Uzawa, N., Iwaso, H., Uchiyama, E., Fujii, T., Nakazato, K., and Nakajima, H.
Regardless of age and skill, many people in Japan today now enjoy dance classes. Since each dance event (ballet, modern dance, jazz dance, aerobic dance etc.) possesses characteristic movements, injuries suffered depend on the type of dance. The age and skill of dancers also relate to the type of injuries sustained. We epidemiologically investigated 2,118 dance injuries to clarify their entire characteristics at the Division of Orthopedic Sports Medicine, Kanto-Rosai Hospital. We also focused on the dependency of injuries on dance events, dancer's age and the transition in aspects of injuries over the past 22 years. As a result, injuries in the lower extremities (non-specific knee pain, ankle sprain, foot and toe pain and Achilles tendonitis) are most apparent in all dance items. Concerning specificities in dance events, shin splint and planter fasciitis occurred frequently in jazz and aerobic dances. Posterior impingement syndrome and symptomatic accessory navicular were apparent in ballet dancers. The effect of age on dance injuries also became apparent. Acute injuries and spondylolysis frequently occurred in young dancers. With the advance of age, age-related injuries (gastrocnemius muscle strain injuries etc.) became prominent. In the past 22 years, construction of the patients' age bracket has changed. The number of patients under 30 years old remains unchanged, but that of over 30 years old is increasing. The proportion of patients over 50 years old, too, is increasing in every item. The prevalence of knowledge of injury prevention and progress in medical treatment influences the incidence of injuries. Prescription considering the age and personal physical characteristics of dancers is necessary for the selection of suitable dance items, a medical check up regimen, conditioning system and a therapeutic approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...