The relationship between risk sources and sports injuries: A retrospective study

Since sports injuries, which constitute a significant portion of injuries in the emergency department, might cause permanent disability, pain, loss of work force and significant costs, it is important to identify the risk sources that cause these injuries. This retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted with 1565 patients, aged 18 to 45, who applied to a single health institution with an acute sports injury due to recreational sports between 2015 and 2018. Data was collected via anamnesis, files, and scans of the patients, while missing data was obtained via telephone interview. Descriptive statistics was presented as mean ± standard deviation (minimum-maximum) and frequency and percentage. Correlations were analyzed with Freeman-Halton Fisher's Exact Chi-Square as the variables were more than 2 × 2. Bonferroni was applied to determine the relationship between the variables at the level of absolute significance and to control the Type I error rate, and the exact relationship between the variables was determined with the P value obtained. Of the 1565 traumatized cases with a mean age of 33.20 ± 6.91, 1373 were male, 192 female. Loss of work force was 30 (10-30, 95% confidence interval: 33.50-36.37) days. It was determined that 976 of the injuries were in the carpet pitch (CP), 240 fitness center, 191 indoor sports hall, 105 open sports fields and 53 municipality cultural center facilities. Most of the injuries occurred in the autumn and winter seasons. It was determined that the patients mostly did insufficient warming up. The injuries mostly occurred on the CP, the lower extremities were mostly affected and anterior cruciate ligament rupture injury was observed frequently. As a risk source of injuries in sports performed for recreational purposes, CPs cause lower extremity injuries and traumas that result in loss of work force, significant economic burden and a decrease in the quality of life in young people. Standardized maintenance of artificial turf pitches is crucial to reduce injury risks. Further prospective studies with greater sample size focused on risk sources in detail are needed to prevent sport injuries in recreational athletes.