Incidence, burden, and pattern of injuries in Spanish male youth soccer players: A prospective cohort study

Abstract

Objectives: To explore the incidence, burden, and pattern of injuries in Spanish male youth soccer players during a 9-month competitive season (from September to May-June). Design: Prospective cohort study. Participants: 314 young (10-19 years) soccer players. Main outcome measures: Incidence, burden, location, type, severity, mechanism, and circumstance of injuries, as well as potential differences by tactical position, month of the year, age group, and maturity status. Results: A total of 146 time-loss injuries were sustained by 101 different players. This resulted in an overall injury incidence of 3.1 injuries per 1000 h, a training injury incidence of 1.8 injuries per 1000 h, and a match injury incidence of 11.2 injuries per 1000 h. The probability of injury over the season was 34%. Most of the injuries affected the lower extremity and were classified as muscle/tendon injuries, with hamstring muscle injuries representing the most burdensome diagnosis. The incidence of injuries increased with age and maturation, but a heightened risk of overuse injuries during periods around peak height velocity was also identified. Conclusions: These findings suggest a need for implementing specific injury prevention measures. Due to the high burden shown, these measures should mainly focus on reducing the number and severity of hamstring muscle injuries.