title: A four-season prospective study of muscle strain reoccurrences in a professional football club.
abstract: The aim of this investigation was to characterise muscle strain reinjuries and examine their impact on playing resources in a professional football club. Muscle strains and reoccurrences were prospectively diagnosed over four seasons in first-team players (n = 46). Altogether, 188 muscle strains were diagnosed with 44 (23.4%) of these classed as reinjuries, leading to an incidence of 1.32 strain reoccurrences per 1,000 hours exposure (95% Confidence Interval [CI], 0.93-1.71). The incidence of recurrent strains was higher in match-play compared with training (4.51, 95% CI, 2.30-6.72 vs 0.94, 95% CI, 0.59-1.29). Altogether, 50.0% of players sustained at least 1 reoccurrence of a muscle strain, leading to approximately 3 days lost and 0.4 matches missed per player per season. The incidence of recurrent strains was highest in centre-forwards (2.15, 95% CI, 1.06-3.24), peaked in May (3.78, 95% CI, 0.47-7.09), and mostly affected the hamstrings (38.6% of all reoccurrences). Mean layoff for nonreoccurrences and recurrences was similar: approximately 7.5 days. These results provide greater insight into the extent of the problem of recurrent muscle strains in professional football.
authors.affiliation: LOSC Lille Metropole Football Club, Domain de Luchin, Camphin-en-Pévèle, France. chris.carling@free.fr
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carling
authors.forename: Franck
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Le Gall
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Orhant
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000293:injuries*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult