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Overuse injuries, which have a high prevalence in sport, are suggested to result in different affective responses in comparison to traumatic injuries. Affects may also reciprocally act as risk factors for overuse injury. The aim of this study was to examine the associations between overuse injury and affects within a longitudinal follow‐up design. Competitive athletes (N = 149) of various sports and levels of competition completed the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Overuse injury questionnaire (OSTRC‐O) once a week over 10 consecutive weeks. Bivariate unconditional latent curve model analyses with structured residuals were performed to evaluate the associations within and across weeks between OSTRC‐O severity score and affects. Results indicated that OSTRC‐O severity score and positive affects (PA) had a statistically significant negative within‐week relation (r = −24.51, 95% CI = [−33.9, −15.1], p < 0.001). Higher scores of overuse injury were significantly related to lower levels of PA across weeks (ß = −0.02, 95% CI = [−0.04, −0.001], p = 0.044), while the reciprocal effect of PA on overuse injury was not significant (ß = −0.13, 95% CI = [−0.52, 0.26], p = 0.51). No statistically significant association was observed between OSTRC‐O severity score and negative affects, neither within nor across weeks. Our findings suggest that overuse injury may have adverse psychological consequences on the long run through lessened PA and address the need for providing sustainable psychological support focusing upon such PA when working with athletes experiencing overuse injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore how sports injury epidemiological outcomes (i.e., prevalence, average prevalence, incidence, burden, and time to first injury) vary depending on the response rates to a weekly online self‐reported questionnaire for athletes. Methods: Weekly information on athletics injuries and exposure from 391 athletics (track and field) athletes was prospectively collected over 39 weeks (control group of the PREVATHLE randomized controlled trial) using an online self‐reported questionnaire. The data were used to calculate sports injury epidemiological outcomes (i.e., prevalence, average prevalence, incidence, burden, and time to first injury) for sub‐groups with different minimum individual athletes' response rates (i.e., from at least 100%, at least 97%, at least 95%, ... to at least 0% response rate). We then calculated the relative variation between each sub‐group and the sub‐group with a 100% response rate as a reference. A substantial variation was considered when the relative variation was greater than one SD or 95% CI of the respective epidemiological outcome calculated in the sub‐group with a 100% response rate. Results: Of 15 249 expected weekly questionnaires, 7209 were completed and returned, resulting in an overall response rate of 47.3%. The individual athletes' response rates ranged from 0% (n = 51) to 100% (n = 100). The prevalence, average weekly prevalence, and time to first injury only varied substantially for the sub‐groups below a 5%, 10% and 18% minimum individual response rate, respectively. The incidence and injury burden showed substantial variations for all sub‐groups with a response rate below 100%. Conclusions: Epidemiological outcomes varied depending on the minimum individual athletes' response rate, with injury prevalence, average weekly prevalence, and time to first injury varying less than injury incidence and injury burden. This highlights the need to take into account the individual response rate when calculating epidemiological outcomes, and determining the optimal study‐specific cut‐offs of the minimum individual response rate needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of injury complaints related to the athletics activity in elite athletics (track and field) athletes practicing disciplines with sprints (i.e., sprints, hurdles, combined events, long jump, and triple jump). Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on elite sprinting athletes licensed with the French Federation of Athletics with retrospective data collection of injury complaints related to the athletics activity that occurred during their lifetime athletics activity, allowing the reporting of the injury complaints during the one-year period before the survey and at the time of the survey, using a self-reported online survey system. We calculated the (i) lifetime, (ii) 1 year, and (iii) point (at the time of the survey) prevalence proportion, and we descriptively analyzed the injury complaint characteristics. Results: A total of 302 injury complaints related to the athletics activity were reported by 64 athletes of the 68 included athletes. The lifetime prevalence proportion was 95.6% (95% CI: 90.7 to 100.5%). The 1-year prevalence proportion was 61.8% (95% CI: 50.2 to 73.3%). The point prevalence proportion (at the time of the survey) was 16.2% (95% CI: 7.4 to 24.9%). Almost all injury complaints were located in the lower limb (92.7%) and especially involved the hamstrings (33.4%); the main type involved was the muscle (49.0%), and injury complaints mainly occurred during training and with a sudden mode of onset. The most frequent diagnosis was hamstring muscle injury (31.1%). Conclusions: This study provides new insights specifically in elite sprinting athletes, confirming the injury risk in this population and that the main injury diagnosis was the hamstring muscle injury. Efforts should thus continue to monitor injuries in this population and to develop athletics- and sprinting-specific injury risk reduction strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Evaluate the current state of sports injury prevention perception, knowledge and practice among sports medicine professionals located in Western Europe and involved in injury prevention. Methods: Members of two different sports medicine organizations (GOTS and ReFORM) were invited to complete a web-based questionnaire (in German and in French, respectively) addressing perception, knowledge and implementation of sports injury prevention through 22 questions. Results: 766 participants from a dozen of countries completed the survey. Among them, 43% were surgeons, 23% sport physicians and 18% physiotherapists working mainly in France (38%), Germany (23%) and Belgium (10%). The sample rated the importance of injury prevention as "high" or "very high" in a majority of cases (91%), but only 54% reported to be aware of specific injury prevention programmes. The French-speaking world was characterized by lower levels of reported knowledge, unfamiliarity with existing prevention programmes and less weekly time spent on prevention as compared to their German-speaking counterparts. Injury prevention barriers reported by the respondents included mainly insufficient expertise, absence of staff support from sports organizations and lack of time. Conclusion: There is a lack of awareness regarding injury prevention concepts among sports medicine professionals of the European French- and German-speaking world. This gap varied according to the professional occupation and working country. Relevant future paths for improvement include specific efforts to build awareness around sports injury prevention. Level of evidence: Level IV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To closely describe the injury inciting events of acute hamstring injuries in professional male football (soccer) using systematic video analysis.Methods: Video footage from four seasons (2014-2019) of the two highest divisions in German male football was searched for moderate and severe (ie, time loss of >7 days) acute non-contact and indirect contact match hamstring injuries. Two raters independently categorised inciting events using a standardised procedure to determine specific injury patterns and kinematics.Results: 52 cases of hamstring injuries were included for specific pattern analysis. The pattern analysis revealed 25 sprint-related (48%) and 27 stretch-related hamstring injuries (52%). All sprint-related hamstring injuries occured during linear acceleration or high-speed running. Stretch-related hamstring injuries were connected with closed chain movements like braking or stopping with a lunging or landing action and open chain movements like kicking. The kinematic analysis of stretch-related injuries revealed a change of movement involving knee flexion to knee extension and a knee angle of <45° at the assumed injury frame in all open and closed chain movements. Biceps femoris was the most affected muscle (79%) of all included cases.Conclusion: Despite the variety of inciting events, rapid movements with high eccentric demands of the posterior thigh are likely the main hamstring injury mechanism. This study provides important data about how hamstring injuries occur in professional male football and supports the need for demand-specific multicomponent risk reduction programmes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess prevalence and incidence of chronic exertional compartmental syndrome as well as functional outcomes after surgery in elite Nordic skiers. An exhaustive list of 294 elite Nordic skiers from the French national teams between 1994 and 2014 was analyzed through their individual medical files in order to identify cases of chronic exertional compartmental syndrome. Eighteen athletes had confirmed diagnosis and performed a structured interview to identify factors associated with chronic exertional compartmental syndrome and surgery outcomes. The prevalence was 6.1% and the incidence 13 per 1000 skier-years. Biathletes had a higher prevalence than cross-country skiers (OR=0.40, p=0.08). Free-technique skiing and roller-skiing were the main conditions inducing symptoms. All injured athletes had bilateral surgery and 94% of them reported no more or sporadic leg pain after. Almost 90% resumed competition at the same or higher level than prior surgery. Compare to previous studies, the incidence rate of chronic exertional compartmental syndrome is higher in French elite Nordic skiers. The higher prevalence in biathletes and the trigger during free-technique skiing suggest a contribution of this technique to this disease. This study also confirmed that surgery was an efficient therapeutic solution without compromising athletes' career. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyse differences between athletic disciplines in the frequency and characteristics of injuries during international athletics championships.Methods: Study design, injury definition and data collection procedures were similar during the 14 international championships (2007-2018). National medical teams and local organising committee physicians reported all newly incurred injuries daily on a standardised injury report form. Results were presented as number of injuries and number of injuries per 1000 registered athletes, separately for male and female athletes, and for each discipline.Results: From a total of 8925 male and 7614 female registered athletes, 928 injuries were reported in male and 597 in female athletes. The discipline accounting for the highest proportion of injuries was sprints, for both men (24%) and women (26%). The number of injuries per 1000 registered athletes varied between disciplines for men and women: highest in combined events for male athletes (235 (95% CI 189 to 281)) and female athletes (212 (95% CI 166 to 257)), and lowest for male throwers (47 (95% CI 35 to 59)) and female throwers (32 (95% CI 21 to 43)) and for female race walkers (42 (95% CI 19 to 66)). Injury characteristics varied significantly between disciplines for location, type, cause and severity in male and female athletes. Thigh muscle injuries were the main diagnoses in the disciplines sprints, hurdles, jumps, combined events and race walking, lower leg muscle injuries in marathon running, lower leg skin injury in middle and long distance running, and trunk muscle and lower leg muscle injuries in throws.Conclusions: Injury characteristics differed substantially between disciplines during international athletics championships. Strategies for medical service provision (eg, staff, facilities) during athletics championships should be discipline specific and be prepared for targeting the main injuries in each discipline. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study set out to identify factors critical for the usability of electronic data collection in association with championships in individual sports. A qualitative analysis of electronic data collection system usability for collection of data on pre-participation health from athletes and in-competition injury and illness from team physicians was performed during the 2013 European Athletics Indoor Championships. A total of 15 athletes and team physicians participated. Athletes were found to experience few problems interacting with the electronic data collection system, but reported concerns about having to reflect on injury and illness before competitions and the medical terminology used. Team physicians encountered problems when first navigating through the module for clinical reporting, but they were not subjected to motivational problems. We conclude that athletes’ motivation to self-report health data and the design of the human–computer interface for team physicians are key issues for the usability of electronic data collection systems in association with championships in individual sports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To determine the incidence and characteristics of injuries in female and male gymnastics disciplines (artistic, rhythmic and trampoline) during three Olympic Games with a view to ultimately improving injury prevention.Methods: The National Olympic Committee's head physicians and the medical teams of the Local Organising Committee of the Olympic Games reported daily the occurrence (or non-occurrence) of newly sustained injuries in artistic, rhythmic and trampoline gymnastics on a standardised report form during the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Summer Olympic Games.Results: During the three Olympic Games, 81 injuries were reported in a total of 963 registered gymnasts, corresponding to an incidence of 84 injuries (95% CI 67 to 102) per 1000 registered gymnasts, with no difference in injury incidence between female and male gymnasts. Thirty-eight per cent of injuries led to time-loss from sport. The most frequent injury location and injury type were the ankle (22%) and sprain (35%), respectively. The most common diagnosis was ankle sprain (14% of all injuries and 23% of time-loss injuries). The injury incidence was highest in female (107±35) and male artistic gymnastics (83±32), followed by female rhythmic gymnastics (73±30), and lower in male (63±69) and female (43±43) trampoline gymnastics.Conclusions: Research should focus on preventing injuries in artistic gymnastics and of the condition of ankle sprain. Injury surveillance studies should be continued during major championships and throughout the entire competitive season as the Olympic Games provides only a snapshot (although an important one). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Injury incidence has been reported for international athletics championships from 2007 to 2012. However, it is unclear whether male or female athletes differ in risk and/or characteristics of injuries. Objective To compare the incidences and characteristics of injuries that occurred during international athletics championships between female and male athletes. Methods The national medical team and the local organising committee physicians reported all injuries daily on a standardised injury report form during 14 international championships from 2007 to 2014. Relative risks (RR) of injury, 95% CI and magnitude thresholds were calculated. Results The rate of injuries per 1000 registered athletes was significantly higher in male (110.3±6.8) than in female (88.5±6.7) athletes (RR=1.25; 95% CI 1.13 to 1.37, small effect size). Male athletes incurred significantly more injuries in the thigh (RR=1.64; 95% CI 1.32 to 2.05, small), lower leg (RR=1.36; 95% CI 1.05 to 1.75, small) and hip/groin injuries (RR=2.26; 95% CI 1.31 to 3.88, moderate), more muscle strains (RR=1.64; 95% CI 1.33 to 2.04, small), cramps (RR=1.81; 95% CI 1.35 to 2.43, small), and especially more thigh strains (RR=1.66; 95% CI 1.25 to 2.19, small), but fewer stress fractures (RR=0.32; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.81, moderate) than female athletes. A higher injury risk of male than of female athletes was observed in sprints (RR=1.32; 95% CI 1.06 to 1.66, small), middle distance runs (RR=1.48; 95% CI 1.06 to 2.06, small), race walks (RR=2.55; 95% CI 1.27 to 5.10, moderate) and jumps (RR=2.13; 95% CI 1.53 to 2.97, moderate). No sex difference was found for cause and severity of injury. Conclusions Injury risk during international athletics championships differed between female and male athletes for location, type and event groups. Injury prevention strategies should be sex-specific, regarding the differences in injury location and type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To further analyze newly incurred injuries and illnesses (I&Is) during Athletics International Championships to discuss risk factors. Design: Prospective recording of newly occurred injuries and illnesses. Setting: The 2012 European Athletics (EA) Championships in Helsinki, Finland. Participants: National team and local organizing committee physicians and physiotherapists and 1342 registered athletes. Main Outcome Measures: Incidence and characteristics o f new injuries and illnesses. Results: Ninety-three percent of athletes were covered by medical teams, with a response rate of 91%. One hundred thirty-three injuries were reported (incidence of 98.4 injuries per 1000 registered athletes). Sixty-two injuries (47%) resulted in time loss from sport. The most common diagnosis was hamstring strain (11.4% of injuries and 21% of time-loss injuries). Injury risk was higher in males and increased with age. The highest incidences of injuries were found in combined events and middle-and long-distance events. Twenty-seven illnesses were reported (4.0 illnesses per 1000 athlete days). The most common diagnoses were upper respiratory tract infection (33.3%) and gastroenteritis/diarrhea (25.9%). Conclusions: During outdoor EA Championships, injury and illness incidences were slightly lower and injury characteristics were comparable with those during outdoor World Athletics Championships. During elite athletics Championships, gender (male), age (older than 30 years), finals, and some events (combined events and middle- and long-distance races) seem to be injury risk factors. Illness risk factors remain unclear. As in previous recommendations, preventive interventions should focus on overuse injuries, hamstring strains, and adequate rehabilitation o f previous injuries, decreasing risk o f infectious diseases transmission, appropriate event scheduling, sports clothes, and heat acclimatization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Movement towards sport safety in Athletics through the introduction of preventive strategies requires consensus on definitions and methods for reporting epidemiological data in the various populations of athletes. Objective To define health-related incidents (injuries and illnesses) that should be recorded in epidemiological studies in Athletics, and the criteria for recording their nature, cause and severity, as well as standards for data collection and analysis procedures. Methods A 1-day meeting of 14 experts from eight countries representing a range of Athletics stakeholders and sport science researchers was facilitated. Definitions of injuries and illnesses, study design and data collection for epidemiological studies in Athletics were discussed during the meeting. Two members of the group produced a draft statement after this meeting, and distributed to the group members for their input. A revision was prepared, and the procedure was repeated to finalise the consensus statement. Results Definitions of injuries and illnesses and categories for recording of their nature, cause and severity were provided. Essential baseline information was listed. Guidelines on the recording of exposure data during competition and training and the calculation of prevalence and incidences were given. Finally, methodological guidance for consistent recording and reporting on injury and illness in athletics was described. Conclusions This consensus statement provides definitions and methodological guidance for epidemiological studies in Athletics. Consistent use of the definitions and methodological guidance would lead to more reliable and comparable evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The International Association of Athletics Federation has systematically surveyed all Athletics injuries in their competitions since 2007 in order to develop strategies for health protection of their athletes. Aims Analysis of frequency and characteristics of injuries during 13 international Athletics championships from 2007 to 2012 regarding different types of championships and discipline categories. Methods The team physicians and the Local Organizing Committee reported daily all injuries on a standardised injury report form during each championship. Results A total of 1470 injuries were reported, equivalent to 81.1±4.2 injuries per 1000 registrations of which 36.7±2.9 were expected to result in absence from sports. The incidence of time-loss injuries was significantly higher in competition (29.0±2.6) than in training (5.8±1.9), and in outdoor (46.4±4.0) than in indoor (23.7±6.2) or youth/junior championships (13.2±4.0). While most in-competition time-loss injuries were reported during short distance events (32.5%), combined events had the highest incidence of incompetition time-loss injuries (106±26.5). The most frequent diagnosis was thigh strain (28.2%), followed by lower leg strain and ankle sprain. Injury location varied between different discipline categories: in long distances the lower leg, in Marathon the foot and in throws the upper extremity were mainly affected. Conclusions The incidence of injuries varied substantially between different types of Athletics championships and between discipline categories. Special attention should be paid to combined events, running disciplines and (thigh) strain to better understand the injury mechanisms and risk factors and develop related preventive measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To determine the incidence and characteristics of newly incurred injuries and illnesses during international Athletics Championships, by improving the medical surveillance coverage, in order to determine future prevention strategies. Design Prospective recording of newly occurred injuries and illnesses. Setting 13th International Association of Athletics Federations World Championships in Athletics 2011 in Daegu, Korea. Participants National team and Local Organising Committee physicians; and 1851 registered athletes. Main outcome measures Incidence and characteristics of newly incurred injuries and illnesses. Results 82% of athletes were covered by medical teams participating with a response rate of 94%. A total of 249 injuries were reported, representing an incidence of 134.5 injuries per 1000 registered athletes, and 119 (48%) resulted in time loss from sport. A total of 185 injuries affected the lower limb (74%). Hamstring strain was the main diagnosis and 67% resulted in absence from sport. Overuse (n=148; 59%) was the predominant cause. A total of 126 illnesses were reported, signifying an incidence of 68.1 per 1000 registered athletes. Upper respiratory tract infection was the most common reported diagnosis (18%), followed by exercise- induced dehydration (12%), and gastroenteritis/diarrhoea (10%). The highest incidences of injuries were found in combined events and middle and long-distance events, and of illness in race walking events. Conclusion During elite Athletics World Championships, 135 injuries, 60 time-loss injuries and 68 illnesses per 1000 registered athletes were reported. Higher risks of injuries were found in combined events and long-distance runs. Preventive interventions should focus on overuse injuries and hamstring strains, decreasing the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, appropriate event scheduling and heat acclimatisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Opinion/Feedback Hamstring muscle injury is the main injury related to athletics, but also other sports including acceleration and sprints, with important consequences (time loss of sport and re-injury risk). In a prevention approach, a better knowledge of risk factors and mechanisms of these lesions seem relevant, and it can pass through a better understanding of the biomechanical and muscular determinants of performance in sprint and acceleration. The ability to produce a horizontal force on the ground [i.e. orienting the total push backward (or ground force reaction forward)], and to do so despite the increase in running speed, is an important determinant of sprint performance. The hamstring muscles seem to play an important role in this key ability. Evaluation of mechanical properties of sprint including the force-velocity profile and maximum theoretical horizontal force (FH0) and maximum theoretical speed (V0) in sprint is possible in real-practice conditions with simple tools. Studies have reported a change in the force-velocity profile and decrease in FH0 following hamstring muscle injury, which could be a consequence of the injury. This approach to analyse the hamstring propulsion function at a maximum acceleration sprint looks promising given the very functional and ecological character in a field evaluation, close links between the function and strength of hamstring and the horizontal force sprint, and these encouraging preliminary scientific results. This force-velocity profile evaluation could be used to guide the return to sprint and allow authorisation to maximum sprint after hamstring muscle injury, but also to screen athletes at risk of hamstring muscle injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The purpose of this study was to analyse the incidence and characteristics of muscle injuries and hamstring muscle injuries occurred during the international athletics championships from 2007 to 2015. Patients and methods National medical teams and local organizing committee physicians have collected every day all newly occurred injury whenever international championship from 2007 to 2015. Only the muscle injuries and hamstring muscle injuries, whatever gravity (cramp, contracture, rupture, avulsion), were analysed. Results A total of 720 muscle injuries have been reported on the total of 1762 recorded injuries, 40.9% of injuries; 57.5% ( n = 414) have resulted in time loss of sport. The overall incidence of muscle injuries was significantly higher among male athletes than female athletes (49.1 ± 4.4 vs. 28.7 ± 3.7 injuries per 1000 registered athletes, respectively; RR = 1.71; 95% CI: 1.46 to 2.00). A total of 185 hamstring muscle injuries were reported on the total of 1082 recorded injuries (9 championships included). This represented 17.1% of total injuries; 61.1% lead to time loss of sport. Hamstring muscle injuries represented 39.8% of all muscle damage, and 74.6% of all thigh muscle injuries. The overall incidence of hamstring muscle injuries was significantly higher in athletes than female athletes men (22.4 ± 3.4 vs. 11.5 ± 2.6 injuries per 1000 registered athletes, respectively; RR = 1 94; 95% CI: 1.42 to 2.66). The impacts of hamstring muscle injuries were significantly higher in male than female athletes for the sprints, hurdles and jumps. There was no difference between male and female athletes in the frequency of hamstring muscle injuries between outdoor and indoor championships, the type, cause, severity, discipline and age categories. Discussion/Conclusion During international athletics championships, muscle injury is the principal type of injury, and among those, the hamstring is the most commonly affected, with a two times higher risk in male than female athletes. Athletes in explosive power events, male athletes and older male athletes, in specific were more at risk of muscle injuries and hamstring injuries. Injury prevention strategies should be sex-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective After anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, the ACL reconstruction (ACLR) is the standard treatment to return to pivots/contacts sports. The goal of rehabilitation programs is to guide the functional recovery and the safe return to sport without additional knee injury or other injuries. Functional tests, like Hop tests and their side to-side difference index [limb symmetry index (LSI)], are commonly used following ACLR to help return to sport decision making. However, the most commonly used criterion to return to sport is the postoperative time: return to light activities (RtlA) at 3 or 4 month mark and return to sport with contacts and side-cuttings (RtS) between 6 and 9 month mark. The aim of this study was to analyse the functional recovery after ACLR using the standard hops LSI scores and compare these scores with usual timeline of RtlA and RtS. Patients and methods Thirty-one patients with ACLR (19 males) with a mean age of 23 ± 7 years. Functional recovery was evaluated during rehabilitation and return to sports phases (from 3 to 12 months postoperatively), with 2 straight one-legged Hop tests for distance (Single and Triple Hop tests). The LSI was calculated for each test. A non-linear regression was calculated to obtain predictive values of 3, 4, 6 and 9 months postoperatively. Results At 3 months, Hop tests LSI was nearly 80%, with great variability [interquartile range (IQR): 75%–95%]. At 4 months, Hop tests LSI was just under 85% but with important variability (IQR: 78%–94%). At 6 months, Hop tests LSI was about 90%, and over 90% at 9 months. From 6 postoperatively, the variability decreased (IQR: 94%–99%). Discussion/Conclusion Comparing our results with the usual timeline of RtlA, we can say that the timeline of 3 months postoperatively is a little too short to RtlA. At 4 months postoperatively, the functional recovery can allow a safely RtlA. At 6 months postoperatively, the LSI is greater than 90%, allowing RtS. Given the great variability between patients before 6 months postoperatively, this functional assessment could be used in association with clinical and isokinetic evaluations to individualize the decision to return to sport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]