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Muscle injury rate increase depends on age, previous injury, kicking leg
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Researchers who studied 1,401 athletes from 26 European soccer clubs in 10 countries have found that previous injury, kicking leg and older age are independent risk factors for lower extremity muscle injuries in soccer players.
“Intrinsic factors found to increase muscle injury rates in professional soccer were previous injury, older age, and kicking leg,” Martin Hägglund, PT, PhD, and colleagues wrote in the study abstract. “Injury rates varied during different parts of the season and also depending on match location.”
Hägglund and colleagues identified 2,123 lower extremity muscle injuries between 2001 and 2010, which included quadriceps, hamstring, calf and adductor muscles, according to the abstract. Injuries in these muscle groups were increased in participants’ kicking legs, and an identical injury in a preceding season significantly increased athletes’ injury rates for these muscle groups. Older players only had an increased risk for calf muscle injuries.
The researchers noted that goalkeepers had reduced injury rates in all four muscle groups. Away games were also significantly associated with reduced hamstring and adductor injuries. During preseason, quadriceps injuries were more common, while during the main season, adductor, calf and hamstring injuries were more common, according to the abstract.
Disclosure: This study was funded by the Union of European Football Associations, the Swedish National Centre for Research in Sports and Praktikertjänst AB.
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