Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 17, 2026
An Inertial Measurement Unit Based Method to Estimate Hip and Knee Joint Kinematics in Team Sport Athletes on the Field
Published on: May 26, 2020
Injuries in Japanese Junior Soccer Players During Games and Practices
Kenji Kuzuhara1,2, Masashi Shibata3, Ryo Uchida2
1Department of Human Health, Faculty of Human Health, Aichi Toho University, Nagoya, Japan.
Context:
Soccer is the most popular junior sport in the world. In junior sports, injury analysis and injury-prevention measures for players, especially those under 12 years of age, are urgently needed.
Objective:
To prospectively study the incidence, sites, types, and mechanisms of injuries in elementary school-aged junior soccer players during games and practices.
Design:
Descriptive epidemiology study.
Setting:
Elementary school-aged junior soccer teams in Nagoya, Japan.
Patients Or Other Participants:
Eighty-nine players in 5 community-based club teams of junior soccer (U-12, age range = 11-12 years; U-11, age range = 10-11 years; U-10, age ≤10 years).
Main Outcome Measure(S):
Data on all game and practice injuries for the 2013-2014 season were collected using an injury report form. Injury rates were calculated according to injury site, type, and mechanism.
Results:
The overall injury rate was 2.59/1000 athlete-hours (AHs). The game injury rate (GIR; 6.43/1000 AHs) was higher than the practice injury rate (PIR; 1.49/1000 AHs; P < .05). The most common anatomical areas of injury during games and practices were the lower limbs (62.5% and 4.02/1000 AHs versus 38.5% and 0.57/1000 AHs, respectively). Contusions (27.6%, n = 8) were the most frequent type of overall injuries. Most game injuries resulted from body contact (43.8%, 2.81/1000 AHs), whereas most practice injuries resulted from other types of contact (53.8%, 0.83/1000 AHs).
Conclusions:
The GIRs were higher than the PIRs in Japanese junior soccer players. A lower overall PIR suggested that players in the U-12 age group practiced under appropriate conditions. However, the higher GIR in this age category needs to be decreased.
Related Concept Videos
01:22Burn Injuries
The damage results in the death of skin cells, which can lead to a massive loss of fluid. Dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and renal and circulatory failure follow, which can be fatal. Burn patients are treated with intravenous fluids to offset...
01:28Disorders of the Skeletal Muscle
Musculoskeletal disorders
Musculoskeletal disorders involve injuries and conditions affecting the skeletal muscles and associated connective tissues. These disorders can arise from acute biomechanical stresses or chronic overuse and can occur across different age groups. Common injuries include sprains, fractures, and muscular strains, often resulting from...
01:15Elastic Collisions: Case Study
01:27Fractures: Bone Repair
Minor fractures with no bone displacement are treated by immobilizing the fractured bone using a cast or splint. However, in the case of fractures with displaced bones, the broken bones are repositioned before immobilization to ensure successful healing without deformation and loss of function. The realignment of fractured bone ends is performed through a process called reduction. If the...