Medical expenditures in division I collegiate athletics: an analysis by sport and gender

Injury epidemiology and risk factors in competitive artistic gymnasts: a systematic review

Background

Artistic gymnastics is reported to have some of the highest injury rates in sports, which limits participation and often involves considerable medical expenses.

Purpose

To critically appraise the epidemiological literature on injury patterns and risk factors in competitive artistic gymnastics.

Study design

Systematic review.

Methods

Six databases were searched for articles that investigated injuries in competitive artistic gymnasts. Injury incidence, prevalence and risk factor data were extracted, alongside information on injury location, type, severity, nature and mechanism of injury. Quality and level of evidence were assessed using a modified Downs and Black quality index checklist and the Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine guidelines.

Results

The search identified 894 articles, with 22 eligible for inclusion. Descriptive analysis showed that injury incidence and prevalence varied from 0.3 to 3.6 injuries per gymnast (female=0.3–3.6, male=0.7) and 2.0–2.3 (female=2.0–2.3, male=2.0), respectively. Male gymnasts sustained mostly upper limb injuries, while female gymnast reported lower limb injuries. Floor was associated with the greatest number of injuries for both male and female gymnasts. Higher competitive level and exposure to competition were risk factors for gymnastics injury: age, body mass, body size, training duration and life stress were significant associated factors.

Conclusion

Injury incidence and prevalence results are substantial among artistic gymnasts of all competitive levels. Gymnasts who train at highly competitive levels and are exposed to competition environments are a greater risk of injury. Future researchers should implement consistent reporting methods.

Epidemiology of Injuries in Women Playing Competitive Team Bat-or-Stick Sports: A Systematic Review and a Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Team bat-or-stick sports, including cricket, softball and hockey, are popular among women. However, little is known about the injury profile in this population.

OBJECTIVE

The aim was to describe the incidence, nature and anatomical location of injuries in bat-or-stick sports played by women in a competitive league.

METHODS

This review was prospectively registered (PROSPERO CRD42015026715). CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, PubMed, SPORTDiscus were systematically searched from January 2000 to September 2016, inclusive. Peer-reviewed original research articles reporting the incidence, nature and anatomical location of injuries sustained by women aged 18 + years in competitive bat-or-stick sports were included. Two meta-analyses based on injury incidence proportions (injury IP) and injury rates per 1000 person-days of athletic exposure (AE) were performed.

RESULTS

A total of 37 studies satisfied the inclusion criteria, and five had low risk of bias. The weighted injury IP was 0.42 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.39-0.45]. The weighted injury rate was 6.12 (95% CI 6.05-6.18) overall, and greater in games [15.79 (95% CI 15.65-15.93)] than in practice [3.07 (95% CI 2.99-3.15)]. The ankle was the most commonly injured anatomical location, followed by the hand (including wrist and fingers), knee and head. Soft tissue and ligament injuries were most common types of injuries.

CONCLUSION

Injury prevention in women's sports is a novel and emerging field of research interest. This review highlights that injury incidence is high among female bat-or-stick players, but little information is known about direct causal mechanisms. This review clearly establishes the need for enhancements to injury data collection. Without this information, it will not be possible to develop evidence-based injury prevention interventions.

Injury Scheme Claims in Gaelic Games: A Review of 2007-2014

CONTEXT

Gaelic games (Gaelic football and hurling) are indigenous Irish sports with increasing global participation in recent years. Limited information is available on longitudinal injury trends. Reviews of insurance claims can reveal the economic burden of injury and guide cost-effective injury-prevention programs.

OBJECTIVE

To review Gaelic games injury claims from 2007-2014 for male players to identify the costs and frequencies of claims. Particular attention was devoted to lower limb injuries due to findings from previous epidemiologic investigations of Gaelic games.

DESIGN

Descriptive epidemiology study.

SETTING

Open-access Gaelic Athletic Association Annual Reports from 2007-2014 were reviewed to obtain annual injury-claim data.

PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS

Gaelic Athletic Association players.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S)

Player age (youth or adult) and relationships between lower limb injury-claim rates and claim values, Gaelic football claims, hurling claims, youth claims, and adult claims.

RESULTS

Between 2007 and 2014, €64 733 597.00 was allocated to 58 038 claims. Registered teams had annual claim frequencies of 0.36 with average claim values of €1158.4 ± 192.81. Between 2007 and 2014, average adult claims were always greater than youth claims (6217.88 versus 1036.88), while Gaelic football claims were always greater than hurling claims (5395.38 versus 1859.38). Lower limb injuries represented 60% of all claims. The number of lower limb injury claims was significantly correlated with annual injury-claim expenses (r = 0.85, P = .01) and adult claims (r = 0.96, P = .01) but not with youth claims (r = 0.69, P = .06).

CONCLUSIONS

Reducing lower limb injuries will likely reduce injury-claim expenses. Effective injury interventions have been validated in soccer, but whether such changes can be replicated in Gaelic games remains to be investigated. Injury-claim data should be integrated into current elite injury-surveillance databases to monitor the cost effectiveness of current programs.