Sports Injury Surveillance Systems: A Review of Methods and Data Quality

Background and Aims: Data from sports injury surveillance systems are a prerequisite to the development and evaluation of injury prevention strategies. This review aimed to identify ongoing sports injury surveillance systems and determine whether there are gaps in our understanding of injuries in certain sport settings. A secondary aim was to determine which of the included surveillance systems have evaluated the quality of their data, a key factor in determining their usefulness. Methods: A systematic search was carried out to identify (1) publications presenting methodological details of sports injury surveillance systems within clubs and organisations; and (2) publications describing quality evaluations and the quality of data from these systems. Data extracted included methodological details of the surveillance systems, methods used to evaluate data quality, and results of these evaluations. Results: Following literature search and review, a total of 15 sports injury surveillance systems were identified. Data relevant to each aim were summarised descriptively. Most systems were found to exist within professional and elite sports. Publications concerning data quality were identified for seven (47 %) systems. Validation of system data through comparison with alternate sources has been undertaken for only four systems (27 %). Conclusions: This review identified a shortage of ongoing injury surveillance data from amateur and community sport settings and limited information about the quality of data in professional and elite settings. More surveillance systems are needed across a range of sport settings, as are standards for data quality reporting. These efforts will enable better monitoring of sports injury trends and the development of sports safety strategies. © 2015, Springer International Publishing Switzerland

Rehabilitation of hamstring injuries

[Extract] Following any type of athletic hamstring injury, sports medicine clinicians are constantly under pressure to facilitate a quick and safe return of the athlete to training and competition. To meet these challenging requirements, it is essential to combine a range of training parameters to ensure that the athlete is able to work near the limit of his or her capacity while concurrently ensuring that sufficient time is allowed for the injured tissue to heal. If the athlete is progressed too aggressively during rehabilitation, there may be an increased risk of pain and injury exacerbation, consequently delaying the time to return to sport (RTS). Yet, a too cautious rehabilitation approach may keep the athlete out of training and competition longer than necessary