title: Injuries in Japanese Mini-Basketball Players During Practices and Games.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mini-basketball is one of the most popular junior sports in Japan. Mini-basketball-related injuries may increase because of early specialization. However, no reports have been published to date concerning basketball injuries in children younger than 12 years of age.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively study the incidence, sites, types, and mechanisms of injuries in mini-basketball teams.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive epidemiology study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mini-basketball teams in Kobe, Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 95 players in 7 community-based mini-basketball club teams (age range, 9 through 12 years).
  
  
  METHODS
  Data on all practice and game injuries for the 2013-2014 season were collected using an injury report form. Injury rates were calculated according to site, type, and mechanism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall injury rate was 3.83 per 1000 athlete-hours (AHs). The game injury rate ( 12.92/1000 AHs) was higher than the practice injury rate (3.13/1000 AHs; P < .05). The most common anatomical areas of injury during games and practices were the head and neck (36.4%, 4.70/1000 AHs) and the upper limbs (47.8%, 1.50/1000 AHs). Sprains (42.9%, n = 39) were the most common type of injuries overall, followed by contusions (29.7%, n = 27). Most game injuries resulted from body contact (45.5%, 5.87/1000 AHs), whereas most practice injuries resulted from other contact (56.5%, 1.77/1000 AHs).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Game injury rates were higher than practice injury rates in Japanese mini-basketball players. The high practice injury rate in this study may be due to specific factors related to growth, such as individual differences in height, or to skills, such as inexperience in ball handling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Health, Faculty of Human Studies, Aichi Toho University, Nagoya, Japan.|Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Nagoya University, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuzuhara
authors.affiliation: College of Nursing Art and Science, University of Hyogo, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shibata
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Education and Human Development, Nagoya University, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Uchida
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001490:Basketball / Q000293:injuries*; D002648:Child; D003288:Contusions / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D016489:Head Injuries, Closed / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D019838:Neck Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology; D034941:Upper Extremity / Q000293:injuries
keywords: elementary school-age players; injury epidemiology; injury surveillance