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Male, intercollegiate athletes at higher risk for MCL injuries
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Male athletes and intercollegiate athletes have a higher risk for sustaining medial collateral ligament injuries, most often through contact sports such as wrestling, hockey, judo and rugby, according to researchers.
In a longitudinal cohort study, researchers used charts and radiographic studies to identify 128 United States Military Academy cadets who sustained isolated medial collateral ligament (MCL) sprains resulting in time lost to sport and activity.
The researchers calculated incidence rates with 95% confidence intervals per 1,000 person-years at risk and by sex, sport and level competition, and determined incidence rates per 1,000 athlete-exposure.
Eighty-nine percent of MCL injuries occurred in male athletes and 11% occurred in female athletes. Fifty-nine of 5,820 at-risk intercollegiate athletes sustained an isolated MCL sprain during 528,523 athlete-exposures. Compared with women involved in intercollegiate athletics, the researchers found the incidence rate of MCL sprains in men was 2.87 per 1,000 person-years and 2.62 per 1,000 athletic-exposures.
Among 21,805 at-risk intramural athletes, 16 sustained isolated MCL injuries. The researchers found wrestling, judo, hockey and rugby had the highest incidence rates per 1,000 athletic-exposures in intercollegiate sports.
Incidence rates of MCL injuries from wrestling and hockey were significantly higher in men’s intercollegiate athletics compared with lacrosse, whereas there were no significant differences in incidence rates among women’s intercollegiate sports or intramural sports. Overall, however, there were no significant differences in incidence rates of MCL injuries between intercollegiate and intramural athletes.
A mean 16 days were lost to injury, with 2,407 total days lost for all injuries, according to the researchers. Whereas grade 1 MCL injuries resulted in a median of 13.5 days lost, higher-grade injuries resulted in a median of 29 days lost.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.
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