Type of sport is related to injury profile: A study on cross country skiers, swimmers, long‐distance runners and soccer players. A retrospective 12‐month study

TLDR

A 12‑month retrospective questionnaire compared injury incidence among 149 cross‑country skiers, 154 swimmers, 143 long‑distance runners, and 128 soccer players aged 15–35 years. Soccer players sustained the highest injury rate (5.1/1000 h) and longest absence times, while runners reported the most overuse injuries (59% vs 42% in soccer), swimmers had a markedly higher shoulder overuse incidence (40% vs 1% in skiers), and acute injuries in skiers (80%) and swimmers (58%) mainly occurred outside their primary events, yet no severe permanent disabilities were observed and seven women discontinued sport due to injury, underscoring that loading type predicts injury location.

Abstract

This 12‐month retrospective questionnaire compared the occurrence of sports injuries in 149 cross country skiers, 154 swimmers, 143 long‐distance runners and 128 soccer players aged 15–35 years. Soccer had significantly more injuries (5.1 injuries/1000 exposure hour) than other sports (2.1–2.8, P <0.001). More runners than soccer players reported overuse injuries (59% vs 42%, P =0.005), locating typically in the foot in runners, soccer players and skiers. Swimmers reported overuse injuries in the shoulder more commonly than skiers (40% vs 1%, P <0.001), who also intensively load shoulders. Acute injuries in skiers (80%) and in swimmers (58%), and overuse injuries in skiers (61%), occurred during exercise other than own event. In soccer and running the absence time from sport because of injuries was significantly longer than in skiing and swimming. No severe permanent disabilities occurred due to injury but seven women quit sports because of injury. In conclusion, type of loading is strictly associated with the anatomical location of an overuse injury as shown by the difference in shoulder injury incidence between swimmers and cross country skiers. In some sports, a significant proportion of acute injuries occur in other than the main event.