2015 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster #2617

Injury Incidence in a Greek Sub-Elite Professional Football Team; A Comparative Epidemiology Study

Georgios N. Tzoanos, MD, Heraklion, Crete GREECE
Nikolaos Manidakis, MBChB, MRCS(Eng), Heraklion, Crete GREECE
Nikolaos Tsavalas, MD, Heraklion, Crete GREECE
Dimitrios Chardaloumpas, PhD, Nea Makri, Attiki GREECE
Alkiviadis Kalliakmanis, MD, PhD, Athens GREECE
Tzoanos Sports Clinic, Heraklion, Crete, GREECE

FDA Status Cleared

Summary: The main finding of this study was that the muscle injuries represent a large percentage of all injuries in sub-elite football. In a Greek sub-elite Professional football team the total muscle injury incidence was significantly lower in comparison to that of elite European football teams (2.5/1000 hours), according to epidemiological studies by UEFA Medical Committee.

Abstract:

Introduction

Muscle injuries are a substantial problem for players and their clubs. They constitute one third of all time-loss injuries in a Greek sub-elite football team.
The purpose of this study is to investigate the incidence and nature of muscle injuries in a Greek sub-elite professional football team.

Methods

Twenty-five football players, with mean age 24.7±6,3 SD yrs, mean height 179±7,3 SD cm and mean weight 78±6,1 SD kg, from a Greek sub-elite professional football team, playing their home matches and training in second- generation artificial turf, were followed prospectively during the season 2012-2013.
Team medical staff recorded individual player exposure and time-loss injuries. A muscle injury was defined in this study followed the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) Medical Committee definition as “a traumatic distraction or overuse injury to the muscle leading to a player being unable to fully participate in future training or match play”.

Results

In total, 26 injuries were registered during 319.5 hours of exposure (240 hours of training and 79.5 hours of match). On average, a player sustained 1.04 injuries per season with a total injury incidence of 3.3/1000 hours. The injury incidence was 5 times higher during match play compared with training.
Nine muscle injuries were registered, affecting 26% of the players. No recurrences were recorded. Muscles injuries constituted 34.6% of all injuries. The total muscle injury incidence was 1.1/1000 hours. Also the muscle injury incidence was 5 times higher during match play compared with training.
All muscle injuries affected the four big muscle groups of the lower limbs: hamstrings (44%), adductors (33%), quadriceps (11%) and calf muscles (11%).

Conclusion

The main finding of this study was that the muscle injuries represent a large percentage of all injuries in a Greek sub-elite Professional football team. In this sub-elite football team the total muscle injury incidence was significantly lower(1.1/1000 hours) in comparison to that of elite European football teams (2.5/1000 hours), according to epidemiological studies by UEFA Medical Committee.