Season-long pattern and anatomical distribution of injuries among college soccer players

Abstract

Injuries in sporting activities can alter the trajectory of one’s career and life. Therefore, the purpose of this retrospective study was to investigate the season long injury rate and anatomical location of injuries among male and female soccer players at the University of Texas at Tyler (UT Tyler) during the 2019 competition season. Records of injury occurrences were sought from the Head of Athletic Training in the Department of Athletics after obtaining consent from the individual players on the soccer roster for fall 2019 season. The Athletic Trainers collected data throughout the season and results were analyzed to derive any patterns regarding frequency, type and anatomical location of injuries so that preventive strategies can be instituted before and during the following season. Findings showed that 62 injuries occurred during the season with men incurring 19 (30.65%), while the women suffered 43 (69.35%). It was apparent that most injuries occurred during training (64.5%) compared to those in games (35.5%). Anatomically, the lower limbs suffered most injuries (37, 59.70%); followed by the trunk (11, 17.75%), head (08, 12.90%), upper limb (04, 6.5%) and neck (02, 3.23%) respectively. It was established that women suffered more injuries compared to men; most injuries occurred during practice compared to those during competition; and that the lower limbs tended to suffer more injuries compared to other anatomical parts of the player’s body. The higher occurrence of injuries to the lower limbs was attributed to the nature of the soccer game as the execution of most skills and movements within the sport are lower limb dependent. Most frequent injuries were soft tissue related especially strains and sprains. It is recommended that a preventative prospective study of lower limb injuries be done to aid in reducing the risk of injury during the season.