Training and competition injury epidemiology in professional basketball players: a prospective observational study

There is a lack of epidemiological data comparing the characteristics of injuries sustained during basketball matches vs. training taking into account incidence, type of injury, body location and risk factors associated with the development of the injury.

The main aim of the present study was to analyze the incidence and characteristics of training vs. competition injuries sustained by professional basketball players.

The injuries incurred by 61 professional basketball players (mean ± SD, age: 25.7 ± 5.1 years; height: 200.2 ± 9.2 cm; body mass: 98.2 ± 13.8 kg) from the same team were prospectively recorded by the team's medical staff for 6 consecutive seasons (2014/15 to 2019/20). The team competed in a top national basketball division and in the EuroLeague among other national-level competitions. The injuries were recorded using a validated medical questionnaire that included information according to type, severity, location, and injury mechanism. Training and match times were also recorded for each player in order to calculate injury incidence.

A total of 306 injuries were reported, representing 12.59 injuries per 1000 h of basketball play. Most injuries occurred without direct contact with another player/object (70.9%) and were located in the lower limbs (74.8%), particularly in the knee (22.9%). The incidence of injuries was higher during competition than during training: 77.83 vs. 8.29 injuries per 1000 h of basketball play. However, there were no differences in the mechanism and mode of onset between training and competition injuries while the proportion of time-loss injuries was also similar in training and competition.

In summary, injury incidence in professional basketball was ~10-times higher during competition than during training. Beyond differences in incidence, injury characteristics were similar for basketball training and competition.