[Sports medicine aspects of gymnastics]

926 injuries were collected and analyzed through a retrospective questionnaire survey among 289 competitive gymnasts. On the average a male/female athlete suffered 0.35/0.33 injuries per year. The greatest number of injuries occurred during floor exercise. Male gymnasts had a high average number (52%) of upper body injuries. The wrist was most often affected (15.4%). The females suffered more injuries in the lower body (52%). The ankle was the most frequently injured anatomical site (28.5%). A comparison between different level gymnasts shows that a more intensive training does not lead to different injuries. When comparing injuries to expose time fewer occurred in the group of high level gymnasts.