Sports injuries surveillance during the 2007 IAAF World Athletics Campionships

Background

There are reports of a high annual incidence of injuries in athletics, but this has not been studied well

Research question/s

What is the incidence and nature of all sports injuries that were incurred in competitions and/or training during the 2007 World Athletics Championships?

Methodology

Subjects: 1660/1980 (84%) of registered athletes (various disciplines) participating in the 11th IAAF World Athletics Championships Experimental procedure : Previously validated injury report forms (n=333) were completed by team physicians and physiotherapists of 49 teams during the event. 192 injuries (defined as “all musculoskeletal injuries newly occurred during competition or training regardless of the consequences with respect to absence from competition or training”) were reported. All injuries and time-loss injuries were reported

Measures of outcome: Incidence of injury (per 1000 athletes), anatomical location, type, injuries in different disciplines

Main finding/s

Incidence of injuries: 97/1000 registered athletes, with 72.4/1000 during competition

Most injuries were overuse (44%) and most occurred in the lower limbs (80%) – the most common injury was a thigh strain (15%)

Injuries by discipline: This varied and the highest risk of a timeloss injury was heptathlon, women’s 10,000 m, women’s 3000 m steeplechase, …