Incidence of injury in elite junior Rugby Union: a prospective descriptive study

doi:10.1016/S1440-2440(04)80261-5

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport

Volume 7, Issue 4, December 2004, Pages 438-445

https://doi.org/10.1016/S1440-2440(04)80261-5 Get rights and content

The high incidence of injury in Rugby Union is well documented, particularly at elite levels of competition. This article describes the incidence and nature of all injuries sustained by elite Western Australian junior Rugby Union players during the 26 weeks up to and including the 1997 National Championship campaign. Informed consent was gained for each participant (n=44) prior to completion of an extensive baseline questionnaire. Exposure and injury data were collected at each training session and game. The injury incidence rate over the 26 week period was 13.26/1000 player hours. Injury data were analysed by phase of play, position, severity and if occurred at games or training. The incidence of injury was significantly associated with the position played (X² = 67.49, p value = 0.008) and the phase of play in which the injury occurred (X² = 8.07, p value = 0.042). Tackling was the most dangerous phase of play (52% of injuries) and the most common site of injury was the lower limb (37%). Most injuries occurred during games (56%) and the flanker was the position most at risk of injury (12%).

Further research is needed to identify the aetiology of injury at all levels of competition and to use these findings to develop effective injury prevention strategies in this sport. Positionspecific risk factors should also be investigated, as should the mechanism of injury associated with tackling which is the phase of play in which significantly more injuries occur in rugby.

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Returning rugby players to the sport following musculoskeletal injuries is a multi-factorial and challenging process. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted among health and sport practitioners involved with injured rugby players in South Africa.
The views, current practices and barriers encountered by health and sport practitioners during return to rugby were investigated using a self-developed online survey.
64 practitioners participated in the survey including physiotherapists, orthopaedic surgeons, biokineticists and sports physicians. Return to sport (RTS) protocols were considered important, however, participants also indicated that they were slightly more likely to use anecdotal protocols compared to published protocols. Time frames, stages of healing, pain and subjective ratings along with functional outcome measures (such as range of motion, muscle function and proprioception) and sport-specific skills were rated as important and commonly utilised in different RTS phases (i.e., return to non-contact, return to contact and return to matches). The most commonly perceived barriers encountered were related to lack of access and time-constraints.
Return to rugby guidelines with consideration of a broad range of criteria and common barriers encountered should be developed to facilitate safe, practical and time-efficient return to rugby following musculoskeletal injuries.
Cervical range of motion in school age rugby union players: A cross sectional study
2019, Physical Therapy in Sport
Citation Excerpt :
In contrast, the most frequently injured sites in youth (Under 18) rugby are the head (20.2 per 1000 h), shoulder (14.3 per 1000 h), neck (8.3 per 1000 h), followed by the knee (7.1 per 1000 h). ( Bleakley et al., 2011; Haseler et al., 2010; Mcmanus & Cross, 2004), with incidence of all injuries ranging from 6.0 incidents per 1000 player hours (Haseler et al., 2010), to 28.5 incidents per 1000 player hours (Mcmanus & Cross, 2004). Analysis of match injuries to the neck region in senior rugby union players, shows a significant association between playing position and greatest incidence of injury to this region (Mcintosh, Mccrory, Finch, & Wolfe, 2010).
Provide normative values for cervical range of motion and describe trends in school age rugby union players.
Cross-sectional study.
National 3 level club.
59 school age rugby union players across under 8 (n = 8), under 9 (n = 9), under 10 (n = 15), under 13 (n = 13) and under 15 (n = 15) categories.
Cervical range of motion using a cervical range of motion device (CROM) to determine values for active range of motion.
This study established mean ranges of motion for each age group. Pooled mean ranges with standard deviations for each direction were, flexion 66° (±11), extension 73° (±17), left rotation 69° (±9), right rotation 74° (±10), left lateral flexion 53° (±10) and right lateral flexion 49° (±12). No statistically significant differences were observed between the age groups, however, downward trends in lateral flexion were observed as age increased. School age rugby players had greater range of motion than senior playing counterparts.
No statistically significant differences in ranges of motion were observed between the age groups of under 8 through to under 15. However, downward trends in some ranges of motion highlight the need for age specific monitoring for potential adaptations to continued playing and comparison to age matched non-rugby players. Inclusion of other risk factors such as head re-positioning sense should also be evaluated to help guide injury risk reduction strategies.
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2016, Science and Sports
Évaluer le risque traumatique du rugby à VII.
Le rugby à VII est en plein essor surtout depuis la création de l’IRB Sevens World Series en 2000 et son introduction comme sport olympique en 2016. Malgré ses fortes similitudes avec le rugby à XV, il n’en demeure pas moins un sport différent avec une intensité de jeu plus élevée, entraînant un nombre plus important de blessures. L’incidence moyenne de blessures au rugby à VII est de 249,27 pour 1000 heures de jeu contre 102,25 pour 1000 heures de match pour le rugby à XV.
Cette revue épidémiologique des blessures chez le rugbyman à VII évoque leur localisation et leur nature, les causes, la position des joueurs, le type de terrain, ainsi que le temps d’interruption de la pratique à la suite d’un traumatisme.
To estimate the risk of injury in rugby sevens.
The rugby sevens is an increasingly popular sport since the creation of the IRB Sevens World Series in 2000 and its introduction as an Olympic sport in 2016. Despite its strong similarities to rugby union, it remains a different sport with higher game intensity, causing a more significant number of injuries. The average incidence of injury in rugby sevens is 249.27 for 1000 hours of play against 102.25 for 1000 hours of rugby union matches.
This epidemiological review of injuries among the rugby sevens refers to their location and their nature, the causes, the position of players, the type of field, as well as the downtime of practice following trauma.
Incidence of and risk factors for traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation: An epidemiologic study in high-school rugby players
2014, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery
Citation Excerpt :
Further study will be needed to confirm these tendencies. In contrast, tackling (67.6%) was the most frequent mechanism of all shoulder injuries, and this was consistent with previous reports.2,13,22,24 Fuller et al13 pointed out that this is probably due to a poorer tackling technique among the younger players.
The incidence of reinjuries due to glenohumeral instability and the major risk factors for primary anterior shoulder dislocation in youth rugby players have been unclear.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence, mechanisms, and intrinsic risk factors of shoulder dislocation in elite high-school rugby union teams during the 2012 season.
A total of 378 male rugby players from 7 high-school teams were investigated by use of self-administered preseason and postseason questionnaires.
The prevalence of a history of shoulder dislocation was 14.8%, and there were 21 events of primary shoulder dislocation of the 74 overall shoulder injuries that were sustained during the season (3.2 events per 1000 player-hours of match exposure). During the season, 54.3% of the shoulders with at least one episode of shoulder dislocation had reinjury. This study also indicated that the persistence of glenohumeral instability might affect the player's self-assessed condition, regardless of the incidence during the current season. By a multivariate logistic regression method, a history of shoulder dislocation on the opposite side before the season was found to be a risk factor for contralateral primary shoulder dislocation (odds ratio, 3.56; 95% confidence interval, 1.27-9.97; P = .02).
High-school rugby players with a history of shoulder dislocation are not playing at full capacity and also have a significant rate of reinjury as well as a high risk of dislocating the other shoulder. These findings may be helpful in deciding on the proper treatment of primary anterior shoulder dislocation in young rugby players.
The epidemiology, morbidity and outcome of fractures in rugby union from a standard population
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Citation Excerpt :
We have reported the subsequent morbidity and likely return to rugby for these patients. The incidence and outcome of rugby union injuries at professional [5,10–15], amateur [3,18,20] and schoolboy level [16,17,19,25] has been well reported. However, the majority of this research focuses on soft tissue and head and neck injuries, with non-head and neck fractures being overlooked [1,25–27].
Rugby union is the second commonest cause of sporting fracture in the UK, yet little is known about patient outcomes following such fractures.
To describe the epidemiology of fractures in rugby union, their morbidity and the likelihood of return to rugby post-injury in a known UK population at all skill levels.
All rugby union fractures sustained during 2007–2008 in the Edinburgh, Mid and East Lothian populations were prospectively recorded, when patients attended the only adult orthopaedic service in Lothian. The diagnosis was confirmed by an orthopaedic surgeon. Patients living outside the region were excluded from the study. Patients were contacted by telephone in February 2012 to ascertain their progress in return to rugby.
A total of 145 fractures were recorded over the study period in 143 patients. The annual incidence of rugby-related fractures was 0.28/1000 of the general population and 29.86/1000 of the adult registered rugby playing population. 120 fractures were of the upper limb and 25 were of the lower limb. 117 fractures (81%) in 115 patients (80%) were followed up at a mean interval of 50 months (range 44–56 months). 87% of the cohort returned to rugby post-injury (87% of upper limb fractures and 86% of lower limb fractures), with 85% returning to rugby at the same level or higher. Of those who returned, 39% did so by 1 month post-injury, 77% by 3 months post-injury and 91% by 6 months post-injury. For those who returned following upper limb fractures, 48% did so by 1 month post-injury, 86% by 3 months post-injury and 94% by 6 months post-injury. In patients who returned following lower limb fractures, 0% did so by 1 month post-injury, 42% by 3 months post-injury and 79% by 6 months post-injury. From the whole cohort, 32% had ongoing fracture related problems, yet only 9% had impaired rugby ability secondary to these problems.
Most patients sustaining a fracture playing rugby union will return to rugby at a similar level. While one third of them will have persisting symptoms 4 years post-injury, for the majority this will not impair their rugby ability.
Injuries in rugby union - Review of the current literature and epidemiology of medical reported injuries at the olympic trainings centre Rhein-Neckar Heidelberg
2013, Sport-Orthopadie - Sport-Traumatologie
Um der wachsenden Bedeutung des Rugby Union in Deutschland durch die Aufnahme in das Olympische Programm 2016 gerecht zu werden, sollten Inzidenz und Ätiologie von Verletzungen analysiert werden.
Es wurden eine Literaturrecherche durchgeführt und Untersuchungsbefunde des Olympiastützpunktes Heidelberg ausgewertet.
Drei Übersichtsarbeiten und 26 Studien wurden eingeschlossen. Die angegebenen Verletzungsinzidenzen lagen für Profisportler zwischen 52 und 218 Verletzungen pro 1000 Stunden Spielzeit. Für Nachwuchssportler waren die Inzidenzen deutlich niedriger je jünger das Kollektiv war. Die unteren Extremitäten waren die häufigste Verletzungslokalisation und Bandverletzungen des Kniegelenkes führten zu den längsten Ausfallzeiten. Schwere Kopf- und Wirbelsäulenverletzungen waren zwar selten aber gefährlich, da sie oft initial unterschätzt wurden.
Seit 2010 wurden am Olympiastützpunkt in Heidelberg 94 Rugby-Union Sportler (15% Frauen) untersucht. Diese gaben an, bis zu acht schwerwiegende Verletzungen beim Rugby erlitten zu haben (Durchschnitt 1,5 Verletzungen). Spieler der Hintermannschaft waren häufiger verletzt als Stürmer, Kader-Athleten deutlich häufiger als U-18-Nachwuchsspieler. Unterschiede für Frauen konnten nicht aufgedeckt werden.
Die Verletzungsinzidenz von Rugby-Union-Spielern ist im Vergleich zu anderen Sportarten deutlich höher. Obwohl zahlreiche Veröffentlichungen zum 15er Rugby vorliegen fehlen aber aussagekräftige Studien zum olympischen 7er Rugby, zu weiblichen Sportlern und zur Situation in Deutschland.
As rugby union will be part of the Olympic games in 2016 the objective oft this paper was the analysis of the incidence and aetiology of rugby associated injuries.
Beside an intensive review of the published literature the clinical records of rugby union players in the Olympic training centre Rhein-Neckar, Heidelberg were evaluated.
Concerning the literature, three reviews and 26 studies could be included. The reported incidence of injuries for professional players was between 52 and 218 injuries per 1000 hour playing time. There was a correlation between age and injury incidence for university-, junior- and school teams.
Most of the documented injuries occurred in the lower extremities. Knee ligament trauma leads to the longest inactive periods. Even though severe craniocerebral trauma and spinal injuries were rare, they were often initially underestimated.
Since 2010 94 rugby union players (15% women) were clinically tested in the Olympic training centre in Heidelberg. The average injury incidence was 1.5 per player, with up to eight severe traumas in the former career. A higher incidence of injuries was found for backs than for forwards. A gender difference could not be detected.
The incidence of sport related trauma for rugby union players is significantly higher in comparison to other sports. Although numerous publications for rugby union do exist, the amount of investigations dealing with rugby union sevens, female rugby and the situation in Germany is rare.

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Incidence of injury in elite junior Rugby Union: a prospective descriptive study

All systems go: RWC launch begins the countdown

Rugby

A prospective study of injuries to elite Australian rugby union players

Br J Sports Med

The validation of an instrument for data collection in Rugby Union

Br J Sports Med

Statistical Package for Social Sciences Base Version 10 Manual and Guide

Incidence and nature of sports injuries in Ireland: analysis of four types of sport

Am J Sports Med

Injury data collection in the rugby codes

The Australian Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport

The epidemiology of schoolboy rugby injuries. [MSc Thesis]Cape Town

Incidence of sporting injury in New Zealand youths aged 6–15 years

Br J Sports Med

Comparison of injuries in elite senior and junior Australian football

J Sci Med Sport

Risk factors for injury in middle school football players

Am J Sports Med