Indoor Bouldering-A Prospective Injury Evaluation

Bouldering has become a sport of growing interest, but little prospective evidence exists about injury proportions and patterns. The purpose of this study was to prospectively evaluate the cause of injuries sustained during indoor bouldering, proportion of affected body location, and injury severity.

Proportions and patterns of injury among German-speaking indoor boulderers were evaluated prospectively in an explorative cohort study. Participants completed a baseline questionnaire assessing anthropometric data and sport-specific potential preventive and risk factors, followed by monthly injury questionnaires including injury location and injury severity over a period of 12 mo.

Out of 507 boulderers, 222 (44%) sustained 305 injuries. Of those, 78% (n=238) were classified as Union Internationale de Associations d'Alpinisme (UIAA) 1, 19% (n=57) as UIAA 2, and 3% (n=10) as UIAA 3. Injuries of the upper extremities accounted for 63% (n=191) of all injuries. Injuries of the lower extremities accounted for 23% (n=71) but were more often classified as UIAA≥2 (P=0.0071; odds ratio [OR] 2.23; 95% CI 1.23-4.04) and were more often caused by falling (P=0.0005; OR 2.92; 95% CI 1.57-5.42) and jumping off the wall (P<0.0001; OR 4.39; 95% CI 2.25-8.56) than injuries of other body locations. There was no statistically significant protective effect of the evaluated potential preventive measures. Participants who used heavily downturned climbing shoes had a higher risk of sustaining a UIAA ≥2 injury (P=0.0034; OR 2.58; 95% CI 1.34-4.95).

Injuries in indoor bouldering are common. Lower extremity injuries are associated with higher injury severity. Preventive measures need to be established to reduce bouldering injuries, especially during falls and landings.