Citation

Mack CD, Kent RW, Coughlin MJ, Shiue KY, Weiss LJ, Jastifer JR, Wojtys EM, Anderson RB. Am. J. Sports Med. 2020; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/0363546520922547

PMID

32485114

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Lower extremity injuries are the most common injuries in professional sports and carry a high burden to players and teams in the National Football League (NFL). Injury prevention strategies can be refined by a foundational understanding of the occurrence and effect of these injuries on NFL players.

PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of specific lower extremity injuries sustained by NFL players across 4 NFL seasons.

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study.

METHODS: This retrospective, observational study included all time-loss lower extremity injuries that occurred during American football-related activities during the 2015 through 2018 seasons. Injury data were collected prospectively through a leaguewide electronic health record (EHR) system and linked with NFL game statistics and player participation to calculate injury incidence per season and per 10,000 player-plays for lower extremity injuries overall and for specific injuries. Days lost due to injury were estimated through 2018 for injuries occurring in the 2015 to 2017 seasons.

RESULTS: An average of 2006 time-loss lower extremity injuries were reported each season over this 4-year study, representing a 1-season risk of 41% for an NFL player. Incidence was stable from 2015 to 2018, with an estimated total missed time burden each NFL season of approximately 56,700 player-days lost. Most (58.7%) of these injuries occurred during games, with an overall higher rate of injuries observed in preseason compared with regular season (11.5 vs 9.4 injuries per 10,000 player-plays in games). The knee was the most commonly injured lower extremity region (29.3% of lower body injuries), followed by the ankle (22.4%), thigh (17.2%), and foot (9.1%). Hamstring strains were the most common lower extremity injury, followed by lateral ankle sprains, adductor strains, high ankle sprains, and medial collateral ligament tears.

CONCLUSION: Lower extremity injuries affect a high number of NFL players, and the incidence did not decrease over the 4 seasons studied. Prevention and rehabilitation protocols for these injuries should continue to be prioritized.

Keywords: American football

Language: en

Keywords

injury prevention; sports injury; injury epidemiology; lower extremity injury; National Football League