Prevalence, Nature and Causes of Injuries in Female Handball Players

Abstract

Background. Highly skilled athletes do not avoid sports injuries. In order to reduce the prevalence of injuries among female elite handball players, it is necessary to determine the most often injuried body parts and the causes of injuries. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence, nature and causes   in Lithuanian female elite handball players. Methods. Fifteen Lithuanian elite female handball players participated in the study. The age of the subjects was 20.4 ± 3.03 yrs. The subjects were asked to complete a questionnaire, answering questions about the prevalence, localization, frequency and nature of athletic injuries. Results. The subjects have training sessions six times a week, one workout lasts more than one hour. During the last season, 80% of the subjects suffered injuries (67% acute, 13% chronic). The most common injuries were ligament strain (46.2%) or tear (38.5%), less frequent ligament or muscle rapture (30.8%), and the least frequent – fracture (15.4%). In most cases players suffered from fnger (26%), and knee (20%) and ankle (20%) injuries. Elbows (9%) and wrists (7%) were less likely to be traumatized. Head (2%) and hip (2%) injuries were uncommon in handball. Conclusion. The vast majority of elite female handball players experienced injuries during the sports season. The most prevelent hand injuries in female athletes were fnger injuries and acute ankle or knee injuries in legs.

Keywords: handball, females, injuries.