We registered all new injuries among 496 male youth soccer players, aged 12 to 18 years, during the course of one year. The incidence of injury was 3.7 injuries per 1000 hours of soccer per player. The incidence increased with age, and at the higher ages within the youth players, approached the incidence rate of senior players (age greater than or equal to 18 years). Seventy percent of the injuries were located in the lower extremities, particularly the knee (26%) and ankle (23%). Back pain occurred in 14% of players. Fractures, which accounted for 4% of injuries, were most often in the upper extremities. We conclude that youth soccer is a relatively low-risk sport with an injury pattern that differs slightly from that of senior players.

During a soccer tournament with participation of 6,600 boys and girls (9-19 years) all injuries were evaluated, 5.2% of the players were injured; out of these 51% had "slight injuries", 42% "moderate injuries" and 7% "severe injuries". For the individual player the incidence of injury was 19.1/1,000 playing hours including all degrees of injuries; if "slight injuries" were excluded the incidence was 9.4/1,000 playing hours. The incidence rose with increasing age, girls were injured more often than boys. There were 81% of all injuries localised to the lower extremity, especially the ankle and foot. Contusion was the most frequent diagnosis, amounting to a third of all injuries. Blisters and exoriations amounted to nearly a fifth, 4% of the injuries were fractures, especially in the upper extremity; overuse injuries were seen only in 5.2% of the cases. Based on examination of the injury pattern in these children, injuries of youth seem to be relatively rare and mostly of a non-severe character.

In recreational and elite athletes, MRI revealed BME in an average of 3-4 SI joint quadrants, meeting the ASAS definition of active sacroiliitis in 30-41% of subjects. The posterior lower ilium was the single most affected SI joint region. These findings in athletes could help refine data-driven thresholds for defining sacroiliitis in early SpA.

As part of the injury profylaxes in Denmark a questionnaire investigation was undertaken in 14 randomly chosen ice hockey teams -out of 266 players, 210 answered (79%).The injury incidence per player per 1000 hours was 4.7, i.e. 1.5 in training and 38.0 in match. Half of the injuries were localised to the head (28%) and lower extremities (27%), 19% to the upper extremities and 7% to the back. Of these 48% were contusions. Knee and elbow injuries were of longest duration. The necessity for increased shock absorption in helmets and barriers as well as built-in rotational and collateral stabilisers in the existing knee protectors for injury prophylaxis is stressed.

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