@article{ref1,
title="Injury patterns in Swedish elite athletics: annual incidence, injury types and risk factors",
journal="British journal of sports medicine",
year="2013",
author="Jacobsson, Jenny and Timpka, Toomas and Kowalski, Jan and Nilsson, Sverker and Ekberg, Joakim and Dahlström, Orjan and Renstrom, Per A.",
volume="47",
number="15",
pages="941-952",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To estimate the incidence, type and severity of musculoskeletal injuries in youth and adult elite athletics athletes and to explore risk factors for sustaining injuries. DESIGN: Prospective cohort study conducted during a 52-week period. SETTING: Male and female youth and adult athletics athletes ranked in the top 10 in Sweden (n=292). RESULTS: 199 (68%) athletes reported an injury during the study season. Ninety-six per cent of the reported injuries were non-traumatic (associated with overuse). Most injuries (51%) were severe, causing a period of absence from normal training exceeding 3 weeks. Log-rank tests revealed risk differences with regard to athlete category (p=0.046), recent previous injury (>3 weeks time-loss; p=0.039) and training load rank index (TLRI; p=0.019). Cox proportional hazards regression analyses showed that athletes in the third (HR 1.79; 95% CI 1.54 to 2.78) and fourth TLRI quartiles (HR 1.79; 95% CI 1.16 to 2.74) had almost a twofold increased risk of injury compared with their peers in the first quartile and interaction effects between athlete category and previous injury; youth male athletes with a previous serious injury had more than a fourfold increased risk of injury (HR=4.39; 95% CI 2.20 to 8.77) compared with youth females with no previous injury. CONCLUSIONS: The injury incidence among both youth and adult elite athletics athletes is high. A training load index combing hours and intensity and a history of severe injury the previous year were predictors for injury. Further studies on measures to quantify training content and protocols for safe return to athletics are warranted.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0306-3674",
doi="10.1136/bjsports-2012-091651",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2012-091651"
}