Citation

Enger M, Skjaker SA, Nordsletten L, Pripp AH, Melhuus K, Moosmayer S, Brox JI. BMJ Open Sport Exerc. Med. 2019; 5(1): e000551.

Affiliation

Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine, Publisher BMJ Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1136/bmjsem-2019-000551

PMID

31548901

PMCID

PMC6733325

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: More than a third of sports injuries involve the upper extremity. The primary aim was to quantify and describe sports-related shoulder injuries in a general population cohort. A secondary aim was to compare aspects of these injuries to those that were not sports-related.

METHODS: We performed a prospective registration of the activity at the time of shoulder injury in all cases admitted during 1 year in a combined primary care and orthopaedic emergency department serving a defined population. The electronic patient records and patient reported questionnaires were reviewed.

RESULTS: Twenty-nine per cent (n=781) of 2650 registered shoulder injuries were reported to be sports-related, with the highest proportion in acromioclavicular injuries (>50%). Patients with sports injuries were younger than those injured during other activities (median age 28 and 43 years, respectively, p<0.001), and more often male (78% and 52%, respectively, p<0.001). There was a strong gender disparity in incidence of sports-related shoulder injuries in adolescents and young adults, which was not observed in non-sports shoulder injuries. Football (soccer) (6-29 years), cycling (30-49 years), skiing (50-69 years) and martial arts were the dominating sports activities. Fractures were more common in skiing and cycling than in other major sports in the study.

CONCLUSIONS: Almost a third of the shoulder injuries occurred during sports. The types of sports involved varied with age and gender. The comparison of sport to non-sport shoulder injury incidence rates suggests that the increased risk of shoulder injuries in young males is mainly attributable to sports injuries.

Language: en

Keywords

epidemiology; gender; injury; shoulder; sports