Magnetic Resonance Imaging Depicted Muscle Injuries in Athletes Participating in the Rio De Janeiro 2016 Summer Paralympic Games

Abstract

Background: Muscle injuries may affect elite athletes including those competing at the Paralympic Games. We aimed to describe the frequencies, anatomic distribution, and severity of muscle injuries involving Paralympic athletes during the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Paralympic Games.Methods: Imaging-depicted muscle injuries in Paralympic athletes were identified upon retrospective review of all MRI studies performed at the Games. Images were evaluated retrospectively by five board-certified musculoskeletal radiologists with expertise in sports injuries. We recorded the distribution of muscle injuries by sports discipline, athletes' impairment type, anatomic location and severity of injuries using the modified Peetrons classification and the British Athletics Muscle Injury Classification (BAMIC). Demographic characteristics including impairment type were also analyzed.Results: 4378 para athletes from 160 teams were included. 242 MRI exams were performed and there were 35 MRI-depicted muscle injuries in 33 athletes (73% male, mean age: 28.7 years -range 20-41). Para athletes from track and field (athletics) disciplines were most commonly affected by muscle injuries (N = 23, 66%), followed by football players (N = 4, 11%) and power lifters (N = 4, 11%). The majority of injuries affected lower limb muscles (N = 28, 80%), with the biceps femoris being the most common (N = 10, 29%). Most frequent injuries were modified Peetrons grade 1 injuries (N = 15, 43%), and BAMIC grade 2a injuries (N = 7, 20%). Conclusion:Muscle injuries in this population were rare. Hamstring muscle injuries were the most common and were observed most frequently in ambulatory para athletes competing in athletics.

Noteworthy performance of muscle injured para-athletes: A study of MRI-detected muscle injuries at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games

“…16,24 We observed patterns that have been previously reported among both Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the characteristics and distribution of muscle injuries between the sexes, across the sports disciplines, and in the anatomical locations of injuries. 18,24 Male athletes tended to have a higher incidence of muscle injury than female athletes, in keeping with the previously reported pattern that the incidence proportion of muscle injuries in male athletes was 0.9%, followed by 0.5% in female athletes at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Paralympic Games.…”

“…A high prevalence of muscle injury has been reported in various sports 19–23 . A comprehensive survey of all imaging examinations during the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Paralympic Games reported 33 muscle injuries among 4378 para-athletes, with an incidence proportion of 0.75% 18 . We conducted a similar analysis at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games to advance the injury surveillance objectives of the IPC.…”

“…[19][20][21][22][23] A comprehensive survey of all imaging examinations during the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Summer Paralympic Games reported 33 muscle injuries among 4378 para-athletes, with an incidence proportion of 0.75%. 18 We conducted a similar analysis at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Paralympic Games to advance the injury surveillance objectives of the IPC. In this, we detected an incidence proportion of 0.59% (26 muscle injuries).…”

“…[13][14][15][16][17] However, there is a paucity of surveillance studies of muscle injuries in para-athletes; to our knowledge, only limited published data are available specifically for muscle injuries sustained at the Paralympic Games, and no studies have attempted to correlate athletic performance with those injuries. 18 The aim of the present study was to describe the incidence, anatomical location, anatomical site classification of the muscle injury, including involvement of the tendon, distribution of injuries by body region, and subsequent competition results in athletes who sustained magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-detected muscle injuries while at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.…”

“…For athletes without impairment, many surveillance studies on muscle injury have been performed during sporting events 13–17 . However, there is a paucity of surveillance studies of muscle injuries in para-athletes; to our knowledge, only limited published data are available specifically for muscle injuries sustained at the Paralympic Games, and no studies have attempted to correlate athletic performance with those injuries 18 …”