title: Prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in Swedish elite track and field athletes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little is known of injury patterns in track and field (athletics). Injury prevalence has been proposed as the most appropriate measure of the injury rate in sports where athletes are at risk for overuse problems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To ascertain 1-year retrospective and current prevalence of injury in elite track and field athletes to help plan injury prevention programs for this sport.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive epidemiology study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred seventy-eight youth (16 years old) and adult athletes from an eligible study population of 321 athletes were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 1-year retrospective injury prevalence was 42.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 36.9%-49.0%); the point prevalence was 35.4% (95% CI, 29.7%-41.4%). The diagnosis group displaying the highest injury prevalence was inflammation and pain in the gradual onset category (1-year prevalence, 20.9%; 95% CI, 16.2%-26.2%; and point prevalence, 23.2%; 95% CI, 18.4%-28.7%). A strong tendency for higher 1-year prevalence of 16.5% (95% CI, 12.2%-21.4%) than point prevalence of 8.5% (95% CI, 5.5%-12.5%) was recorded for sudden onset injuries in the diagnosis group sprain, strain, and rupture. The body region showing the highest injury prevalence was the knee and lower leg with 15.0% (95% CI, 11.0%-19.8%) 1-year prevalence and 13.7% (95% CI, 9.8%-18.3%) point prevalence, followed by the Achilles tendon, ankle, and foot/toe with 11.7% (95% CI, 8.2%-16.1%) 1-year prevalence and 11.4% (95% CI, 7.9%-15.8%) point prevalence.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The injury prevalence is high among Swedish elite track and field athletes. Most of the injuries affect the lower extremities and are associated with a gradual onset. Although it is associated with a potential recall bias, the 1-year retrospective prevalence measure captured more sudden onset injuries than the point prevalence measure. Future prospective studies in track and field are needed to identify groups of athletes at increased risk.
authors: Section of Social Medicine and Public Health, Department of Medical and Health Sciences, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. jenny.jacobsson@liu.se
authors: Jenny
authors: J
authors: Jacobsson
authors: Toomas
authors: T
authors: Timpka
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Kowalski
authors: Sverker
authors: S
authors: Nilsson
authors: Joakim
authors: J
authors: Ekberg
authors: Per
authors: P
authors: Renström
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D012090:Cumulative Trauma Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology; D014142:Track and Field / Q000293:injuries*