Injury incidence and risk factors in youth soccer players: a systematic literature review. Part II: Intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors

Abstract

Injury is defined as a complex phenomenon determined by the non-linear interaction of several intrinsic and extrinsic factors. The objective of the present study was to perform a systematic literature review on the injury risk factors in young soccer players. After electronic database searching, articles in line with the inclusion criteria were selected for the systematic review. Injury risk factor data were extracted and grouped in intrinsic and extrinsic risk factors. The main findings of the current review are as follows: (1) alteration in neuromuscular control such as limb asymmetry and dynamic knee valgus are important intrinsic risk factors; (2) maturation status may impair neuromuscular control and increase the risk of injury; (3) fatigue and poor recovery contribute to the onset of overuse injuries; (4) the impact of anthropometric factors is still unclear; (5) previous injuries increase the risk of re-injuries; (6) highly skilled players are more exposed to risk of injuries; (7) high external workloads increase the risk of injuries; (8) playing position, as well as sport specialization, exposes young soccer players to greater injury risk. Many factors (e.g., neuromuscular control, training load, maturity status) can modify the susceptibility to injury in young soccer players. Being aware of the complex interaction between these factors is essential to identify players at higher risk of injury, develop adequate prevention strategies, and from a scientific point of view move from a reductionist to a complex system approach.

Injuries in male youth football: a one season prospective cohort study of 223 Danish elite players

“…This tool was recently employed to assess the efficacy of a load management intervention on injury risk in young elite football players ( 14 ), to prospectively monitor injury incidence within a single football academy ( 15 ), and to describe prevalence and burden of injuries and illnesses in Japanese men's university football players ( 16 ). Recent research indicates, that youth elite football players are at an increased risk of health problems during periods of rapid growth and maturation ( 17 ). Additional research suggest that the incidence of time-loss injuries and injury burden could be especially high in age groups below the age of 17 ( 18 ).…”

Hamstring muscle injury is preceded by a short period of higher running demands in professional football players

“…Muscle injury is a complex phenomenon determined by the non-linear interaction of several factors, but fatigue and high external work-loads are within the most common inciting factors for this type of injury [ 29 ]. Similar findings when analysing all types of muscle injuries have been previously reported in professional football players competing in the Qatar Stars League [ 23 ] and LaLiga [ 22 ].…”

Epidemiology of Injuries in Amateur Male Soccer Players: A Prospective One-Year Study

“…Since the injury rate which has been reported by van Beijsterveldt et al ( 2014) is very similar to rates that have been reported for professional players (as reported in a recent systematic review [4], it can be suggested that training and game intensity level of players that participated in the study by van Beijsterveldt et al (2014) might have been different (presumably greater) than the teams that participated in our study. It should be mentioned that there may be other factors that influence the IR, such as the workload that is applied to the players [20], the application of injury prevention strategies or not [21], the player's well-being [22] or the game calendar [23]. The impact of these additional factors on the differences in IR between studies is unclear and subject to further investigation.…”