Information about project titled 'A new method for registration of overuse injuries'
A new method for registration of overuse injuries
| Details about the project - category | Details about the project - value |
|---|---|
| Project status: | Published |
| Project manager: | Ben Clarsen |
| Supervisor(s): | Roald Bahr, Grethe Myklebust |
| Coworker(s): | Martin Engedahl, Gro Thorsen, Linn Rosenlund |
Description
Over recent years there has been an increasing focus on the problem of overuse injuries in sports. Studies indicate that in certain sports up to 50% of all athletes may train and compete with overuse injury symptoms.
However, due to shortcomings in the current methodology used to register sports injuries, we are unable to measure the true burden that overuse injuries represent. It is likely that the currently accepted methodology, which was developed primarily for the study of acute sports injuries, significantly underestimates the rate of overuse injuries.
Aim
- To develop and test a new method for the registration of overuse injuries in sport.
Method
A new method to register overuse injuries has been developed and tested on five different sports; team handball, floorball, volleyball, cross-country skiing and road cycling. A total of 313 elite athletes were included in the project.
Injury data was collected prospectively using a weekly questionnaire over a three-month period. During this time, injury registration was also conducted using standard injury surveillance methods. The results of each method were then compared to determine whether the new method provides a more accurate and complete reflection of the true burden of overuse injuries.
This project may lead to a change in the way that overuse injuries are recorded in sports epidemiology studies. It is also of interest as there is relatively little information on overuse injury problems in all 5 sports included in this study. In the longer term, this research project represents the beginning of a new focus area at OSTRC; to develop effective strategies to prevent sports-related overuse injuries.