title: Injuries in women's soccer: a 1-year all players prospective field study of the women's Bundesliga (German premier league).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To obtain precise information on injury patterns in the women's premier soccer league in Germany.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-year, prospective, epidemiologic cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Institutional level German Football Association.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 254 players from all 12 women's premier league teams were included.
  
  
  METHODS
  Base information by standardized personal interviews. Evaluation of all injury-associated medical data transmitted by standardized documentation forms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injuries incidence rates (average, 95% confidence intervals) based on the exposure in matches and at practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  All time loss diagnoses, number and context of injuries related to their anatomical localization, severity, and rehabilitation period were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All 254 players finished the study [average age, 22.8 years (16-35 years)]. Two hundred forty-six injuries amounted to an injury rate of 3.3 per 1000 hours (games, 18.5 per 1000 hours; practice, 1.4 per 1000 hours). Injury distribution: knee, 31.0%; ankle, 22.1%; thigh, 12.9%; and head, 7.1%. The seasonal peak was at the beginning of the competitive season. Injury rates doubled after the 60th minute. Twenty-nine percent of the injuries were severe, and 37% were moderate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Female players suffer a high amount of head injuries and severe knee and ankle injuries. The most common single injury is a sprained ankle. Torn ligaments in the ankle and knee are the most common injuries that require a long recovery period. Most of the severe injuries (>30 days) are due to noncontact intrinsic mechanisms. Almost one-quarter of all injuries consist of exertion syndromes not yet correlated with certain seasonal periods.
authors.affiliation: Orthopedic Clinic Munich-Schwabing, Munich, Germany. Dr.Gaulrapp@gmx.de
authors.forename: Hartmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gaulrapp
authors.forename: Gaulrapp
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hartmut
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walther
authors.forename: Heinrich
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hess
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000293:injuries; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000293:injuries; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult