RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Epidemiology of injuries in professional football: a systematic review and meta-analysis
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 711
OP 718
DO 10.1136/bjsports-2018-099577
VO 54
IS 12
A1 López-Valenciano, Alejandro
A1 Ruiz-Pérez, Iñaki
A1 Garcia-Gómez, Alberto
A1 Vera-Garcia, Francisco J
A1 De Ste Croix, Mark
A1 Myer, Gregory D
A1 Ayala, Francisco
YR 2020
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/12/711.abstract
AB Objective We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of epidemiological data of injuries in professional male football.Method Forty-four studies have reported the incidence of injuries in football. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed trial quality using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology statement and Newcastle Ottawa Scale. Studies were combined in a pooled analysis using a Poisson random effects regression model.Results The overall incidence of injuries in professional male football players was 8.1 injuries/1000 hours of exposure. Match injury incidence (36 injuries/1000 hours of exposure) was almost 10 times higher than training injury incidence rate (3.7 injuries/1000 hours of exposure). Lower extremity injuries had the highest incidence rates (6.8 injuries/1000 hours of exposure). The most common types of injuries were muscle/tendon (4.6 injuries/1000 hours of exposure), which were frequently associated with traumatic incidents. Minor injuries (1–3 days of time loss) were the most common. The incidence rate of injuries in the top 5 European professional leagues was not different to that of the professional leagues in other countries (6.8 vs 7.6 injuries/1000 hours of exposure, respectively).Conclusions Professional male football players have a substantial risk of sustaining injuries, especially during matches.