title: Frequency and trends in foot and ankle injuries within an English Premier League Football Club using a new impact factor of injury to identify a focus for injury prevention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Foot and ankle injuries are common in football. Prevention strategies exist in order to decrease the incidence of such injuries and minimize the number of days that a player is unavailable for selection.
  
  
  METHODS
  Injuries were recorded over a 4-season period while the team was playing in the English Premier League (EPL). We present the epidemiology of foot and ankle injuries within a professional football club and offer a calculation that may be of use in the future to identify areas of injury prevention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Anterior Talo-Fibular Ligament (ATFL) injuries and fifth metatarsal fractures were of high impact as they were both common and resulted in significant time periods where the player was unavailable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first time an EPL club has been prepared to publish data regarding injury. Our findings may be used by others to focus their prevention strategies on the injuries with the highest impact.
authors.affiliation: Joint Preservation Centre, University of British Columbia, Wesbrook Mall, Vancouver, British Columbia V6T 2B5, Canada. Electronic address: neiljain@ymail.com.
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jain
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma & Orthopaedics, Stepping Hill Hospital, Poplar Grove, Stockport, Cheshire SK2 7JE, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.affiliation: The Football Association, St George's Park, Newborough Road, Needwood, Burton Upon Trent, Staffordshire DE13 9PD, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma & Orthopaedics, Chelsea & Westminster Hospital, Fulham Road, London SW10 9NH, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Calder
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D016512:Ankle Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018409:Foot Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012008:Recurrence; D012916:Soccer / Q000293:injuries*; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Football; Injury; Prevention; Return to play