Ankle Sprain Versus Muscle Strain Injury in Professional Men’s Basketball: A 9-Year Prospective Follow-up Study

Abstract

Background: Ankle sprain is the most common injury in basketball players. However, in our routine clinical evaluation, we observe a high frequency of muscle injury. Currently, no reliable information is available regarding the magnitude of these types of injury. Purpose: To describe the type and rate of muscle injuries in male basketball players and discuss clinical management and prevention strategies. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: A total of 59 professional male basketball players were evaluated over 9 seasons (2007-2015). All injuries during the study period were registered through use of a validated electronic medical record system. Results: We analyzed 463 injuries, of which 207 resulted in time loss and 256 required medical attention, for a total exposure time of 42,678 hours for the 59 players involved in the study. Muscle strains and ankle sprains accounted for 21.2% (n = 98) and 11.9% (n = 55) of all injuries, respectively. The global incidence rate was 10.8 injuries per 1000 player-hours (95% CI, 9.9-11.9). The global injury burden was 53.9 days lost due to injuries per 1000 hours for a total exposure time. The incidence rate of muscle strains (2.3; 95% CI, 1.9-2.8) was higher than that of ankle sprains (1.3; 95% CI, 1-1.7). The incidence rate for muscle injuries for the entire study period was 1.8 times higher (95% CI, 1.28-2.49) than that for ankle sprains. Conclusion: In this study, muscle injuries were more commonly observed compared with ankle sprains. Prevention strategies for muscle injuries may be worth discussing.

Injury epidemiology in the first Croatian basketball league

“…In the first prospective study on a European count throughout the 32-week season Cumps et al (2007) reported incidence rate of 8.0 injuries/1000h for men and 13.9/1000h for women. Another European study (Rodas, et al, 2019) with professional male basketball players reported that the general injury rate over nine seasons was 10.8 injuries per 1000 player-hours (95% CI, 9.9-11.9). These studies showed a higher incidence rate of injuries, which might be due to the limitation in our methodology and big influence of recall bias.…”

“…Moderate injuries represented the most frequent type of injury (41%) in the study by Passanen et al (2017) as well. Lower extremity injuries are the most common injuries in basketball accounting for up to 90% of all injuries (90% in Rodas, et al, 2019;88% in Owoeye, et al, 2020;78% in Pasanen, et al, 2017;73% in Baker, et al, 2020;55 and 67% in Zuckermann, et al, 2018;65% in Deitch, et al, 2006;65% in Andreoli, et al, 2018;62% in Drakos, et al, 2010). Results in our study, where lower extremity injuries accounted for 80% of all the injuries, are also in the reported interval.…”

“…Although evidence is limited and the variety in data collection and game characteristics makes studies challenging for comparisons, European epidemiological studies (Cumps, et al, 2007;Kofotolis & Kellis, 2007;Passanen, et al, 2017) are in agreement with the US studies (Drakos, et al, 2010;Messina, et al, 1999;Tummala, Hartigan, Mako-vicka, Patel, & Chhabra, 2018;Zuckermann, et al, 2018) indicating that a large proportion of basketball-related injuries consists of lower extremity injuries. Specifically, the most injured are ankle and knee joints, and the highest prevalence is found in ligament sprains and muscle strains (Baker, et al 2020;Cumps, et al, 2007;Deitch, et al, 2006;Drakos, et al 2010;Herzog, et al, 2019;Kotofolis & Kellis, 2007;Messina, et al, 1999;Owoeye, akodu, Oladokun, & Akinbo, 2012;Passanen, et al, 2017;Rodas, et al, 2019;Zuckermann, et al, 2018). The understanding of basketball injury epidemiology, establishment of aetiology and mechanisms of injuries is an important base for future injury prevention recommendations (Finch, 2006).…”

A 4-year epidemiological injury analysis in a Japanese male professional basketball team in terms of racial differences in injury patterns

“…A study from the NCAA 1 ) indicated that the GIR (13.79/1000 PH) was significantly higher than the PIR (3.98/1000 PH), which is consistent with the findings of our study. Rodas et al 6 ) reported that the total IR in the Spanish league was 10.8/1000 PH (GIR, 76.4/1000 PH; PIR 7.1/1000 PH), injuries that caused players to be absent from game or practice were 4.8/1000 PH, and injuries that only needed medical attention were 4.0/1000 PH. This result was considerably higher than ours (GIR 47.16/1000 PH; PIR 1.50/1000 PH).…”

Copenhagen Adduction Exercise to Increase Eccentric Strength: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…Muscle injuries are common in many sports, such as basketball [1], rugby [2], football [3], tennis [4], track and field [5]. Muscle injury can represent more than 40% of total injuries in football [3,6], and track and field [5].…”