Citation

Gutgesell ME. Am. J. Dis. Child. (1960) 1991; 145(9): 1023-1025.

Affiliation

Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, American Medical Association)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

1877560

Abstract

A preadolescent youth basketball program was prospectively studied to determine injury rates and the kinds of injuries sustained. The overall injury rate was 7.6% (39 injuries among the 510 children aged 5 to 12 years). Girls had a higher injury rate than boys (P less than .02). Only 12 children (2.4%) suffered significant injuries as defined by the inability to play for at least one session. Most injuries were contusions (35.9%), followed by strains or sprains (28.2%), epistaxis (12.8%), lacerations (5.1%), and one finger fracture (2.6%), the most significant injury. Games were more likely to produce injuries than practice sessions; most injuries occurred in the second half of game play. This study documents a low injury rate in an organized preadolescent basketball program.

Language: en