalent type. Contact events were responsible for 65.1% of injuries. Despite the limitations, the obtained data are consistent with the literature. Time-loss injuries seem highly prevalent in rugby union and the incidence rates found in this Portuguese-based study were lower than the reported for international and senior men’s professional rugby union, but higher than those occurring in community rugby in tier-1 countries. The authors believe these data reinforce the need to develop and implement effective injury surveillance and prevention programs.

scholarly journals Training volume and injury incidence in a professional rugby union team

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
W Viljoen ◽  
CJ Saunders ◽  
GD Hechter ◽  
KD Aginsky ◽  
HB Millson
Keyword(s):  
Injury Risk ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Slight Reduction ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
Training Volume ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
Acute Injuries ◽  
Training Programmes ◽  
Rugby Players

Objective. To describe the incidence of injuries in a professional rugby team, and to identify any associations between injury rates and training volume.Methods. This retrospective, descriptive study included all injuries diagnosed as grade 1 and above in a South African Super 12 rugby team. Injury incidence and injury rates were calculated and compared with training volume and hours of match play.Results. Thirty-eight male rugby players were injured during the study period. The total number of annual injuries decreased from 50 (2002) to 38 (2004) (χ2=0.84, p=0.36). The number of new injuries showed a similar trend (χ2=2.81, p=0.09), while the number of recurring injuries increased over the 3-year period. There was a tendency for total in-season injury rates to decrease over the 3 years (χ2=2.89, p=0.09). The pre-season injury rate increased significantly over the 3 years (χ2=12.7, pConclusions. One has to be cognisant of the balance between performance improvement and injury risk when designing training programmes for elite rugby players. Although the reduction in training volume was associated with a slight reduction in the number of acute injuries and in-season injury rates over the three seasons, the performance of the team changed from 3rd to 7th (2002 and 2004, respectively). Further studies are required to determine the optimal training necessary to improve rugby performancewhile reducing injury rates.

Importance of Various Training-Load Measures in Injury Incidence of Professional Rugby League Athletes

2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 819-824 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heidi R. Thornton ◽  
Jace A. Delaney ◽  
Grant M. Duthie ◽  
Ben J. Dascombe
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factors ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Injury Risk ◽  
Perceived Exertion ◽  
Rugby League ◽  
Training Load ◽  
Rating Of Perceived Exertion ◽  
Machine Learning Techniques ◽  
Injury Incidence ◽  
The Individual

Purpose:To investigate the ability of various internal and external training-load (TL) monitoring measures to predict injury incidence among positional groups in professional rugby league athletes.Methods:TL and injury data were collected across 3 seasons (2013–2015) from 25 players competing in National Rugby League competition. Daily TL data were included in the analysis, including session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE-TL), total distance (TD), high-speed-running distance (>5 m/s), and high-metabolic-power distance (HPD; >20 W/kg). Rolling sums were calculated, nontraining days were removed, and athletes’ corresponding injury status was marked as “available” or “unavailable.” Linear (generalized estimating equations) and nonlinear (random forest; RF) statistical methods were adopted.Results:Injury risk factors varied according to positional group. For adjustables, the TL variables associated most highly with injury were 7-d TD and 7-d HPD, whereas for hit-up forwards they were sRPE-TL ratio and 14-d TD. For outside backs, 21- and 28-d sRPE-TL were identified, and for wide-running forwards, sRPE-TL ratio. The individual RF models showed that the importance of the TL variables in injury incidence varied between athletes.Conclusions:Differences in risk factors were recognized between positional groups and individual athletes, likely due to varied physiological capacities and physical demands. Furthermore, these results suggest that robust machine-learning techniques can appropriately monitor injury risk in professional team-sport athletes.

scholarly journals Implementation of the 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement in contact and collision sports: a joint position statement from 11 national and international sports organisations

2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (10) ◽  
pp. 635-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jon S Patricios ◽  
Clare L Ardern ◽  
Michael David Hislop ◽  
Mark Aubry ◽  
Paul Bloomfield ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Best Practice ◽  
Consensus Statement ◽  
Position Statement ◽  
Rugby League ◽  
Rugby Union ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
American Football ◽  
Group Consensus ◽  
Diagnosis And Management ◽  
Australian Football

The 2017 Berlin Concussion in Sport Group Consensus Statement provides a global summary of best practice in concussion prevention, diagnosis and management, underpinned by systematic reviews and expert consensus. Due to their different settings and rules, individual sports need to adapt concussion guidelines according to their specific regulatory environment. At the same time, consistent application of the Berlin Consensus Statement’s themes across sporting codes is likely to facilitate superior and uniform diagnosis and management, improve concussion education and highlight collaborative research opportunities. This document summarises the approaches discussed by medical representatives from the governing bodies of 10 different contact and collision sports in Dublin, Ireland in July 2017. Those sports are: American football, Australian football, basketball, cricket, equestrian sports, football/soccer, ice hockey, rugby league, rugby union and skiing. This document had been endorsed by 11 sport governing bodies/national federations at the time of being published.

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