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Scientific Programme

Sports and Exercise Medicine and Health

OP-MH11 - Injury Prevention in female athletes

Date: 04.07.2024, Time: 08:30 - 09:45, Lecture room: Carron 2

Description

Chair TBA

Chair

TBA
TBA
TBA

ECSS Paris 2023: OP-MH11

Speaker A Giulia Andreottola

Speaker A

Giulia Andreottola
UCD , Institute for Sport and Health
Ireland
"Injuries in Women and Men Handball players, what do coaches need to know? A comprehensive analysis over 3 seasons and 154 games"

INTRODUCTION: Handball is a fast-paced Olympic ball game characterized by both defensive and offensive actions aimed at scoring goals. Performance in handball is influenced by a multitude of factors and it involves a range of actions including throws, passes, jumps, hits, blocks and runs. Athletes may experience muscle injuries such as strains and tears due to the rapid movements and accelerations during the game. Furthermore, collisions with opponents and physical contact can lead to traumas such as bruises, contusions and joint sprains. Handball players are also at risk of upper limb injuries, particularly to the hands and wrists, due to the fastball throws and passes. The aim of this study was to monitor number and details of injuries occurring during official Handball matches to enhance current knowledge, awareness and understanding for coaches and practitioners. METHODS: A total of 154 matches of women’s and men’s handball (across 3 seasons - 21/22, 22/23, 23/24) from the national league, national cup and Celtic league of Ireland were analyzed by two independent and experienced sport scientists. A comprehensive report of all injuries, regardless of severity was compiled for the three seasons according to injured body part/region or joint. RESULTS: The data collection resulted in a total of 58 recorded injuries. Despite logistical constraints, key findings reveal a 40% probability of injury during matches, with knee (22.5%), ankle (19%), face (14%), neck (5%), and the face-neck-head complex (20%) injuries being predominant. 60% of injuries occurred in female players (21/22 14W, 8M; 22/23 19W, 10M; 23/24 5W, 2M) CONCLUSION: A gender disparity was evident, indicating a potential need for gender-specific physical preparation and awareness by players, coaches, and practitioners. This analysis also highlighted a need for higher accuracy and consistency when reporting handball injuries and ideally including a comparison with other European leagues and competitions.

Read CV Giulia Andreottola

ECSS Paris 2023: OP-MH11

Speaker B Faye Bennett

Speaker B

Faye Bennett
Rangers Football Club, Womens And Girls Sport Science
United Kingdom
"Understanding Muscle Injuries in Elite Female Football: Are They the Biggest Threat to Keeping Players Playing?"

INTRODUCTION: Female professional footballers present a high incidence of thigh muscle injuries with a meaningful burden (1). Injuries in elite women’s football are scarcely investigated and no study has been conducted in the highest competitive level in Scotland (1,2). The aim of this study was to examine the extent and pattern of non-contact muscle injuries (Nc-Mi), and their respective incidence and burden in a professional female football team playing in Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL 1). METHODS: During the 2022-23 season, all injuries that required medical attention (0 day) or led to time-loss were recorded prospectively (as per IOC consensus definitions) by the medical team of the club in 30 unique professional female footballers (mean age: 23 ± 5 years). Nc-MI incidence was calculated as the number of injuries per 1000 playing hours and injury burden as the number of days lost per 1000 hours. RESULTS: A total of 393 injuries were recorded, 255 (65%) were non-contact lower limb injuries, of which 77% (n=196) were Nc-Mi. This reflects an incidence of 48.3 (95% CI 41.8 to 55.6) injuries per 1000h and a nearly tenfold higher incidence of no time-loss compared with time-loss injuries (43.6; 95% CI 37.4 to 50.5 vs 4.7; 95% CI 2.8 to 7.3). Burden of acute onset injuries was significantly greater than gradual onset (33.3 days vs 16.3 days per 1000h, p<0.0001). Injury incidence (11.9; 5.7-21.8 vs 2.8; 1.3-5.3) and burden (160.3; 134.4-189.7 vs 20.5; 15.9-26.1) were higher for match compared to training (p<0.0001). Hamstring injuries had the highest match injury burden (90.2 days lost per 1000h), the most burdensome muscle injury in training was the quadriceps (14.3 days lost per 1000h). CONCLUSION: Consideration of time loss injuries only might limit the understanding of potential training load errors on player’s musculoskeletal system. The high prevalence and incidence of no-time-loss muscle injuries, particularly of gradual onset indicates the necessity to reflect on them to enhance the understanding of load stimuli response. A greater quadriceps injury burden occurring in training differs from the greater burden of hamstring injuries occurring in matches. Muscle injury risk reduction strategies may therefore be tailored by muscle group on an individual basis, considering the context and type of onset in order to develop an optimal player robustness to lower limb non-contact muscle injuries. References 1) Amundsen, R., et al. (2023). "#ReadyToPlay: health problems in women’s football–a two-season prospective cohort study in the Norwegian premier league." Br J Sports Med. 2) Hallén, A. et al. (2024) ‘UEFA Women’s Elite Club Injury Study: A prospective study on 1527 injuries over four consecutive seasons 2018/2019 to 2021/2022 reveals thigh muscle injuries to be most common and ACL injuries most burdensome’, British Journal of Sports Medicine [Preprint]. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2023-107133.

Read CV Faye Bennett

ECSS Paris 2023: OP-MH11

Speaker C Théo Bouzigues

Speaker C

Théo Bouzigues
Ecole Normale Supérieure de Rennes, Ecole Doctorale Biologie Santé
France
"Revealing Key variables in Injury Occurrence among Young Female Elite Volleyball Players."

INTRODUCTION: In team sports like volleyball, injuries significantly impact collective performance, necessitating a comprehensive understanding. This study focuses on young elite female volleyball players, exploring variables influencing injury occurrence, closely linked to workload, particularly the volume and intensity of jumps. Common pathologies like patellar tendinopathy are associated with these demands. In female players, menstrual cycles play a significant role, modulating hormones and contributing to increased injury risk based on fluctuations in muscle fatigue and ligament laxity throughout the menstrual cycle. This research uses machine learning models to untangle the intricate web of variables contributing to injury occurrences. The primary goal is to identify the key variables responsible for injuries among young elite female volleyball players, hypothesizing that workload and menstrual cycle are primary contributors. The secondary objective is to predict injuries on a new dataset, evaluating model robustness and generalization capacity while recognizing the inherent challenges of injury prediction. METHODS: During the competitive season, 19 elite-level female volleyball players were studied, encompassing variables like external and internal workload, and menstrual cycle tracking. Documentation included training sessions, player positions, and injuries. The dataset underwent preprocessing, addressing missing values and class imbalance, followed by model validation and generalization. RESULTS: Results indicate that age, menstrual cycle, and fitness levels significantly impact injury occurrence. Younger players and those with an absence of recent menstrual cycles face higher injury risks. Surprisingly, players reporting better subjective fitness levels exhibit increased injury vulnerability. High-intensity jumps from preceding days emerge as a crucial factor, with intensity outweighing volume in predicting injuries. CONCLUSION: Validation with Random Forest outperformed Elastic Net, showcasing the models injury prediction capabilities. Generalizing to a new dataset yielded a robust AUC-ROC, bolstering confidence in identified variables. This innovative study offers crucial insights for injury prevention, underscoring the significance of age and menstrual cycle phases in optimizing player safety. Despite acknowledged limitations, this research paves the way for future studies with larger datasets and improved menstrual cycle quantification for heightened predictive accuracy.

Read CV Théo Bouzigues

ECSS Paris 2023: OP-MH11