An Epidemiological Study of Football (Soccer) Injuries in a First Division Youth Brazilian Team
Epidemiology; Injury; Sport; Muscle; Adolescence
Despite the popularity of football at the youth level, data on the incidence of injuries in Brazil is limited. Objective: To compare the incidence, type, location and severity of injuries sustained by male elite youth soccer players over the 2017 season. Methods: A prospective cohort study of an elite Brazilian male youth soccer academy was conduced. A total of 228 soccer players in nine age groups from 10 to 20 years-old were observed for one season. Any physical complaint sustained by a player from a football match or football training that resulted in a player being unable to take full part in future activities (i.e., time-loss injury) were reported by the medical or coaching staffs. Results: One hundred and twenty-four injuries were documented. Ninety-five players had one or more injuries. The overall incidence of injury was 1.73 per 1,000 hours of exposure, with a 6.9-fold higher incidence during match play in relation to training (P<.0001). Injuries were classified as minimal (17.3%), mild (18.9%), moderate (44.1%) or severe (19.6%). The majority of injuries were sprains and contusions involving the thigh, knee or ankle. Almost 70% of all injuries were traumatic. Only nine (0.7%) injuries were classified as recurrent. Conclusion: A low injury incidence associated with an extremely low recurrence rate may reflect an effective screening programme before the beginning of the season, as well as appropriate rehabilitation protocols. Nevertheless, the number of injuries incurred during training is still high and the type of training needs to be investigated, so that injury prevention can be achieved.