Demographic Factors and Instantaneous Lower Extremity Injury Occurrence in a National Collegiate Athletic Association...

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Epidemiology
• Biomechanics

Background:

• Predicting lower extremity (LE) injuries in athletes is crucial for resource allocation and targeted interventions.
• Understanding demographic risk factors can optimize injury prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the instantaneous risk of lower extremity (LE) injury based on sex, sport, body mass index (BMI), and prior injury history.
• Characterize risk factors for collegiate athletes.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive epidemiologic study was conducted on 278 NCAA Division I athletes.
• Cox regression models analyzed the association between time to first LE injury and demographic factors.
• Instantaneous LE injury risk was assessed using relative risk ratios and Kaplan-Meier curves.

Main Results:

• Basketball and soccer athletes exhibited higher LE injury risks compared to cross-country runners.
• Female athletes showed a trend towards higher instantaneous LE injury risk in multivariate analysis.
• Athletes with a BMI >25 kg/m2 did not have a significantly higher risk, contrary to initial hypotheses.

Conclusions:

• Previous lower extremity injury history does not predict future LE injury risk in collegiate athletes.
• Being female or being male with a BMI >25 kg/m2 is associated with increased LE injury risk.
• These findings aid clinicians in identifying at-risk athlete populations for targeted injury prevention.