Hamstring injury rates have increased during recent seasons and now constitute 24% of all injuries in men’s professional football: the UEFA Elite Club Injury Study from 2001/02 to 2021/22

Abstract

ObjectivesTo: (1) describe hamstring injury incidence and burden in male professional football players over 21 seasons (2001/02 to 2021/22); (2) analyse the time-trends of hamstring muscle injuries over the most recent eight seasons (2014/15 to 2021/22); and (3) describe hamstring injury location, mechanism and recurrence rate.Methods3909 players from 54 teams (in 20 European countries) from 2001/02 to 2021/22 (21 consecutive seasons) were included. Team medical staff recorded individual player exposure and time-loss injuries. Time-trend analyses were performed with Poisson regression using generalised linear models.Results2636 hamstring injuries represented 19% of all reported injuries, with the proportion of all injuries increasing from 12% during the first season to 24% in the most recent season. During that same period, the percentage of all injury absence days caused by hamstring injuries increased from 10% to 20%. Between 2014/15 and 2021/22, training hamstring injury incidence increased (6.7% annually, 95% CI 1.7% to 12.5%) as did burden (9.0% annually, 95% CI 1.2% to 18.3%). During those years, the match hamstring injury incidence also increased (3.9% annually, 95% CI 0.1% to 7.9%) and with the same trend (not statistically significant) for match hamstring injury burden (6.2% annually, 95% CI −0.5% to 15.0%).ConclusionsHamstring injury proportions—in number of injuries and total absence days—doubled during the 21-year period of study. During the last eight seasons, hamstring injury rates have increased both in training and match play.

Risk factors for hamstring muscle injury in male elite football: medical expert experience and conclusions from 15 European Champions League clubs

“…Fatigue is regarded as a major risk factor behind most hamstring injuries. 6 10 12 27–30 Most of the risk factors perceived by CMOs ( table 2 ) can be divided into two categories both of which lead to fatigue and consequently an increased risk for hamstring injury: (1) Excessive training/too many matches/overloading with subsequent accumulation of fatigue and (2) Too little specific training leading to muscle underloading. Dysfunction such as lack of eccentric strength, implies that load tolerance of the hamstrings is not good enough, and this may lead to either fatigue (injuries often appearing late in a match) or muscles not being prepared for match activity (injuries appear early in a match).…”

“…Previous injury is reported to be the most important risk factor for hamstring injury, but unfortunately this is a non-modifiable factor. 6 10 11 13 38 However, residual weakness after a previous injury is modifiable. Both groups reported residual weakness after a previous hamstring injury to be the most important or second most important risk factor in individual players.…”

“… 1–5 We have previously reported that hamstring injuries constitute 19% of all time-loss injuries, that is, about eight hamstring injuries each season in a typical 25-player squad. 6 Further, hamstring injury is reported to be the most common recurrent injury in football. 7 …”

“…Between seasons 2001/2002 and 2013/2014, the rate of match-related hamstring injuries was stable whereas the rate of training-related hamstring injuries increased by an average of 4% each year. 8 During the recent eight seasons (2014/2015–2021/2022), the incidence and burden of hamstring injuries during training and match play have increased significantly, 6 and the proportion of injuries diagnosed as hamstring injuries increased from 12% in 2001/2002 to 24% in 2021/2022. 6 …”

“… 8 During the recent eight seasons (2014/2015–2021/2022), the incidence and burden of hamstring injuries during training and match play have increased significantly, 6 and the proportion of injuries diagnosed as hamstring injuries increased from 12% in 2001/2002 to 24% in 2021/2022. 6 …”