DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF INJURIES IN YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYERS

INJURIES IN SPORTS

DESCRIPTIVE EPIDEMIOLOGICAL STUDY OF INJURIES IN YOUNG BASKETBALL PLAYERS

Oblakovic-Babic Jelena, Stefanovic Milica, Radivojevic Nenad, Dikic Nenad
Vita Maxima Clinic, Sport Medicine Association of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia

Introduction. There are not enough studies about teenage male basketball population. Difficulty is to compare existing information because of non consistent sports injuries statistics. Aim  of this study was to identify  the basic epidemiology of injuries during training and competition: 1) quantify basic measures of incidence: incidence rate and the epidemiological incidence proportion; 2) describe injury characteristics  3) compare injuries during training and competition; 4)  identify injury prevention initiatives.
Material/methods. All injuries have monitored in four selections of one basketball team in Serbia during nine months period. The participants were 61 boys aged from 13 to 19. The 95% confidence intervals were calculated for rate and rate ratio using standard formulas.
Results. A total of 50 acute and 18 overuse injuries have been reported.  Incidence rate of acute and overuse injuries have been 1.26/1000h exposure and 0.45/1000h exposure, respectively.  The overall incidence rate was 1.72/1000h exposure [95% CI: 1.31-2.13]. The epidemiological incidence proportion of injury was 61% [95% CI:  49%-73%], and re-injury was 41% [95% CI: 25%-57%]. The lower extremities injuries were 69.1% of all.  Ankle injury have been the most common overall (19.1%) then with the same percentage were knee (13.2%) and foot (13.2%) injuries. 
Conclusion. We found that injury rate incidence in young basketball players is not high, although there is not enough available information in the literature to compare with.  The most common injured region is ankle. Regarding that prevention strategy could be joint specific stabilizations and proprioception training.
Key words: sports injury, children, basketball.