Acute match and training injury rates when playing on artificial turf compared with natural grass for all clubs included
| Acute match injuries | Acute training injuries | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Artificial turf | Natural grass | Artificial turf | Natural grass | |||||||
| N | Injury rate (95% CI) | N | Injury rate (95% CI) | Rate ratio (99% CI) | N | Injury rate (95% CI) | N | Injury rate (95% CI) | Rate ratio (99% CI) | |
| Total acute injury rate | 222 | 15.8 (13.9 to 18.0) | 392 | 16.1 (14.6 to 17.8) | 0.98 (0.79 to 1.22) | 153 | 2.0 (1.7 to 2.4) | 199 | 1.8 (1.6 to 2.1) | 1.14 (0.86 to 1.50) |
| Injury severity | ||||||||||
| Slight | 2 | 0.1 (0.0 to 0.6) | 4 | 0.2 (0.1 to 0.4) | 0.86 (0.09 to 8.04) | 9 | 0.1 (0.1 to 0.2) | 0 | – | – |
| Minimal | 49 | 3.5 (2.6 to 4.6) | 53 | 2.2 (1.7 to 2.9) | 1.60 (0.96 to 2.66) | 38 | 0.5 (0.4 to 0.7) | 41 | 0.4 (0.3 to 0.5) | 1.37 (0.77 to 2.45) |
| Mild | 52 | 3.7 (2.8 to 4.9) | 85 | 3.5 (2.8 to 4.3) | 1.06 (0.67 to 1.66) | 32 | 0.4 (0.3 to 0.6) | 37 | 0.3 (0.2 to 0.5) | 1.28 (0.69 to 2.38) |
| Moderate | 84 | 6.0 (4.8 to 7.4) | 167 | 6.9 (5.9 to 8.0) | 0.87 (0.62 to 1.23) | 47 | 0.6 (0.5 to 0.8) | 74 | 0.7 (0.5 to 0.8) | 0.94 (0.58 to 1.52) |
| Severe | 35 | 2.5 (1.8 to 3.5) | 83 | 3.4 (2.8 to 4.2) | 0.73 (0.43 to 1.22) | 27 | 0.4 (0.3 to 0.5) | 47 | 0.4 (0.3 to 0.6) | 0.85 (0.46 to 1.58) |
| Injury type | ||||||||||
| Fractures/bone stress | 11 | 0.8 (0.4 to 1.4) | 19 | 0.8 (0.5 to 1.2) | 1.00 (0.38 to 2.66) | 5 | 0.1 (0.03 to 0.2) | 10 | 0.1 (0.05 to 0.2) | 0.74 (0.18 to 3.03) |
| Joint/ligament | 62 | 4.4 (3.4 to 5.7) | 112 | 4.6 (3.8 to 5.6) | 0.96 (0.64 to 1.44) | 57 | 0.8 (0.6 to 1.0) | 74 | 0.7 (0.5 to 0.8) | 1.14 (0.72 to 1.80) |
| Knee | 24 | 1.7 (1.1 to 2.5) | 55 | 2.3 (1.7 to 2.9) | 0.75 (0.40 to 1.42) | 18 | 0.2 (0.2 to 0.4) | 32 | 0.3 (0.2 to 0.4) | 0.83 (0.39 to 1.78) |
| Ankle | 32 | 2.3 (1.6 to 3.2) | 44 | 1.8 (1.3 to 2.4) | 1.26 (0.69 to 2.29) | 32 | 0.4 (0.3 to 0.6) | 37 | 0.3 (0.2 to 0.5) | 1.28 (0.69 to 2.38) |
| Muscle/tendon | 78 | 5.6 (4.4 to 6.9) | 158 | 6.5 (5.6 to 7.6) | 0.85 (0.60 to 1.22) | 46 | 0.6 (0.5 to 0.8) | 93 | 0.8 (0.7 to 1.0) | 0.73 (0.46 to 1.17) |
| Hip/groin | 18 | 1.3 (0.8 to 2.0) | 42 | 1.7 (1.3 to 2.3) | 0.74 (0.36 to 1.53) | 15 | 0.2 (0.1 to 0.3) | 22 | 0.2 (0.1 to 0.3) | 1.01 (0.43 to 2.39) |
| Quadriceps | 8 | 0.6 (0.3 to 1.1) | 15 | 0.6 (0.4 to 1.0) | 0.92 (0.30 to 2.85) | 8 | 0.1 (0.1 to 0.2) | 11 | 0.1 (0.1 to 0.2) | 1.08 (0.33 to 3.56) |
| Hamstring | 44 | 3.1 (2.3 to 4.2) | 70 | 2.9 (2.3 to 3.6) | 1.09 (0.66 to 1.78) | 10 | 0.1 (0.1 to 0.2) | 37 | 0.3 (0.2 to 0.5) | 0.40 (0.16 to 1.00) |
| Lower leg | 4 | 0.3 (0.1 to 0.8) | 22 | 0.9 (0.6 to 1.4) | 0.31 (0.08 to 1.27) | 4 | 0.1 (0.02 to 0.1) | 17 | 0.2 (0.1 to 0.2) | 0.35 (0.08 to 1.46) |
| Contusions | 56 | 4.0 (3.1 to 5.2) | 78 | 3.2 (2.6 to 4.0) | 1.24 (0.79 to 1.95) | 41 | 0.5 (0.4 to 0.7) | 15 | 0.1 (0.1 to 0.2) | 4.05 (1.86 to 8.80) |
| Lacerations/skin lesion | 1 | – | 3 | – | – | 1 | – | 3 | – | – |
| CNS/PNS | 14 | 1.0 (0.6 to 1.7) | 16 | 0.7 (0.4 to 1.1) | 1.51 (0.59 to 3.88) | 1 | – | 4 | – | – |
| Concussion | 13 | 0.9 (0.5 to 1.6) | 16 | 0.70 (0.4 to 1.1) | 1.40 (0.54 to 3.67) | 1 | – | 3 | – | – |
Injury rate is expressed as the number of injuries/1000 h. Natural grass is used as the reference group. Data from competitive season (April–November) are included.
CNS, central nervous system; PNS, peripheral nervous system.