title: Injury characteristics in the German professional male soccer leagues after a shortened winter break.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The winter break in the top 2 German professional soccer leagues was shortened from 6.5 to 3.5 weeks in the 2009-2010 season.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To investigate whether this change affected injury characteristics by comparing the second half of the 2008-2009 (long winter break) with the equivalent period in the 2009-2010 season (short winter break).
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  German male professional soccer leagues.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven professional German male soccer teams (184 players in the 2008-2009 season, 188 players in the 2009-2010 season).
  
  
  METHODS
  Injury incidences and injury characteristics (cause of injury, location, severity, type, diagnosis), including their monthly distribution, were recorded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 300 time-loss injuries (2008-2009 n = 151, 2009-2010 n = 149) occurred. The overall injury incidence per 1000 soccer hours was 5.90 (95% confidence interval = 5.03, 6.82) in 2008-2009 and 6.55 (5.58, 7.69) in 2009-2010. Match injuries per 1000 hours were 31.5 (25.0, 38.0) in the first season and 26.5 (20.2, 32.7) in the second season; the corresponding training values were 2.67 (2.08-3.44) and 3.98 (3.19-4.95), respectively. The training injury incidence (incidence rate ratio = 1.49 [95% confidence interval = 1.07, 2.08], P = .02) and the risk of sustaining a knee injury (incidence rate ratio = 1.66 [1.00, 2.76], P = .049) were higher in 2009-2010 after the short winter break; the incidence of moderate and severe injuries (time loss >7 days) trended higher (incidence rate ratio = 1.34 [0.96, 1.86], P = .09).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Shortening the winter break from 6.5 to 3.5 weeks did not change the overall injury incidence; however, a higher number of training, knee, and possibly more severe injuries (time loss >7 days) occurred.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Sports and Preventive Medicine, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany;
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: aus der Fünten
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Faude
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lensch
authors.forename: Tim
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Meyer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012621:Seasons; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D013997:Time Factors; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices
keywords: epidemiology; football; inadequate recovery; injury incidence; injury surveillance