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THE JOURNAL OF SPORTS MEDICINE
AND PHYSICAL FITNESS
A Journal on Applied Physiology, Biomechanics, Preventive Medicine,
Sports Medicine and Traumatology, Sports Psychology
Indexed/Abstracted in: Chemical Abstracts, CINAHL, Current Contents/Clinical Medicine, EMBASE, PubMed/MEDLINE, Science Citation
Index Expanded (SciSearch), Scopus
Impact Factor 1,215
eTOC
The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2017 May 09
DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.17.07452-7
Copyright © 2017 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA
language: English
Incidence of injury and illness in South African professional male football players: a prospective cohort study
Helen BAYNE 1, 2, Martin SCHWELLNUS 1, Dina, JANSE Van RENSBURG 1, Jhano BOTHA 3, Lervasen PILLAY 1 ✉
1 Institute for Sport, Exercise Medicine and Lifestyle Research & Section Sports Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of
Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; 2 High Performance Centre, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa; 3University of Pretoria Football
Club, Pretoria, South Africa
PDF
BACKGROUND: Medical illnesses and sports-related injuries both have an effect on athlete health and performance. Epidemiology of
injury and illness has been extensively researched during international football tournaments and the European football season. Reports on
injury location and severity differ across geographical regions, and there is limited information on injury epidemiology in African football
leagues. No studies have investigated the illness burden in football in Africa.
METHODS: This was a prospective cohort study involving two football teams over the 10- month duration of the 2015/16 Premier Soccer
League in South Africa. Team medical staff recorded daily football exposure, illness and injuries. Team-based match and training exposure
was calculated and used to determine injury and illness incidence and burden over the football season.
RESULTS: Overall injury incidence was 2.2 / 1000 h, with match injury incidence of 24.8 / 1000 h and training injury incidence of 0.9 / 1000
h. Time loss injuries accounted for 33 of the 44 injuries recorded. The most common time loss injury location was the knee (14 injuries,
42%). There were 7 minimal, 4 mild, 12 moderate and 10 severe injuries. Sprain/ligament injury (8 injuries) was the most common type,
followed by meniscus/cartilage injury (7 injuries). Eleven illnesses were reported during the season, with an incidence of 0.7 / 1000 player
days, and most were minimal in severity (8/11). The illness burden was 1.7 / 1000 player days. The respiratory (46%) and gastrointestinal
(36%) systems were most commonly affected.
CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of injury was comparable with data reported internationally and mirrors the increased risk of injury during
matches versus training. The nature of injury differed in that the knee was more frequently affected than the ankle or thigh, joint injuries
were more common than muscle injuries, and there was a larger proportion of severe injuries. The illness burden was very low.
KEY WORDS: Football - Sports injury - Illness - Epidemiology