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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Objectives: To assess the incidence, type and location of injuries sustained during the
Portuguese rugby union sevens circuit. To investigate the influence of players’ training loads
on injury risk.
Methods: A prospective cohort study recording time-loss injuries was conducted with all
teams competing in the Portuguese national rugby sevens circuit (eight from the top-tier and
seven from the second-tier). Main outcome measures included: incidence rate, anatomical
location, type, injury incident and severity. Data were also collected regarding players’
training loads. Fisher's exact test was used to estimate the relative risk of suffering an injury
during the sevens season and training sevens during the fifteens season.
Results: A total of 27 injuries were recorded corresponding to an incidence rate of 133.9
injuries per 1000 player match-hours. The average severity was 22.22 days. Contact events
preceded 81.5% of injuries. Most injuries occurred in the lower limb (66.7%) and were
joint/ligament or muscle/tendon injuries (85.1%). The association between injuries and lower
volume of training during the sevens season was identified for the second-tier (p=0.021). For
the same level, an inverse relation between training hours and injury severity was also found
(p=0.008). Top-tier players training sevens and fifteens simultaneously during the year
presented a significant increase of injury risk (relative risk=3.2; p=0.011).
Conclusions: Injury incidence in our study is similar to that reported for international sevens,
although severity is lower. An association between training loads and the occurrence of
injuries was found for both tiers, although with differential results, thus reinforcing the need
to customize players’ preparation. Further studies at non-elite competitions are needed to gather significant data to accurately formulate future injury prevention protocols or
recommend modifications to game laws or competition formats, aiming at players’ welfare.
Description
Keywords
Adolescent Adult Athletic Injuries Football Humans Incidence Joints Lower Extremity Male Musculoskeletal System Portugal Prospective Studies Seasons Soft Tissue Injuries Tendon Injuries Trauma Severity Indices Young Adult Physical Education and Training
Citation
Publisher
Taylor & Francis