Epidemiology of injuries in young Spanish soccer players

BACKGROUND: Soccer is considered the most popular sport of the world. However, the high participation rates in soccer has increased the soccer-related injuries among the youth population. The aim of this study was to observe and describe the epidemiology of injuries in Spanish soccer players during the early ages to know the incidence, type, location, mechanisms, and severity of injuries. METHODS: A total of 431 male soccer players between 7 and 23 years old (13.4 +/- 3.45 years, 156 +/- 17 cm, 47.9 +/- 15.4 kg) were studied. All players were classified according to age (U9, U11, U13, U15, U18, and U23). The variables of the players studied were observed for a full season and the data were recorded by the private medical services of the club according to the consensus statement on definitions and data collection procedures of injuries for epidemiological research in soccer. RESULTS: Of the 431 players analyzed, 190 were injured, registering a total of 329 injuries. The incidence was 3.82 injuries per 1000 hours of exposure. The frequency of injuries increases with age. About 83.59% of the injuries were located in the lower limbs, most of them were muscle-tendinous injuries and joint injuries. The thigh and ankle were the most affected joints. Most of the injuries had repercussions with 1-8 days of absence; the youngest players (7-11 years) showed the least lost time. CONCLUSIONS: The injuries epidemiology in youth soccer is different according to the age and the maturity level, with an increasing tendency in the injury incidence and in the number of injured players.