ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to investigate the injury patterns and risk factors of injuries among high school handball players in Japan. A total of 1299 (709 male and 590 female) subjects who played in the 2018 Japanese National High School Handball Championship participated in this study. The questionnaire on injury experience was distributed two weeks before the championship and was collected at the representation meeting the day before the championship. The main results were as follows: 1) The subjects (n=625, 48.1%) reported experiences of injuries in the previous year. Female had significantly more suffer injuries than male. 2) The main body parts of injuries were the ankle, knee, and finger in traumatic injuries and the lower leg, lumber spine/lower back, and knee in overuse injuries. The main types of injuries were sprain, ligamentous rupture, and fracture in traumatic injuries and stress fracture, other bone injuries, and lesion of meniscus or cartilage in overuse injuries. The main cause of injuries was “contact with another athlete”. 3) Age, female players, and back players were associated with increased the occurrences of injuries. Goalkeepers were associated with decreased the occurrences of injuries. These results indicated that a high prevalence of injuries in high school handball players, and it is important to take preventive measures based on age, gender, and player position.
ABSTRACT
To examine risk factors for shoulder injuries with or without history of the injuries using the stratification analysis for collegiate rugby players. 71 elite rugby players from one university rugby club joined in the preseason medical screening related to their shoulder joints, including basic demographics, history of injuries, and physical findings at that time. Subsequently, the occurrence of shoulder injuries was recorded during four playing seasons. Analysis was stratified with or without history of the injuries; player without the past history of injury, 47 players; player with the past history of injury, 24 players. As a result of all players with the past history, 13 players sustained the shoulder injuries. Internal rotational range of motion [IR ROM] (OR, 1.5; 95%CI, 1.13-1.96; p=0.004), external rotational range of motion [ER ROM] (OR, 1.9; 95%CI, 1.21-2.87; p=0.005), horizontal flexion range of motion [HF ROM] (OR, 1.3; 95%CI, 1.03-1.64; p=0.025), IR muscle strength (OR, 0.4; 95%CI, 0.20-0.65; p=0.001) and rugby experience (OR, 1.2; 95%CI, 1.02-1.46; p=0.032) were associated with the shoulder injuries. On the other hand, 10 players sustained injuries of the players without the past history of injury. IR muscle strength (OR, 0.3; 95%CI, 0.11-0.72; p=0.008) and rugby experience (OR, 1.4; 95%CI, 1.11-1.66; p=0.003) were associated with the shoulder injuries. This study clearly showed that IR, ER, HF ROM, IR muscle strength and rugby experience were important initial risk factors for shoulder injuries. Moreover, IR muscle strength and rugby experience were important recurrence risk factors for shoulder injuries.