title: Interventions to prevent sports related injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The effects of methods to prevent injuries have been studied in several systematic reviews. However, no meta-analysis taking into account all randomised controlled intervention trials aiming at the prevention of sports injuries has been published.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To summarise the effects of sports injury prevention interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed, MEDLINE, SPORTDiscus, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL, PEDro, and Web of Science, searched in September 2013. The reference lists of retrieved articles and reviews were hand searched.
  
  
  METHODS
  To be selected articles had to examine the effects of any preventive intervention on sports injuries, be randomised/quasi-randomised and controlled trials, published in a peer-reviewed journal. The outcome of the trial had to be injury rate or the number of injured individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 5580 articles retrieved after a search of databases and the relevant bibliography, 68 randomised controlled trials were included in the systematic review and 60 trials were included in the meta-analysis. Insoles (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.32-0.81), external joint supports (OR 0.40, 95% CI 0.30-0.53), and specific training programmes (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.46-0.66) appeared to be effective in reducing the risk of sports injuries. Stretching (OR 0.92, 95% CI 0.80-1.06), modified shoes (OR 1.23, 95% CI 0.81-1.87), and preventive videos (OR 0.86, 95% CI 0.44-1.68) seemed not to be effective.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This meta-analysis showed that certain interventions can reduce the risk of sports injuries. There were limitations regarding the quality of the trials, generalisability of the results, and heterogeneity of the study designs. In future, the mechanisms behind effective methods and the most beneficial elements of preventive training programmes need to be clarified.
authors.affiliation: Tampere Research Center of Sports Medicine, UKK Institute, Kaupinpuistonkatu 1, PL 30, 33500, Tampere, Finland, mari.h.leppanen@student.jyu.fi.
authors.forename: Mari
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Leppänen
authors.forename: Sari
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aaltonen
authors.forename: Jari
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parkkari
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heinonen
authors.forename: Urho M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Kujala
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000293:injuries; D009989:Orthotic Devices; D010806:Physical Education and Training; D011482:Protective Devices; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors; D012775:Shoes; D019876:Sports Equipment; D063996:Warm-Up Exercise