Citation

Konopinski MD, Jones GJ, Johnson MI. Am. J. Sports Med. 2012; 40(4): 763-769.

Affiliation

Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds, United Kingdom.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0363546511430198

PMID

22178581

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A recent meta-analysis found that generalized joint hypermobility is a risk factor for knee injuries during contact sports. The effect of hypermobility on the incidence of injuries in elite-level professional soccer players is not known.Purpose: To compare the incidence of injury between hypermobile and nonhypermobile elite-level male professional soccer players.Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.Methods: Fifty-four players from an English Premier League soccer club were assessed for hypermobility, using the 9-point Beighton scale (threshold, 4 points or above), at the start of the 2009-2010 season. Time-loss injuries and individual exposure times were recorded during all club training sessions and matches throughout the entire season.Results: Mean ± standard deviation incidence of injuries was 11.52 ± 11.39 injuries/1000 h, and the prevalence of hypermobility was 33.3% (18 of 54 players). There were 133 injuries during 13897.5 hours of exposure. During the season, hypermobile participants had a higher incidence of injuries (mean [95% confidence interval] difference, 15.65 [9.18-22.13] injuries/1000 h; P = .001) and were more likely to experience at least 1 injury, a reinjury, and a severe injury compared with nonhypermobile participants. There were 9 severe knee injuries in hypermobile participants, of which 6 were cartilage injuries.Conclusion: There was an increased incidence of injury in hypermobile elite-level professional soccer players from an English Premier League club, resulting in more missed days from training and match play. These findings suggest a need for routine screening for hypermobility in professional soccer.

Language: en