Epidemiology of Severe Injuries among United States High School Athletes

2009 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1798-1805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cory J. Darrow ◽  
Christy L. Collins ◽  
Ellen E. Yard ◽  
R. Dawn Comstock
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High School ◽  
Sports Injuries ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Severe Injury ◽  
Future Research ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
Severe Injuries ◽  
Injury Rates

Background Over 7 million students participate in high school athletics annually. Despite numerous health benefits, high school athletes are at risk for injury. Hypothesis Severe injury rates and patterns differ by gender and type of exposure. Study Design Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods Sports-related injury data were collected during the 2005-2007 academic years from 100 nationally representative United States high schools via RIO (Reporting Information Online). Severe injury was defined as any injury that resulted in the loss of more than 21 days of sports participation. Results Participating certified athletic trainers (ATCs) reported 1378 severe injuries during 3 550 141 athlete-exposures (0.39 severe injuries per 1000 athletic exposures). Football had the highest severe injury rate (0.69), followed by wrestling (0.52), girls’ basketball (0.34), and girls’ soccer (0.33). The rate in all boys’ sports (0.45) was higher than all girls’ sports (0.26) (rate ratio [RR], 1.74; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.54-1.98; P < .001). However, among directly comparable sports (soccer, basketball, and baseball/softball), girls sustained a higher severe injury rate (0.29) than boys (0.23) (RR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.08-1.52; P = .006). More specifically, girls’ basketball had a higher rate (0.34) than boys’ basketball (0.24) (RR, 1.43; 95% CI, 1.10-1.86; P = .009). Differences between boys’ and girls’ soccer and baseball/softball were not statistically significant. The severe injury rate was greater in competition (0.79) than practice (0.24) (RR, 3.30; 95% CI, 2.97-3.67; P < .001). Nationally, high school athletes sustained an estimated 446 715 severe injuries from 2005-2007. The most commonly injured body sites were the knee (29.0%), ankle (12.3%), and shoulder (10.9%). The most common diagnoses were fractures (36.0%), complete ligament sprains (15.3%), and incomplete ligament sprains (14.3%). Of severe sports injuries, 0.3% resulted in medical disqualification for the athletes’ career, and an additional 56.8% resulted in medical disqualification for the entire season. One in 4 (28.3%) severe injuries required surgery, with over half (53.9%) being knee surgeries. Conclusion Severe injury rates and patterns varied by sport, gender, and type of exposure. Because severe injuries negatively affect athletes’ health and often place an increased burden on the health care system, future research should focus on developing interventions to decrease the incidence and severity of sports-related injuries.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Clavicle Fractures Among US High School Athletes, 2008-2009 Through 2016-2017

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 232596711986181
Author(s):  
Meagan M. McCarthy ◽  
Jonathan H. Bihl ◽  
Rachel M. Frank ◽  
Hytham S. Salem ◽  
Eric C. McCarty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Rate Ratio ◽  
Clavicle Fracture ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Ice Hockey ◽  
Return To Sports ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
Clavicle Fractures

Background: Little is known about the epidemiology of clavicle fractures in United States (US) high school athletes. Sports participation among high school students has increased steadily, placing increased numbers at risk of sports-related injury. Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of clavicle fractures among high school athletes, including injury rates by sex, sport, and type of play and trends in operative versus nonoperative treatment. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: The study data set included all athlete-exposure (AE) and clavicle fracture data collected from 2008-2009 through 2016-2017 from a large sample of US high schools as part of the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study for students participating in boys’ football, boys’/girls’ soccer, boys’/girls’ basketball, boys’/girls’ volleyball, boys’ wrestling, boys’ baseball, girls’ softball, girls’ field hockey, boys’ ice hockey, boys’/girls’ lacrosse, boys’/girls’ swimming and diving, boys’/girls’ track and field, girls’ gymnastics, girls’ cheerleading, boys’/girls’ tennis, and boys’/girls’ cross-country. Results: Overall, 567 clavicle fractures were reported during 31,520,765 AEs, an injury rate of 1.80 per 100,000 AEs. Injury rates varied by sport, with the highest rates in the boys’ full-contact sports of ice hockey (5.27), lacrosse (5.26), football (4.98), and wrestling (2.21). Among girls’ sports, the highest rates were in soccer (0.92), lacrosse (0.26), and basketball (0.25). In sex-comparable sports, injury rates were still significantly higher among boys (1.03) than girls (0.35) (rate ratio, 2.91; 95% CI, 1.97-4.30). Injury rates were significantly higher in competition (4.58) as compared with practice (0.87) (rate ratio, 5.27; 95% CI, 4.44-6.26). Most injuries were treated conservatively (82.7%) rather than operatively (17.3%). Time to return to sports varied, with a greater proportion of medical disqualifications among those treated operatively (40.0%) as compared with those treated conservatively (22.6%) (injury proportion ratio, 1.77; 95% CI, 1.31-2.39). Conclusion: Although clavicle fracture rates are relatively low, they vary by sport, sex, and activity. Understanding such differences should drive more effective, targeted injury prevention efforts. Increased time loss from sports with surgical versus conservative treatment may have been influenced by factors including injury severity and its timing relative to the season’s progress.

scholarly journals Catastrophic High School and Collegiate Cheerleading Injuries in the United States: An Examination of the 2006-2007 Basket Toss Rule Change

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca K. Yau ◽  
Savannah G. Dennis ◽  
Barry P. Boden ◽  
Robert C. Cantu ◽  
James A. Lord ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High School ◽  
Case Series ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Level Of Evidence ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
Rule Change ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Background: Cheerleading is a specialized athletic activity that can lead to catastrophic injuries. Cheerleading rules are in place to maximize safety of participants. The purpose of this study was to describe catastrophic cheerleading injuries among high school and collegiate-level participants in the United States and to explore whether the 2006-2007 basket toss rule change was effective at reducing the number of catastrophic injuries. Hypothesis: The 2006-2007 basket toss rule change contributed to a reduction in the number of catastrophic injuries among high school and collegiate cheerleaders. Study Design: Case series. Level of Evidence: Level 4. Methods: Data on catastrophic cheerleading injuries were collected by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research from July 2002 to June 2017. Information collected included cheerleader, event, and injury characteristics. The impact of the 2006-2007 rule change banning the basket toss on any hard surfaces was assessed by comparing injury rates and 95% CIs before and after the rule change. Results: There were 54 catastrophic cheerleading injuries, or 3.6 injuries per year. From July 2002 through June 2017, the injury rate was 2.12 per 1,000,000 cheerleaders (95% CI, 1.56-2.69). Most cheerleaders sustained serious injuries (n = 27; 50%) during practice (n = 37; 69%) to the head (n = 28; 52%) and cervical spine (n = 17; 32%). From July 2002 through June 2017, basket tosses were the stunt that accounted for the highest proportion of injuries (n = 19; 35%). The basket toss injury rate decreased from 1.55 to 0.40 per 1,000,000 cheerleaders among both high school and collegiate cheerleaders after the rule change. Conclusion: Catastrophic injury rates in cheerleading decreased dramatically after the 2006-2007 rule change banning basket tosses from being performed on any hard surfaces. In particular, there was a nearly 4-fold reduction in the rate of catastrophic basket toss injuries.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Shoulder Dislocations in High School and Collegiate Athletics in the United States: 2004/2005 Through 2013/2014

2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Kraeutler ◽  
Dustin W. Currie ◽  
Zachary Y. Kerr ◽  
Karen G. Roos ◽  
Eric C. McCarty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Shoulder Dislocation ◽  
College Athletes ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Collegiate Athletics ◽  
Return To Play ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
Injury Rates

Background: Shoulder dislocations occur frequently in athletes across a variety of sports. This study provides an updated descriptive epidemiological analysis of shoulder dislocations among high school and college athletes and compares injury rates and patterns across these age groups. Hypothesis: There would be no difference in injury rates/patterns between high school and college athletes. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Level of Evidence: Level 3. Methods: Shoulder dislocation data from the High School Reporting Information Online (RIO) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance Program (ISP) databases were analyzed from the 2004/2005 through 2013/2014 (NCAA) or 2005/2006 through 2013/2014 (RIO) academic years in 11 different sports. Rate ratios (RRs) and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were calculated to make comparisons between age groups. Results: During the study period, 598 shoulder dislocations were reported during 29,249,482 athlete-exposures (AEs) among high school athletes, for an overall shoulder dislocation rate of 2.04 per 100,000 AEs; 352 shoulder dislocations were reported during 13,629,533 AEs among college athletes, for an overall injury rate of 2.58 per 100,000 AEs. College athletes had a higher rate of shoulder dislocation than high school athletes (RR, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.11-1.44). However, the injury rate in football was lower in collegiate than high school athletes (RR, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.43-0.62). Surgery was performed to correct 28.0% of high school and 29.6% of college shoulder dislocations. Shoulder dislocations resulted in longer return-to-play times than other shoulder injuries. Conclusion: Overall, shoulder dislocation rates were higher among collegiate than high school athletes. This may be due to greater contact forces involved in sports at higher levels of play, although the increased rate in high school football warrants additional research. Clinical Relevance: Higher shoulder dislocation rates within collegiate athletics are likely due to the higher level of intensity at this level of play, with stronger and faster athletes resulting in more forceful collisions.

scholarly journals An epidemiologic comparison of acute and overuse injuries in high school sports

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Erin E. Ritzer ◽  
Jingzhen Yang ◽  
Sandhya Kistamgari ◽  
Christy L. Collins ◽  
Gary A. Smith
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Overuse Injury ◽  
Female Athletes ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
Sports Participation ◽  
Acute Injury ◽  
Overuse Injuries ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
Time Loss ◽  
Acute Injuries

Abstract Background Acute and overuse injuries affect millions of high school athletes annually and a better understanding of differences between these injuries is needed to help guide prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation strategies. This study compares acute and overuse injuries using a nationally representative sample of high school athletes. Methods Injuries among United States high school athletes participating in 5 boys’ sports (football, soccer, basketball, wrestling, baseball) and 4 girls’ sports (soccer, volleyball, basketball, softball) reported in the High School RIO™ surveillance system during the 2006-07 through 2018-19 school years were classified as acute or overuse. National estimates and injury rates were calculated. Results Of 17 434 646 estimated injuries, 92.0 % were acute and 8.0 % were overuse. The acute injury rate was higher than the overuse injury rate among both male (Rate Ratio [RR] 16.38, 95 % CI: 15.70–17.10) and female (RR 8.14, 95 % CI: 7.71–8.60) athletes. The overuse injury rate per 10,000 athlete exposures among female athletes (1.8) was slightly higher than among males (1.4). The rate of acute injury compared with the rate of overuse injury was higher during competition (RR 32.00, 95 % CI: 29.93–34.22) than practice (RR 7.19, 95 % CI: 6.91–7.47). Boys’ football contributed the most acute (42.1 %) and overuse (23.7 %) injuries among the 9 sports. Among female sports, girls’ soccer contributed the most acute (15.6 % of all acute injuries) and overuse (19.4 % of all overuse injuries) injuries. The lower extremity was most commonly injured in acute (48.9 %) and overuse (65.9 %) injuries. Ligament sprain (31.7 %) and concussion (21.0 %) were the most common acute injury diagnoses, while muscle strain (23.3 %) and tendonitis (23.2 %) were the most common overuse injury diagnoses. Compared with acute injuries, overuse injuries were more likely to result in time loss from sports participation of < 1 week among both boys and girls and across most sports. Acute injuries were more likely than overuse injuries to cause a time loss of 1–3 weeks or medical disqualification from sports participation. Conclusions Acute and overuse injuries display many differences that provide opportunities for data-informed athlete preparation, treatment, and rehabilitation, which may reduce injuries and improve injury outcomes in high school athletics.

scholarly journals Epidemiology of Rare Injuries and Conditions Among United States High School Athletes During the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 School Years

2008 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 624-630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A. Huffman ◽  
Ellen E. Yard ◽  
Sarah K. Fields ◽  
Christy L. Collins ◽  
R. Dawn Comstock
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
High School ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Preventive Measures ◽  
The United States ◽  
Return To Play ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Cervical Injuries

Abstract Context: Although more than 7 million athletes participate in high school sports in the United States, to date no nationally representative studies of rare injuries and conditions (RICs) exist. Rare injuries and conditions include eye injuries, dental injuries, neck and cervical injuries, and dehydration and heat illnesses. Objective: To describe the epidemiology of RICs sustained by high school athletes during the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 school years. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: A nationally representative sample of 100 US high schools using an injury surveillance system, High School Reporting Information Online. Patients or Other Participants: Athletes participating in football, boys' soccer, girls' soccer, volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, wrestling, baseball, or softball at one of the 100 participating high schools. Main Outcome Measure(s): We reviewed all RICs to calculate injury rates and to identify potential risk factors and preventive measures. Results: A total of 321 RICs were sustained during 3 550 141 athlete-exposures (AEs), for an injury rate of 9.04 RICs per 100 000 AEs. This represents an estimated 84 223 RICs sustained nationally. The RICs accounted for 3.5% of all high school athletes' injuries. The most common diagnoses were neck and cervical injuries (62.0%, n  =  199) and dehydration and heat illnesses (18.7%, n  =  60). Football had the highest RIC rate per 100 000 AEs (21.2), followed by wrestling (15.2) and baseball (7.60). The RICs occurred at a higher rate in boys (12.4) than in girls (2.51) (rate ratio  =  4.93; 95% confidence interval  =  3.39, 7.18). The majority of RICs (67.3%, n  =  216) permitted athletes to return to play within 1 week of diagnosis. Conclusions: The RIC injury rates varied by sport and sex and represented almost 100 000 potentially preventable injuries to high school athletes. Because of the potentially serious consequences, future researchers must develop and implement more effective preventive measures to aid certified athletic trainers in decreasing the RIC incidence among high school athletes.

scholarly journals Injury Recurrence Among High School Athletes in the United States: A Decade of Patterns and Trends, 2005-2006 Through 2015-2016

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 232596711774578 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Linnea Welton ◽  
Matthew J. Kraeutler ◽  
Lauren A. Pierpoint ◽  
Justin H. Bartley ◽  
Eric C. McCarty ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
Sports Injury ◽  
Body Part ◽  
The United States ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
School Sports ◽  
Recurrent Injuries ◽  
Over Time

Background: As participation in high school athletics increases, so does the number of adolescents experiencing sports-related injury. Understanding injury patterns is an important component to developing and evaluating prevention and rehabilitation programs. Purpose: To analyze recurrent injury rates and patterns among high school athletes, to compare recurrent injuries with new injuries, and to evaluate injury trends over time. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: High school sports injury data on 24 sports were collected from 2005-2006 through 2015-2016 via the High School RIO (Reporting Information Online) surveillance system. Injury rates were calculated as number of injuries per 10,000 athletic exposures (AEs). Injury rate ratios and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) were calculated to compare differences among subgroups. Results: Overall, 78,005 injuries were sustained during 40,195,806 AEs, for an injury rate of 19.41 per 10,000 AEs. Of these, 69,821 (89.5%) were new injuries, and 8184 (10.5%) were recurrent. The ankle was the most commonly injured body part among recurrent injuries, while the head/face was the most common body part that sustained new injuries. Ligament sprains were more often recurrent, while concussions were more commonly diagnosed as new, although concussions represented 16.7% of recurrent injuries. Trends for recurrent injuries over time were relatively stable. The proportion of athletes who had >3 weeks of time loss or medical disqualification (15.8% vs 13.3%; IPR, 1.19; 95% CI, 1.13-1.26) or who voluntarily withdrew from sport (2.5% vs 1.1%; IPR, 2.33; 95% CI, 2.00-2.73) was significantly greater for recurrent injuries than new injuries. Furthermore, a greater proportion of recurrent injuries resulted in surgery (8.1% vs 6.0%; IPR, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.24-1.46). Conclusion: Although only 10.5% of all injuries were recurrent, they more frequently resulted in missing >3 weeks of playing time and were more often managed surgically when compared with new injuries. The rate of recurrent injuries has not increased over the past decade.

scholarly journals Shoulder Injuries Among United States High School Athletes During the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 School Years

2009 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
John E. Bonza ◽  
Sarah K. Fields ◽  
Ellen E. Yard ◽  
R. Dawn Comstock
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
High Schools ◽  
Outcome Measure ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
Shoulder Injuries ◽  
Shoulder Injury ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
Injury Patterns ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
Nationally Representative

Abstract Context: The shoulder is one of the most commonly injured body sites among athletes. Little previous research describes shoulder injury patterns in high school athletes. Objective: To describe and compare shoulder injury rates and patterns among high school athletes in 9 sports (football, soccer, basketball, baseball, and wrestling for boys and soccer, volleyball, basketball, and softball for girls). Design: Prospective injury surveillance study. Setting: Injury data were collected from 100 nationally representative US high schools via High School Reporting Information Online. Patients or Other Participants: Athletes from participating high schools injured while involved in a school-sanctioned practice or competition in 1 of the above sports during the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 school years. Main Outcome Measure(s): Shoulder injury rates, diagnoses, severity, and mechanisms. Results: During the 2005–2006 and 2006–2007 school years, athletes in this study sustained 805 shoulder injuries during 3 550 141 athlete-exposures (AEs), for an injury rate of 2.27 shoulder injuries per 10 000 AEs. This corresponds to an estimated 232 258 shoulder injuries occurring nationwide during this time. Shoulder injuries were more likely to occur during competition than practice (rate ratio  =  3.01, 95% confidence interval  =  2.62, 3.46). Shoulder injury rates per 10 000 AEs were highest in football (5.09), wrestling (4.34), and baseball (1.90). Common shoulder injury diagnoses included sprains/strains (39.6%), dislocations/separations (23.7%), contusions (11.5%), and fractures (6.6%). Although 44.8% of athletes sustaining a shoulder injury returned to play in less than 1 week, 22.9% were out of play for more than 3 weeks, and 6.2% of shoulder injuries required surgery. Common mechanisms of shoulder injury included player-to-player contact (57.6%) and contact with the playing surface (22.8%). Conclusions: High school shoulder injury rates and patterns varied by sport. Continued surveillance is warranted to understand trends and patterns over time and to develop and evaluate evidence-based preventive interventions.

Comparison of Thigh Muscle Strain Occurrence and Injury Patterns Between Male and Female High School Soccer Athletes

2018 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 451-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin M. Cross ◽  
Kelly K. Gurka ◽  
Susan Saliba ◽  
Mark Conaway ◽  
Jay Hertel
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
Recurrent Event ◽  
Soccer Players ◽  
Thigh Muscle ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Muscle Strain ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
Injury Characteristics ◽  
First Time

Context: Thigh muscle strains are among the most common injuries in high school soccer for both males and females. Similar results have been reported among college soccer players, specifically for hamstring strains. In college soccer, males have a higher injury rate than women, although they share common injury characteristics. Currently, no studies exist comparing the injury rate or injury characteristics of thigh muscle strains between sexes playing high school soccer. Objective: To compare thigh muscle strain injury rates and injury event characteristics among sexes participating in high school soccer. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: A total of 100 nationally representative high schools that participated in the High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance System, Reporting Information Online. Participants: High school soccer athletes who had a thigh muscle strain. Main Outcome Measures: Injury rates of thigh muscle strains were calculated between sexes. The occurrence of the following variables during a thigh muscle injury was compared between sexes: grade level, age, level of play, event type, time of practice, time of competition, basic injury mechanism, soccer activity, player position, field location, practice type, and time of season. Results: Males had a lower injury rate of thigh muscle strains during competition than females (rate ratio = 0.66; 95% confidence interval, 0.47–0.93). No differences between sexes existed in the distribution of first-time or recurrent event characteristics. When combining sexes, recurrent strains (93%) occurred more frequently on the offensive side of the field than first-time strains (59%), P < .001. The majority of strains occurred among the varsity players (71%), during running activities (60%) and practices (58%). Conclusions: Males were less likely to sustain a thigh muscle strain during competitions, but no other differences existed between sexes. The events surrounding all thigh muscle strains may be described with some common properties. Consideration of these characteristics may assist in the development of preventive and rehabilitative programs as well as direct future research on thigh muscle strains among high school soccer players.

scholarly journals Rates and Patterns of Lower Extremity Sports Injuries in All Gender-Comparable US High School Sports

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 232596711987305 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Aogaichi Brant ◽  
Bernadette Johnson ◽  
Lina Brou ◽  
R. Dawn Comstock ◽  
Tien Vu
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Lower Extremity ◽  
Sports Injuries ◽  
The United States ◽  
National Database ◽  
Radiographic Evaluation ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
High School Sports ◽  
Injury Rates ◽  
School Sports

Background: High school athletes with lower extremity sports injuries (LESIs) frequently present to the emergency department in the United States. Previous epidemiological studies have presented rates and mechanisms of LESIs in these athletes. No studies, however, have looked at LESIs in gender-comparable sports in an attempt to evaluate what differences exist between LESIs in boys and girls. Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of LESIs among US high school athletes using a large national database of athletes in sports that could be considered gender comparable, given the rules of play and protective equipment. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Descriptive data from 2005 to 2016 were collected using the internet-based High School Reporting Information Online (High School RIO), a national high school sports injury surveillance system, for athletes participating in 8 gender-comparable sports (soccer, volleyball, basketball, baseball/softball, swimming and diving, track and field, cross-country, and tennis). Rates and patterns of injury were evaluated, with injury rates calculated as ratio of injuries per 10,000 athlete-exposures. Rate ratios (RRs) were calculated to compare the LESI rates in girls and boys. Results: In both genders, LESI rates (per 10,000 athlete-exposures) were highest in soccer (girls, 15.87; boys, 11.68) followed by basketball (girls, 11.51; boys, 9.35), and were lowest in swimming and diving (girls, 0.70; boys, 0.39). Although injury rates were significantly higher in girls compared with boys in all sports, only in tennis was the RR greater than 2 (RR, 2.03; 95% CI, 1.17-3.54). Girls had a greater proportion of severe LESIs and injuries that received radiographic evaluation, such as magnetic resonance imaging, compared with boys for all sports except volleyball. Consistency in the mechanism of injury was demonstrated between genders within each sport. Conclusion: This study demonstrated that LESIs are common among high school athletes and disproportionately affect girls more than boys, especially when looking at severe injuries and resource utilization. Further studies are needed to elucidate the cause of these findings. We hope that the awareness of gender-based differences in LESIs will lead to improvements in targeted efforts to decrease injury rates and injury severity.

Epidemiology of 10,000 High School Football Injuries: Patterns of Injury by Position Played

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 160-169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus A. Badgeley ◽  
Natalie M. McIlvain ◽  
Ellen E. Yard ◽  
Sarah K. Fields ◽  
R. Dawn Comstock
Keyword(s):  
High School ◽  
Athletic Trainers ◽  
Injury Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Data Collection Tool ◽  
High School Athletes ◽  
High School Football ◽  
Certified Athletic Trainers ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
Patterns Of Injury

Background:With more than 1.1 million high school athletes playing annually during the 2005−06 to 2009−10 academic years, football is the most popular boys’ sport in the United States.Methods:Using an internet-based data collection tool, RIO, certified athletic trainers (ATs) from 100 nationally representative US high schools reported athletic exposure and football injury data during the 2005−06 to 2009−10 academic years.Results:Participating ATs reported 10,100 football injuries corresponding to an estimated 2,739,187 football-related injuries nationally. The injury rate was 4.08 per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs) overall. Offensive lineman collectively (center, offensive guard, offensive tackle) sustained 18.3% of all injuries. Running backs (16.3%) sustained more injuries than any other position followed by linebackers (14.9%) and wide receivers (11.9%). The leading mechanism of injury was player-player contact (64.0%) followed by player-surface contact (13.4%). More specifically, injury occurred most commonly when players were being tackled (24.4%) and tackling (21.8%).Conclusions:Patterns of football injuries vary by position. Identifying such differences is important to drive development of evidence-based, targeted injury prevention efforts.

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