Epidemiology and traumatology of injuries in elite soccer: a prospective study in Finland

A prospective study of male soccer injuries among 12 teams playing at the highest competition level was carried out in Finland in 1993. Overall, two out of three players were injured during the whole season. The injury incidence per 1000 playing hours among injured players and all players during games was higher than during practice, 14.2 vs. 11.3 and 2.3 vs. 1.8, respectively. The lower extremity was involved in 76% of the injuries. Thigh injuries were most frequent (22%), whereas overuse injuries were scarce (6%). Eighteen per cent of the injured players needed surgery and in most cases (58%) the reason for surgery was a knee injury. Sixteen per cent of all injured players were absent from soccer for more than 1 month after the injury. The mean absence time was 17 days for all and 84 days for operatively treated players.

Mammography screening for breast cancer: first year results from Helsinki and surroundings

11,789 women aged 50-59 years were invited for screening by the mammography screening centre of the Cancer Society of Finland in Helsinki. 9829 women (83.37%) attended and 3.85% of those were recalled for further studies. After complete examination seventy-one women (0.72%) were referred for surgical biopsy and breast cancer was histologically detected in 44 (0.45%) of those screened. The proportion of Stage I + TIS breast cancers detected was 75%, and of Stage II or more advanced, 25%. With modern mammography techniques and proper training of technicians and radiologists, with double reading of all the films, it is possible to minimise both the recall rate and the number of women who are referred for surgical biopsy, and still find cancers in their early stages.