Are Sport-Related Injuries Becoming More Common in Collegiate Baseball Players?

Objectives: Sport-related injuries remain a significant problem for collegiate baseball players. Prevention and management program of the injuries can be developed through epidemiological research aimed at defining the nature of injuries related to baseball. However, there is little information regarding the incidence and characteristics of the injuries among collegiate baseball players. The purpose of this study was to examine the current trends of sport-related injuries among collegiate baseball players in the PAC-12 conference. Methods: Demographic and injury data were obtained from a database of the PAC-12 Health Analytics Program (HAP) between 2016 and 2021. Injury incidence, type, mechanism, and outcome were analyzed. The annual injury incidence was defined as the number of injuries per total players for one year. Linear regression model was used to assess trends of the number of injuries over the 6 years. Results: A total of 2188 injuries (1434 sport-related injuries, 66%; 754 non-sport-related injuries, 34%) occurred in 6 years. The number of sport-related injuries significantly increased from 2016 (n = 75; annual incidence, 8.5 per 100 player-years) to 2021 (n = 378; annual incidence, 43.0 per 100 player-years) (R² = .735; P = .029) (Figure 1). Most of the sport-related injuries occurred in pitchers (33.6%). The majority of sport-related injuries were acute (76.6%), resulted in missed time (68.8%), and were new injuries (86.9%). Most sport-related injuries were caused by non-contact events (53.2%) and occurred during in-season games (39.9%) and practice (47.4%). Only 1.3% of sport-related injuries did not result in a return to previous activity level. The shoulder was the most commonly-injured anatomic area, followed by the arm/elbow. Shoulder impingement-related injuries were the most common specific diagnoses (n = 98), followed by ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries (n = 63), hamstring muscle strains (n = 60), ankle ligament sprains (n = 46), and hand/wrist fractures (n = 40). Surgical interventions were performed on 5.1% of shoulder impingement-related injuries, 41.3% of UCL injuries, 35.0% of hand/wrist fractures, and none on hamstring muscle strains or ankle ligament sprains. The average days to clearance for shoulder impingement-related injuries, UCL injuries, hamstring muscle strains, ankle ligament sprains, and hand/wrist fractures were 23 ± 62, 167 ± 197, 18 ± 30, 33 ± 155, and 40 ± 51 days, respectively. Conclusions: The number of sport-related injuries among collegiate baseball players has increased over the past 6 years. Shoulder impingement-related injuries followed by UCL injuries, hamstring muscle strains, ankle ligament sprains, and hand/wrist fractures are the most common specific diagnoses among this cohort of collegiate baseball players. Of the most common specific diagnoses, UCL injuries often require surgical interventions and most impact playing time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]