Citation

Tsiganos G, Sotiropoulos D, Baltopoulos P. Biol. Exerc. 2007; 3: 59-67.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2007, University of Peloponnese, Faculty of Human Movement and Quality of Life)

DOI

10.4127/jbe.2007.3.59-67

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to record retrospectively the epidemiology of injuries in amateur Greek soccer players. Three hundred and one (301) amateur soccer players voluntarily participated in the study. Participants answered a specially-designed questionnaire that included questions about demographics, playing surface, division, position, hours of training plus participation, the use of stretching or prophylactic tape, the injury mechanism, the location and type of injury. During the five years these soccer players sustained a total of 1.745 injuries, that diagnosed by the orthopedist of the team. Most of injuries were strains (33%), overuse (27%) and sprains (25%). The location of injuries was the thigh (38 %), ankle (27%) and knee (13%). There was a significant difference in the total number of injuries among soccer players with or without scoliosis (t = 3.152, p < 0.05) and players that played on sand/dirt (gravel), who sustained more injuries than the players who played on artificial grass or on grass (t = 3.413, p < 0.05). No differences were found in the other measurement parameters. The results of our study shows that spine deformities and ground surfaces are the factors that causes more injuries in amateur Greek soccer players.