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Materne O, Bennett F, Sweeney A, Ramsden J, Milne C, Waller M, Chamari K, Drust B. Incidence and burden of 671 injuries in professional women footballers: time to focus on context-specific injury risk reduction strategies. Res Sports Med 2024:1-19. [PMID: 38898686 DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2024.2367199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the extent of injury incidence and burden in a professional women football team of the Scottish Women's Premier League during two seasons. All injuries causing time-loss or required medical attention were recorded prospectively. A total of 671 injuries, 570 requiring medical attention and 101 causing time-loss were recorded in 41 players. Injuries occurring with National Team resulted in 12% of the club's international players' lay-off. Overall injury incidence was 11.1/1000-hours and burden was 368.9 days/1000-hours. Injury incidence (23.9/1000-hours vs 8.2/1000-hours) and burden (1049.8 days/1000-hours vs 215.1 days/1000-hours) were higher for match compared to training. Foremost mechanism of match injury burden was indirect-contact, which was different than the non-contact predominantly observed for training injury burden. Injury incidence, burden and patterns differed between training, match and playing positions. Tailoring injury-risk reduction strategies considering context, circumstances and playing position deserve consideration to enhance player's injury resilience in professional women footballers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivier Materne
- Sports Medicine Department, The Glasgow Rangers Football Club Ltd, Glasgow, UK
| | - Faye Bennett
- Football Performance Department, The Glasgow Rangers Football Club Ltd, Glasgow, UK
- Sports Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Department, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Ashley Sweeney
- Football Performance Department, The Glasgow Rangers Football Club Ltd, Glasgow, UK
| | - Jamie Ramsden
- Football Performance Department, The Glasgow Rangers Football Club Ltd, Glasgow, UK
| | - Chris Milne
- Sports Medicine Department, The Glasgow Rangers Football Club Ltd, Glasgow, UK
- Hampden Sports Clinic, Glasgow, UK
| | - Mark Waller
- Sports Medicine Department, The Glasgow Rangers Football Club Ltd, Glasgow, UK
| | - Karim Chamari
- Biological Science Department, Higher institute of Sport and Physical Education, ISSEP Ksar Saïd, Manouba University, Manouba, Tunisia
- Research Department, Naufar, Wellness and Recovery Centre, Doha, Qatar
| | - Barry Drust
- Football Performance Department, The Glasgow Rangers Football Club Ltd, Glasgow, UK
- Sports Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Department, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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2
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Sprouse B, Alty J, Kemp S, Cowie C, Mehta R, Tang A, Morris J, Cooper S, Varley I. The Football Association Injury and Illness Surveillance Study: The Incidence, Burden and Severity of Injuries and Illness in Men's and Women's International Football. Sports Med 2024; 54:213-232. [PMID: 33369724 PMCID: PMC7768595 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-020-01411-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To determine the incidence and characteristics of injury and illness in English men's and women's senior and youth international football. METHODS Time-loss injuries and illnesses, alongside match and training exposure, were collected across 8 seasons (2012-2020) in youth (U15, U16, U17, U18, U19) and senior (U20, U21, U23, senior) English men's and women's international teams. Analysis of incidence, burden, and severity of injury and illness was completed. Sex-specific comparisons were made between the senior and youth groups, and across the 8 seasons of data collection. RESULTS In men's international football, 535 injuries were recorded (216 senior; 319 youth) during 73,326 h of exposure. Overall, match injury incidence (31.1 ± 10.8 injuries/1000 h) and burden (454.0 ± 195.9 d absent/1000 h) were greater than training injury incidence (4.0 ± 1.0 injuries/1000 h) and burden (51.0 ± 21.8 d absent/1000 h) (both P < 0.001). In women's international football, 503 injuries were recorded (senior: 177; youth: 326) during 80,766 h of exposure and match injury incidence (27.6 ± 11.3 injuries/1000 h) and burden (506.7 ± 350.2 days absent/1000 h) were greater than training injury incidence (5.1 ± 1.8 injuries/1000 h) and burden (87.6 ± 32.8 days absent/1000 h) (both P < 0.001). In women's international football, a group × season interaction was observed for training injury incidence (P = 0.021), with the senior group recording a greater training injury incidence during the 2015-2016 season compared to the youth group (14.4 vs 5.7 injuries/1000 h; P = 0.022). There was no difference in injury severity between match and training for men's (P = 0.965) and women's (P = 0.064) international football. CONCLUSIONS The findings provide a comprehensive examination of injury and illness in English men's and women's senior and youth international football. Practitioners will be able to benchmark their team's injury and illness incidence and characteristics to the match-play and training information provided in the present study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley Sprouse
- Sport Science Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Jon Alty
- The Football Association, Burton-Upon-Trent, UK
| | - Steve Kemp
- The Football Association, Burton-Upon-Trent, UK
| | | | - Ritan Mehta
- The Football Association, Burton-Upon-Trent, UK
| | - Alicia Tang
- The Football Association, Burton-Upon-Trent, UK
| | - John Morris
- Sport Science Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Simon Cooper
- Sport Science Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Ian Varley
- Sport Science Department, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK.
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3
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Horan D, Büttner F, Blake C, Hägglund M, Kelly S, Delahunt E. Injury incidence rates in women's football: a systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective injury surveillance studies. Br J Sports Med 2022; 57:471-480. [PMID: 36229168 DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2021-105177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To review the literature to establish overall, match and training injury incidence rates (IIRs) in senior (≥18 years of age) women's football (amateur club, elite club and international). DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis of overall, match and training IIRs in senior women's football, stratified by injury location, type and severity. DATA SOURCES MEDLINE via PubMed; EMBASE via Ovid; CINAHL via EBSCO and Web of Science were searched from earliest record to July 2021. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR SELECTING STUDIES (1) football players participating in a senior women's football league (amateur club or elite club) or a senior women's international football tournament; (2) the study had to report IIRs or provide sufficient data from which this outcome metric could be calculated through standardised equations; (3) a full-text article published in a peer-reviewed journal before July 2021; (4) a prospective injury surveillance study and (5) case reports on single teams were ineligible. RESULTS 17 articles met the inclusion criteria; amateur club (n=2), elite club (n=10), international (n=5). Overall, match and training 'time-loss' IIRs are similar between senior women's elite club football and international football. 'Time-loss' training IIRs in senior women's elite club football and international football are approximately 6-7 times lower than their equivalent match IIRs. Overall 'time-loss' IIRs stratified by injury type in women's elite club football were 2.70/1000 hours (95% CI 1.12 to 6.50) for muscle and tendon, 2.62/1000 hours (95% CI 1.26 to 5.46) for joint and ligaments, and 0.76/1000 hours (95% CI 0.55 to 1.03) for contusions. Due to the differences in injury definitions, it was not possible to aggregate IIRs for amateur club football. CONCLUSION Lower limb injuries incurred during matches are a substantial problem in senior women's football. The prevention of lower limb joint, ligament, muscle and tendon injuries should be a central focus of injury prevention interventions in senior women's amateur club, elite club and international football. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42020162895.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Horan
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland .,High Performance Department, Football Association of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Fionn Büttner
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Catherine Blake
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Institute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martin Hägglund
- Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Football Research Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Seamus Kelly
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Institute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eamonn Delahunt
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Institute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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Horan D, Blake C, Hägglund M, Kelly S, Roe M, Delahunt E. Injuries in elite-level women's football-a two-year prospective study in the Irish Women's National League. Scand J Med Sci Sports 2021; 32:177-190. [PMID: 34719066 DOI: 10.1111/sms.14062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the pattern of injuries in elite-level women's football in Ireland, during a two-season prospective injury surveillance study in the Women's National League (WNL). Seven out of the eight clubs (271 players) in the WNL were followed prospectively during the 2018 and 2019 seasons. The injury incidence rate in matches (19.2/1000 h) was 7.5 times higher than in training (2.5/1000 h). Players, on average, sustained 0.69 injuries per season (266 injuries/383 player seasons), which equates to 15 time-loss injuries per season for a squad of 22 players. The majority of the injuries sustained by players were lower extremity injuries (85%), of which, 46% had a non-contact injury mechanism. Muscle, ligament, and contusion injuries were the most common injury types, while the ankle, knee, and thigh were the most commonly injured body sites. The most common injuries sustained over the two seasons were lateral ankle sprains (13.9%), hamstring strains (12.4%), knee meniscus/cartilage injuries (7.5%), adductor strains (6%), quadriceps strains (4.5%), and ankle contusions (4.5%). The injuries with the highest injury burden were ACL injuries (59 days lost/1000 h), knee meniscus/cartilage injuries (23/1000 h), lateral ankle sprains (21/1000 h), hamstring strains (12/1000 h), MCL sprains (11/1000 h), and quadriceps strains (11/1000 h). There were 8 ACL tears documented over the 2 seasons, which accounted for 28% of all time lost to injury with a mean days lost per injury of 247. We recommend that clubs in the WNL in Ireland should implement injury risk mitigation strategies, with a particular focus on injuries with a high injury burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Horan
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,High Performance Department, Football Association of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Catherine Blake
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Martin Hägglund
- Football Research Group, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden.,Unit of Physiotherapy, Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
| | - Seamus Kelly
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Mark Roe
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Eamonn Delahunt
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.,Institute for Sport and Health, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
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5
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Mayhew L, Johnson MI, Jones G. Comment on: "Injury Profile in Women's Football: A Systematic Review and Meta‑analysis". Sports Med 2021; 51:2665-2666. [PMID: 34449051 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-021-01531-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lawrence Mayhew
- Musculoskeletal Health Research Group, School of Clinical Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK.
| | - Mark I Johnson
- Musculoskeletal Health Research Group, School of Clinical Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK.,Centre for Pain Research, School of Clinical Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
| | - Gareth Jones
- Musculoskeletal Health Research Group, School of Clinical Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK.,Centre for Pain Research, School of Clinical Applied Sciences, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds, UK
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Randell RK, Clifford T, Drust B, Moss SL, Unnithan VB, De Ste Croix MBA, Datson N, Martin D, Mayho H, Carter JM, Rollo I. Physiological Characteristics of Female Soccer Players and Health and Performance Considerations: A Narrative Review. Sports Med 2021; 51:1377-1399. [PMID: 33844195 PMCID: PMC8222040 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-021-01458-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Female soccer has seen a substantial rise in participation, as well as increased financial support from governing bodies over the last decade. Thus, there is an onus on researchers and medical departments to develop a better understanding of the physical characteristics and demands, and the health and performance needs of female soccer players. In this review, we discuss the current research, as well as the knowledge gaps, of six major topics: physical demands, talent identification, body composition, injury risk and prevention, health and nutrition. Data on female talent identification are scarce, and future studies need to elucidate the influence of relative age and maturation selection across age groups. Regarding the physical demands, more research is needed on the pattern of high-intensity sprinting during matches and the contribution of soccer-specific movements. Injuries are not uncommon in female soccer players, but targeting intrinsically modifiable factors with injury prevention programmes can reduce injury rates. The anthropometric and physical characteristics of female players are heterogeneous and setting specific targets should be discouraged in youth and sub-elite players. Menstrual cycle phase may influence performance and injury risk; however, there are few studies in soccer players. Nutrition plays a critical role in health and performance and ensuring adequate energy intake remains a priority. Despite recent progress, there is considerably less research in female than male soccer players. Many gaps in our understanding of how best to develop and manage the health and performance of female soccer players remain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K Randell
- Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Life Sciences R&D, PepsiCo, Leicester, UK.
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK.
| | - Thomas Clifford
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Barry Drust
- School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | - Samantha L Moss
- Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Life Sciences R&D, PepsiCo, Leicester, UK
- Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Viswanath B Unnithan
- Institute of Clinical Exercise and Health Science, Division of Sport and Exercise, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Hamilton, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Naomi Datson
- Institute of Sport, University of Chichester, Chichester, UK
| | - Daniel Martin
- School of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - Hannah Mayho
- Sports Science Department, Manchester City Football Club, Manchester, UK
| | - James M Carter
- Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Life Sciences R&D, PepsiCo, Leicester, UK
| | - Ian Rollo
- Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Life Sciences R&D, PepsiCo, Leicester, UK
- School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
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7
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Injury Profile in Women's Football: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med 2021; 51:423-442. [PMID: 33433863 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-020-01401-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Football is the most popular sport among women; however, little is known about the injury profile in this population. This information would help design tailored injury risk mitigation strategies that may make football safer for women. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological data of injuries in women´s football. METHODS A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines was performed up to January 2020 in PubMed, Web of Science, Sportdiscus and the Cochrane Library databases. Twenty-two studies reporting the incidence of injuries in women football were analysed. Two reviewers independently extracted data (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC] for inter-reviewer reliability = 0.87) and assessed study quality using the STROBE statement, GRADE approach, Newcastle Ottawa Scale and Downs and Black assessment tools. Studies were combined in pooled analyses (injury incidence and injury proportion) using a Poisson random effects regression model. RESULTS The overall incidence of injuries in female football players was 6.1 injuries/1000 h of exposure. Match injury incidence (19.2 injuries/1000 h of exposure) was almost six times higher than training injury incidence rate (3.5 injuries/1000 h of exposure). Lower extremity injuries had the highest incidence rates (4.8 injuries/1000 h of exposure). The most common types of injuries were muscle/tendon (1.8 injuries/1000 h of exposure) and joint (non-bone) and ligament (1.5 injuries/1000 h of exposure), which were frequently associated with traumatic incidents. Slight/minimal injuries (1-3 days of time loss) were the most common. The incidence rate of injuries during matches in the top five world ranking leagues was higher than the rest of the leagues (19.3 vs 10.7 injuries/1000 h of exposure, respectively). The weighted injury proportion was 1.1 (95% confidence interval = 0.6-1.7) whereby on average players sustained more than one injury per season. CONCLUSIONS Female football players are exposed to a substantial risk of sustaining injuries, especially during matches that require the highest level of performance. To markedly reduce overall injury burden, efforts should focus on introducing and evaluating preventative measures that target match specific dynamics to make football players more capable of responding to the challenges that they have to deal with during match play. REGISTRATION This systematic review was registered in the PROSPERO international prospective register of systematic reviews (ID = CRD42019118152).
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Klein C, Henke T, Platen P. Injuries in football (soccer)—a systematic review of epidemiology and aetiological aspects. GERMAN JOURNAL OF EXERCISE AND SPORT RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s12662-018-0530-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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9
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Kilic O, Kemler E, Gouttebarge V. The “sequence of prevention” for musculoskeletal injuries among adult recreational footballers: A systematic review of the scientific literature. Phys Ther Sport 2018; 32:308-322. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2018.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2017] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/23/2018] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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10
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Caccese JB, Lamond LC, Buckley TA, Kaminski TW. Reducing purposeful headers from goal kicks and punts may reduce cumulative exposure to head acceleration. Res Sports Med 2016; 24:407-415. [DOI: 10.1080/15438627.2016.1230549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn B. Caccese
- Biomechanics and Movement Science Interdisciplinary Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
- Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Lindsey C. Lamond
- Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Thomas A. Buckley
- Biomechanics and Movement Science Interdisciplinary Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
- Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Thomas W. Kaminski
- Biomechanics and Movement Science Interdisciplinary Program, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
- Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
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