Lower Limb Bone Stress Injuries in Elite Female Cricket Players

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Orthopedics
• Sports Science

Background:

• Lower limb bone stress injuries (BSI) are a significant concern in elite athletes.
• Elite female cricketers are susceptible to BSIs, impacting their careers.
• Understanding risk factors is crucial for injury prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence and characteristics of lower limb BSIs in elite female Australian cricketers.
• To explore workload parameters and energy availability as potential risk factors for BSIs in this population.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective case series analysis of elite female cricketers over seven seasons (2016-2023).
• Inclusion of 47 players with BSIs and 47 matched controls.
• Assessment of session frequency, high-speed running volume, and low energy availability as independent variables.

Main Results:

• 47 players sustained 68 lower limb BSIs, with pace bowlers being disproportionately affected (26 players).
• Tibia (47%) and metatarsals (22%) were the most common injury sites.
• No significant differences were found in high-speed running volume or low energy availability scores between injured and uninjured players.

Conclusions:

• Elite female cricketers are at risk for lower limb BSIs, with pace bowlers being particularly vulnerable.
• Workload and low energy availability, when considered in isolation, do not appear to be clear risk factors for BSIs in this cohort.
• Further research is needed to elucidate complex multifactorial causes of BSIs in elite female cricketers.