Previous injuries and persisting symptoms in female soccer players

One hundred and fifty players in a female senior soccer division, starting up a new season, were examined for past injuries and persisting symptoms. An incidence of 0.18 injury/player/year was found, which is not significantly different from previously reported injury rates for male soccer. Sprains to the lower extremity and shin-splints were the most common previous injuries. Forty-three percent of the players had some kind of persistent symptom as a result of a past injury. Symptoms from previous ankle and knee sprains and from overuse injuries were the most common. Players who had sustained an ankle joint injury were more prone to have persistent symptoms (p less than 0.05) if they had persistent mechanical instability. Compared to previous retrospective studies on men's soccer, the women showed a higher rate of previous patellar dislocations. These injuries often caused persistent symptoms. The women showed fewer serious knee injuries. This might depend on a real difference in incidence or is just a reflection of female players ceasing to play soccer after a severe knee injury.