Injuries in Dutch elite field hockey players: a prospective cohort study

This study describes the prevalence, incidence density, severity, and nature of injuries in elite field hockey players over the Dutch 2015–2016 season. Eighty players answered a baseline questionnaire and were subsequently followed‐up every 2 weeks to report the hours spent on training/competition and experienced injuries, which were registered using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems. Of the 74 players included in the analysis, 52 (70%) reported 112 injuries. Eighty‐seven injuries (78%) received medical attention, and 56 (50%) led to training/competition time loss. Thirty‐four injuries (30%) hampered players’ availability for training/competing. Most of the injuries (74%) were not caused by any contact. The mean prevalence of injury was 29% [95% confidence interval (CI) 3–55] for all, 9% (95% CI 0–20) for acute, and 14% (95% CI 0–36) for overuse injuries. Players sustained 3.5 (95% CI 2.5–4.5) new acute injuries per 1,000 hours of training and 12.3 (95% CI 7.6–17.0) per 1,000 hours of competition. The median of the severity score was 28 from 100 [25%‐75% interquartile range (IQR) 16–42) for all, 35 (IQR 23–53) for acute, and 21 (IQR 16–31) for overuse injuries. On average, one in 4 elite field hockey players experiences an injury within a 2‐week period during the season. Although acute injuries are common, overuse injuries pose a comparable problem in elite field hockey. Since injuries are a burden on players...
Source: Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports - Category: Sports Medicine Authors: Tags: Original Article Source Type: research