@article{ref1,
title="Injury rates remained elevated in the second National Football League season after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic",
journal="Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation",
year="2022",
author="Platt, Brooks and Abed, Varag and Khalily, Camille and Sullivan, Breanna and Skinner, Matthew and Jacobs, Cale and Johnson, Darren and Stone, Austin V.",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to compare the injury incidence of the 2018-2019 and 2020 National Football League (NFL) seasons with the 2021 season. <br><br>METHODS: Publicly released NFL weekly injury reports were queried to identify players listed as &quot;out&quot; or placed on injured reserve (IR) for at least one game in the 2018-2021 seasons. Injuries were then categorized into upper extremity, lower extremity, spine/core, and head. Incidence per 1,000 athlete exposures were calculated for each season and proportions of injuries by position were calculated separately for the 2018-2019, 2020, and 2021 cohorts. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) were used to compare injury rates. <br><br>RESULTS: Overall injury incidence in the 2021 NFL season increased compared to the pre-COVID-19 seasons (2018-2019) in all anatomical zones except for the upper extremity. [28.70 vs. 23.09 per 1,000 exposures, IRR 1.24 (95% CI: 1.14-1.36); p< 0.001]. The injury rate remained elevated and further increased in 2021 compared to the 2020 season for all anatomical zones other than the spine/core [28.70 vs. 21.64 per 1,000 exposures, IRR 1.33 (1.19-1.47); p< 0.001]. No significant difference existed during the early season (weeks 1-4); however, injury rates after week 4 increased in 2021 compared to both the 2018-2019 and 2020 seasons. <br><br>CONCLUSION: The injury incidence in the 2021 season remained elevated and increased further compared to both the 2018-2019 and 2020 seasons. Traumatic injuries resulting in missed games increased despite return to a more traditional season since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The injury rates significantly increased in mid- to late season. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III, cross-sectional study.  Keywords: American football  <p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2666-061X",
doi="10.1016/j.asmr.2022.11.026",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asmr.2022.11.026"
}