title: Safety of a preadolescent basketball program.
abstract: A preadolescent youth basketball program was prospectively studied to determine injury rates and the kinds of injuries sustained. The overall injury rate was 7.6% (39 injuries among the 510 children aged 5 to 12 years). Girls had a higher injury rate than boys (P less than .02). Only 12 children (2.4%) suffered significant injuries as defined by the inability to play for at least one session. Most injuries were contusions (35.9%), followed by strains or sprains (28.2%), epistaxis (12.8%), lacerations (5.1%), and one finger fracture (2.6%), the most significant injury. Games were more likely to produce injuries than practice sessions; most injuries occurred in the second half of game play. This study documents a low injury rate in an organized preadolescent basketball program.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville.
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gutgesell
mesh_terms: D001490:Basketball / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003288:Contusions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005383:Finger Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007869:Leg Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D012449:Safety; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D014768:Virginia / Q000453:epidemiology