Shinguards effective in preventing lower leg injuries in football: Population-based trend analyses over 25 years

What do we know about beach soccer injuries? Systematic video analysis of four consecutive years with 580 match injuries

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the characteristics of match injury in male beach soccer players. Video recordings of all official beach soccer tournaments in which the European national male beach soccer teams participated from 2018 to 2021 were analysed by two sports medicine specialists retrospectively. Regarding each injury, data including the mechanism, location of the injury, whether the injury led to time-loss, and the relationship of the injury to the bicycle kick (BK), etc. were documented. A total of 632 injuries were documented, corresponding to 234.9 injuries/1000 player hours. Video footage was available for 580 injuries. Whilst 79.8% of medical attention injuries occurred due to opponent contact, 19.5% of time-loss injuries occurred due to non-contact, and 12.2% of indirect opponent contact (p < 0.01). The most common location of the BK related injury was the head/neck (68.7%), whereas most common location of the BK unrelated injury was the lower extremity (54.1%) (p < 0.01). The findings demonstrated that beach soccer injury incidence was quite high; the most common injury location was head/neck and head/neck injuries were associated with BK. In light of these results, some rule regulations, particularly those associated with BK, and the use of protective equipment should be considered to prevent these injuries.

The effects of rule changes in football-code team sports: a systematic review

Rule changes within football-code team sports aim to improve performance, enhance player welfare, increase competitiveness, and provide player development opportunities. This manuscript aimed to review research investigating the effects of rule changes in football-code team sports. A systematic search of electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and SPORTDiscus) was performed to August 2023; keywords related to rule changes, football-code team sports, and activity type. Studies were excluded if they failed to investigate a football-code team sport, did not quantify the change of rule, or were review articles. Forty-six studies met the eligibility criteria. Four different football codes were reported: Australian rules football (n = 4), rugby league (n = 6), rugby union (n = 16), soccer (n = 20). The most common category was physical performance and match-play characteristics (n = 22). Evidence appears at a high risk of bias partly due to the quasi-experimental nature of included studies, which are inherently non-randomised, but also due to the lack of control for confounding factors within most studies included. Rule changes can result in unintended consequences to performance (e.g., longer breaks in play) and effect player behaviour (i.e., reduce tackler height in rugby) but might not achieve desired outcome (i.e., unchanged concussion incidence). Coaches and governing bodies should regularly and systematically investigate the effects of rule changes to understand their influence on performance and injury risk. It is imperative that future studies analysing rule changes within football codes account for confounding factors by implementing suitable study designs and statistical analysis techniques.

Fractures in soccer: The current evidence, and how this can guide practice

This article reviews the current evidence on traumatic fractures in soccer, and assesses how this can guide practice. The incidence of traumatic soccer-related fractures was found to be 0.64 to 0.71/1000 in the general population. Demographics vary between the general population and professional soccer players, with 68% of traumatic soccer fractures occurring in the upper extremity in the general population, and only 23% of traumatic soccer fractures occurring in the upper extremity in professional players. Within the general population, around 80% of traumatic soccer-related fractures are managed non-operatively, with 20% managed operatively. The optimal treatment method is determined by fracture location and configuration. There is an increasing role for primary operative treatment in unstable, non-displaced fracture types, to facilitate an accelerated return to soccer. Around 86% of soccer players return to sport post-fracture. Return times vary by fracture locations and playing level, with elite players having quicker return times than the general population. Regarding injury prevention, shin guards appear to confer substantial benefit against tibial diaphyseal fractures. However, further research is required to determine the optimal preventative measures against fractures in soccer.

Nationwide sports injury prevention strategies: A scoping review

National strategies to prevent sports injuries can potentially improve health outcomes at a population level and reduce medical costs. To date, a compilation of the strategies that countries have attempted, and their effectiveness, does not exist. This scoping review sets out to: identify nationwide attempts at implementing sports injury prevention strategies; examine the impact of these strategies; and map them onto the Translating Research into Injury Prevention Practice (TRIPP) framework. Using Levac's scoping review method, we: (a) identified the research questions, (b) identified relevant studies, (c) identified the study selection criteria, (d) charted the data, and (e) reported the results. A search of MEDLINE, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, and Web of Science databases for articles published pre-June 2019 was conducted. We identified 1794 studies and included 33 studies (of 24 strategies). The USA (n = 7), New Zealand (n = 4), Canada (n = 3), the Netherlands (n = 3), Switzerland (n = 2), Belgium (n = 1), France (n = 1), Ireland (n = 1), South Africa (n = 1), and Sweden (n = 1) have implemented nationwide sports injury prevention strategies with 29 (88%) of the included studies demonstrating positive results. Mapping the strategies onto the TRIPP framework highlighted that only four (17%) of the 24 included strategies reported on the implementation context (TRIPP Stage 5), suggesting an important reporting gap. Nationwide sports injury prevention efforts are complex, requiring a multidimensional approach. Future research should report intervention implementation data; examine the implementation context early in the research process to increase the likelihood of real-world implementation success; and could benefit from incorporating qualitative or mixed research methods.

Trends in sports-related emergency department visits in the Netherlands, 2009-2018

Objectives

We aim to describe time trends of severe sports-related emergency department (ED) visits in the Netherlands, from 2009 to 2018.

Methods

Data were extracted from the Dutch Injury Surveillance System by age, gender, sports activity and injury diagnosis, from 2009 to 2018. Absolute numbers and time trends of severe sports-related ED visits were calculated.

Results

Between 2009 and 2018, the overall numbers of severe sports-related ED visits in the Netherlands have significantly decreased by 14% (95% CI −19% to −9%). This trend was seen among men (−12%; 95% CI −18% to −6%), women (−19%; 95% CI −26% to −11%) and individuals aged 18–34 years (−19%; 95% CI −28% to −10%). The number of ED visits has significantly decreased over time in soccer (−15%; 95% CI −24% to −6%), ice-skating (−80%; 95% CI −85% to −73%) and in inline/roller skating (−38%; 95% CI −55% to −15%). This was not the case in road cycle racing (+135%; 95% CI +85% to +198%) and mountain bike racing (+80%; 95% CI +32% to+146%). In terms of sports injury diagnoses, the number of fractured wrists (−15%; 95% CI −24% to −5%), fractured hands (−37%; 95% CI −49% to −21%), knee distortions (−66%; 95% CI −74% to −55%), and fractured lower legs (−38%; 95% CI −55% to −14%) significantly decreased over time.

Conclusion

Our study shows a promising reduction in the number of severe sports-related ED visits across most age groups and sports activities. As the number of ED visits increased in road cycle and mountain bike racing, it is important to find out what caused these increases. Furthermore, it is essential to determine trends in exposure hours and to evaluate and implement injury prevention programmes specific for these sports activities.

Intervention Strategies Used in Sport Injury Prevention Studies: A Systematic Review Identifying Studies Applying the Haddon Matrix

BACKGROUND

Prevention of sport injuries is crucial to maximise the health and societal benefits of a physically active lifestyle. To strengthen the translation and implementation of the available evidence base on effective preventive measures, a range of potentially relevant strategies should be considered.

OBJECTIVE

Our aim was to identify and categorise intervention strategies for the prevention of acute sport injuries evaluated in the scientific literature, applying the Haddon matrix, and identify potential knowledge gaps.

METHODS

Five electronic databases were searched (PubMed, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus, CINAHL, Cochrane) for studies that evaluated the effect of interventions on the occurrence of acute sport injuries. Studies were required to include a control group/condition, prospective data collection, and a quantitative injury outcome measure.

RESULTS

A total of 155 studies were included, mostly randomised controlled trials (43%). The majority of studies (55%) focussed on strategies requiring a behavioural change on the part of athletes. Studies predominantly evaluated the preventive effect of various training programmes targeted at the 'pre-event' phase (n = 73) and the use of equipment to avoid injury in the 'event phase' (n = 29). A limited number of studies evaluated the preventive effect of strategies geared at rules and regulations (n = 14), and contextual modifications (n = 18). Studies specifically aimed at preventing re-injuries were a minority (n = 8), and were mostly related to ankle sprains (n = 5).

CONCLUSIONS

Valuable insight into the extent of the evidence base of sport injury prevention studies was obtained for 20 potential intervention strategies. This approach can be used to monitor potential gaps in the knowledge base on sport injury prevention.