Musculoskeletal lower limb injuries in Major League Baseball

Objectives: To explore the epidemiological patterns and musculoskeletal characteristics of lower limb injuries in Major League Baseball (MLB). Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Setting: The MLB was screened for injuries between 2010 and 2016, inclusive. Participants: Players that were placed on the Disabled List (DL) and had lower limb injuries. Main outcome measures: Our database entailed the player's position, injury location, injury cause, and time spent on the DL. Analysis of characteristics and mean incidence rates (MIR) were conducted, and P values<0.05 were considered significant (CI 95%). Results: A total of 3546 injuries were recorded; 1053 injuries (29.7%) affected the lower limbs (n = 1053). On average, 150.4 players per season were placed on the DL for a mean of 45.7 days. Thighs were the most common site of injury, whereas hip injuries had the highest average days on DL (62 days). Fielders had a significantly higher MIR of lower leg injuries when compared to pitchers (P = 0.007) and catchers (P = 0.024), and a significantly higher MIR of foot injuries than that of pitchers (P = 0.035). April was the month with the highest number of injuries (224 injuries, 21.3%). Only 43(4%) injuries required surgical intervention. Conclusion: Lower limb injuries are increasing in the MLB. Understanding the neuromuscular patterns of injuries will help in extrapolating better prevention policies. (C) 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.