Application of a Simple Surveillance Method for Detecting the Prevalence and Impact of Overuse Injuries in Professional Men's Basketball

A Comprehensive Analysis of Injuries During Army Basic Military Training

INTRODUCTION

The injury definitions and surveillance methods commonly used in Army basic military training (BMT) research may underestimate the extent of injury. This study therefore aims to obtain a comprehensive understanding of injuries sustained during BMT by employing recording methods to capture all physical complaints.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Six hundred and forty-six recruits were assessed over the 12-week Australian Army BMT course. Throughout BMT injury, data were recorded via (1) physiotherapy reports following recruit consultation, (2) a member of the research team (third party) present at physical training sessions, and (3) recruit daily self-reports.

RESULTS

Two hundred and thirty-five recruits had ≥1 incident injury recorded by physiotherapists, 365 recruits had ≥1 incident injury recorded by the third party, and 542 recruits reported ≥1 injury-related problems via the self-reported health questionnaire. Six hundred twenty-one, six hundred eighty-seven, and two thousand nine hundred sixty-four incident injuries were recorded from a total of 997 physiotherapy reports, 1,937 third-party reports, and 13,181 self-reported injury-related problems, respectively. The lower extremity was the most commonly injured general body region as indicated by all three recording methods. Overuse accounted for 79% and 76% of documented incident injuries from physiotherapists and the third party, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights that injury recording methods impact injury reporting during BMT. The present findings suggest that traditional injury surveillance methods, which rely on medical encounters, underestimate the injury profile during BMT. Considering accurate injury surveillance is fundamental in the sequence of injury prevention, implementing additional injury recording methods during BMT may thus improve injury surveillance and better inform training modifications and injury prevention programs.

Injury data collection and utilisation practices in university sports teams: A cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to examine injury surveillance practices in a variety of university sports teams and barriers and facilitators for injury data collection and utilisation.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study.

SETTING

University sports teams in Japan.

PARTICIPANTS

Medical, coaching, and other staff (non-medical/-coaching staff) of the university sports teams in Japan.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The survey included 31 questions that examined the barriers and facilitators for injury data collection, and the type of data on injury and exposure collected.

RESULTS

Injury data were collected during matches for 69 teams (48.3%) and training for 61 teams (42.7%). Injuries were primarily captured by athletic trainers in teams with medical staff, coaching staff and athletes in teams without medical staff. Common barriers in collecting and utilising injury data included limited funding for trained personnel and lack of time for medical staff to record data. Facilitating factors included clarification of the methods employed in recording and utilising injury data for teams with medical staff and the deployment of trained personnel to record injuries for teams without medical staff.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately half of the Japanese university teams collected injury data. Considering barriers and facilitators is crucial to facilitate the collection and utilisation of injury data.

Perceptions of Physical Therapy and The Role of Physical Therapists In Injury Prevention Among Professional Basketball Players: A Qualitative Study

Background

Injury prevention is critical in competitive professional sports, however, the role of physical therapists in this aspect of healthcare is not fully understood.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to describe professional basketball players' perceptions of physical therapy (PT) and physical therapists' role in injury prevention.

Study Design

Qualitative, semi-structured interview.

Methods

Thirty-five professional basketball players (mean age 23.1 years ± 3.9; 42% female; 72% African American; 90% college graduates) from over 20 teams participated. Athletes participated in semi-structured interviews that focused on injury prevention and utilization of PT services. Two researchers coded the transcripts, organized the findings into general categories, and created major themes. Data saturation was reached when no new information emerged.

Results

Over half (62.9%) stated that PT mainly addressed post-injury and return-to-sport rehabilitation. An overwhelming majority of players highlighted the use of an athletic trainer (AT) over physical therapists in injury prevention due to perceived expertise and trust.

Conclusion

While PTs are educated in preventive care and acute injury management, professional basketball players viewed their role primarily for return-to-sport rehabilitation. The organizational structure of healthcare in professional basketball may promote closer professional relationships with ATs while limiting those with physical therapists. The result is that elite athletes may miss out on treatment specific to the PT profession.

Level of Evidence

Level 4.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Musculoskeletal Disorders in Basketball Players: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Musculoskeletal disorders characteristically induce pain and limitations in mobility, ability, and overall functioning. In athletes, including basketball players, disorders such as back pain, postural changes, and spinal injuries are common. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the prevalence of back pain and musculoskeletal disorders in basketball players and ascertain the associated factors. Methods: The Embase, PubMed, and Scopus databases were searched for studies published in English without a time limit. Using STATA, meta-analyses were performed to estimate the prevalence of pain and musculoskeletal disorders of the back and spine. Results: Of the 4135 articles identified, 33 studies were included in this review, with 27 studies included in the meta-analysis. Of these, 21 were used for the meta-analysis of back pain, 6 articles were used for the meta-analysis of spinal injury, and 2 studies were used for the meta-analysis of postural changes. The overall prevalence of back pain was 43% [95% CI, -1% to 88%]; of these, the prevalence of neck pain was 36% [95% CI, 22-50%], the prevalence of back pain was 16% [95% CI, 4-28%], the prevalence of low back pain was 26% [95% CI, 16-37%], the prevalence of thoracic spine pain was 6% [95% CI, 3-9%]. The combined prevalence of spinal injury and spondylolysis was 10% [95% CI, 4-15%], with a prevalence of spondylolysis of 14% [95% CI, 0.1-27%]. The combined prevalence of hyperkyphosis and hyperlordosis was 30% [95% CI, 9-51%]. In conclusion, we found a high prevalence of neck pain, followed by low back pain and back pain, in basketball players. Thus, prevention programs are important to improve health and sports performance.

Influence of Surveillance Methods in the Detection of Sports Injuries and Illnesses

Background

Epidemiological data on sports injuries and illnesses depend on the surveillance methodology and the definition of the health problems. The effect of different surveillance methods on the data collection has been investigated for overuse injuries, but not for other health problems such as traumatic injuries and illnesses.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to investigate the new surveillance method developed by the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center (OSTRC), which is based on any complaint definition (new method), to identify health problems compared with the traditional surveillance method, which is based on time loss definition.

Study design

Descriptive epidemiology study.

Methods

A total of 62 Japanese athletes were prospectively followed-up for 18 weeks to assess differences in health problems identified by both new and traditional methods. Every week, the athletes completed the Japanese version of the OSTRC questionnaire (OSTRC-H2.​JP), whereas the teams' athletic trainers registered health problems with a time loss definition. The numbers of health problems identified via each surveillance method were calculated and compared with each other to assess any differences between their results.

Results

The average weekly response rate to the OSTRC-H2.​JP was 82.1% (95% CI, 79.8-84.3). This new method recorded 3.1 times more health problems (3.1 times more injuries and 2.8 times more illnesses) than the traditional method. The difference between both surveillance methods' counts was greater for overuse injuries (5.3 times) than for traumatic injuries (2.5 times).

Conclusions

This study found that the new method captured more than three times as many health problems as the traditional method. In particular, the difference between both methods' counts was greater for overuse injuries than for traumatic injuries.

Level of evidence

2b.

Prevalence and pain distribution of anterior knee pain in college basketball players

CONTEXT

Causes of anterior knee pain (AKP) in jumping athletes include patellofemoral pain and patellar tendinopathy. Differential diagnosis of AKP is challenging, with variation in clinical presentations. No previous research has used pain location to describe AKP in basketball athletes.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the prevalence and pain distribution of AKP in college basketball. To report the prevalence of focal inferior pole pain using two outcome measures.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study Setting: University and college basketball facilities in Alberta, Canada.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

242 collegiate basketball athletes Main Outcome Measure(s): The single leg decline squat test (SLDS) was used to capture pain location using pain mapping (dichotomised into focal/diffuse) and pain severity (numerical rating scale). The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Knee questionnaire (OSTRC-Knee) and adapted version for patellar tendinopathy (OSTRC-P) were used to report the prevalence of anterior knee pain (AKP) and patellar tendinopathy respectively. Focal inferior pole pain during the SLDS was used to classify patellar tendinopathy.

RESULTS

Of the 242 players (138 women, 104 men), 146 (60%) reported pain with the SLDS [unilateral n=64, (26%); bilateral n=82 (34%)]. 101 (43%) reported knee pain using the OSTRC-Knee. Pain mapping captured variability in pain location. Diffuse pain was more prevalent [left 70%; right 72%] than focal pain [left 30%; right 28%]. There was low prevalence of patellar tendinopathy with either outcome measure; OSTRC-P [n=21, 8.7%] and inferior pole pain during the SLDS [n=25, 10.3%] Conclusions: Diffuse AKP was common in Canadian basketball players, however pain mapped to the inferior pole of the patella was not. Few players reported tendinopathy using the OSTRC-P, suggesting that patellar tendinopathy was not a primary knee pain presentation in this jumping cohort. Pain location rather than presence or severity of pain alone may better describe the clinical presentations of AKP in jumping athletes.

Management of ankle injuries in professional basketball players: Prevalence and rehabilitation

Basketball is a popular internationally played sport. With the physical requirements the game has on athletes, players are at risk of injury. Ankle injuries are the most common injury type suffered by basketball players. In this comprehensive review, we present an analysis and overview of the most common ankle injuries among basketball players, including sprains, fractures, impingement, and Achilles tendon pathology. The review includes treatment modalities for such injuries. More research is warranted regarding prevention strategies.

Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Validation of the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaires on Overuse Injury and Health Problems (2nd Version) in Spanish Youth Sports

Background:

The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaires on Health Problems (OSTRC-H) and Overuse Injury (OSTRC-O) have shown a greater ability to identify athletes with health problems and to estimate the severity of those problems compared with traditional surveillance methods. Despite the numerous language adaptations of these questionnaires and their extended use, some of their measurement properties remain unknown. Moreover, these questionnaires are not available for Spanish-speaking athletes, and the validity and reliability of these questionnaires in youth athletes are unknown.

Purpose:

To cross-culturally adapt and investigate the measurement properties of the second version of the OSTRC-H (OSTRC-H2) and OSTRC-O (OSTRC-O2) questionnaires in Spanish youth athletes.

Study Design:

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

Methods:

Following international guidelines, we developed Spanish cross-cultural adaptations of the questionnaires, including a comprehensibility analysis with 30 participants from the target population. In the second phase, 73 athletes (age range, 12-18 years) were invited to participate in an 11-week prospective study. The reliability (internal consistency and test-retest reliability) of both questionnaires was assessed through use of Consensus-Based Standards for the Selection of Health Measurement Instruments recommendations. The construct validity and responsiveness of the OSTRC-H2 were evaluated using the convergence of the OSTRC-H2 severity score and the number of days of time loss. The response rate after 11 weeks was calculated as a feasibility indicator.

Results:

Equivalent Spanish versions were developed. A total of 63 athletes (age range, 12-17 years) participated in the prospective study. The Cronbach alpha was 0.93 (95% CI, 0.92-0.94) for OSTRC-H2 and 0.88 (95% CI, 0.86-0.90) for OSTRC-O2. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.87 (95% CI, 0.79-0.92) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.81-0.89), and the Cohen kappa was 0.80 (95% CI, 0.71-0.89) and 0.87 (95% CI, 0.78-0.96), respectively, for OSTRC-H2 and OSTRC-02. Correlations between the severity score and time loss (Spearman rho = 0.61) and between the changes in both scores over time (Spearman rho = 0.78) were within our expected range. The response rate was 95.5% for the OSTRC-O2 and 99.6% for the OSTRC-H2.

Conclusion:

These results present equivalent, reliable, and feasible Spanish versions of both questionnaires as well as evidence of the validity and responsiveness of the OSTRC-H2.

Involving research-invested clinicians in data collection affects injury incidence in youth football

It is well established that differences in injury definition and recording methodology restrict comparisons between injury surveillance programmes. There is, however, little documentation of the variation that can exist between data recorders. The aim of this study was, therefore, to explore the effect on reported injuries when team recorders or supervisors are involved in research. Injury data collected prospectively over five seasons for the U16, U17, and U18 age groups in a youth football (soccer) academy were used to compare different recording settings based on the research involvement of the clinicians. A research-invested team physiotherapist reported an 8.8 times greater incidence (P < 0.001) of non-time-loss injuries and a 2.5 times greater incidence (P < 0.001) of minimal injuries (1-3 days lost) compared to a setting where neither the team physiotherapists nor the supervisor relied on the collected data for research purposes. When team physiotherapists were not invested in research themselves but were supervised by a researcher, the incidence of non-time-loss injuries and minimal injuries was 2.5 times (P < 0.001) and 2.0 times greater (P < 0.01) than in the non-invested setting, respectively. However, there were no differences between recording settings for overall incidence of time-loss injuries. The results from this study demonstrate that involving clinicians that are relying on the collected data for research purposes can significantly affect the reported rates of non-time-loss and minimal injuries. Time-loss injuries overall were not affected by research investment, and should therefore be preferred for comparisons between teams and seasons.