@article{ref1,
title="Upper extremity injuries in male elite football players",
journal="Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy",
year="2013",
author="Ekstrand, Jan and Hägglund, Martin and Törnqvist, Henrik and Kristenson, Karolina and Bengtsson, Håkan and Magnusson, Henrik and Waldén, Markus",
volume="21",
number="7",
pages="1626-1632",
abstract="PURPOSE: To investigate the epidemiology of upper extremity injuries in male elite football (soccer) players and to describe their characteristics, incidence and lay-off times. METHODS: Between 2001 and 2011, 57 male European elite football teams (2,914 players and 6,215 player seasons) were followed prospectively. Time-loss injuries and exposure to training and matches were recorded on individual basis. RESULTS: In total, 11,750 injuries were recorded, 355 (3 %) of those affected the upper extremities giving an incidence of 0.23 injuries/1,000 h of football. The incidence in match play was almost 7 times higher than in training (0.83 vs. 0.12 injuries/1,000 h, rate ratio 6.7, 95 % confidence interval 5.5-8.3). As much as 32 % of traumatic match injuries occurred as a result of foul play situations. Goalkeepers had a significantly higher incidence of upper extremity injuries compared to outfield players (0.80 vs. 0.16 injuries/1,000 h, rate ratio 5.0, 95 % confidence interval 4.0-6.2). The average absence due to an upper extremity injury was 23 ± 34 days. CONCLUSIONS: Upper extremity injuries are uncommon among male elite football players. Goalkeepers, however, are prone to upper extremity injury, with a five times higher incidence compared to outfield players. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.   Keywords: Soccer<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0942-2056",
doi="10.1007/s00167-012-2164-6",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00167-012-2164-6"
}