The burden of injuries according to maturity status and timing: A two‐decade study with 110 growth curves in an elite football academy

Abstract

Injuries have a negative impact on the development of football players. Maturation is a potential risk factor for football injuries but available data on this topic provide limited evidence due to methodological shortcomings. The aim of this study was to describe the injury burden of male academy football players according to growth curve-derived maturity status and timing. Injury and growth data were collected from 2000 to 2020. Longitudinal height records for 110

Relative skeletal maturity status affects injury burden inU14elite academy football players

“…There are multiple reasons that might explain the higher overall injury burden in early maturers compared with U14 on-time and late maturers. In line with our results, previous research has already shown that players who are closer to their biological maturity have more burdensome injuries 17,24,28 and early maturers might be more mature than their on-time and late peers. Furthermore, covering greater distances at higher speeds, 6,29 a more aggressive way of playing football and assuming more leadership roles 30 might lead to more burdensome injuries in early maturers.…”

“…U14 late maturers might be pre-or circa-PHV, periods at which join/ligament injury burden has been shown to be lower. 17 Moreover, ankle sprains in players with less delayed maturation and decreased bone density might lead to ankle epiphyseal injuries 35 ; which were classified as growth-related injuries in our study. Regarding late maturers way of playing, it is possible that smaller and lighter late maturers avoid contact and risk-taking situations that could lead them to acute join/ligament injuries.…”

“…Furthermore, 16 times lower burden for ankle join/ligament injuries was found in late versus early maturers. U14 late maturers might be pre‐ or circa‐PHV, periods at which join/ligament injury burden has been shown to be lower 17 . Moreover, ankle sprains in players with less delayed maturation and decreased bone density might lead to ankle epiphyseal injuries 35 ; which were classified as growth‐related injuries in our study.…”

“…Firstly, in players with advanced skeletal maturity, which are more likely to have ossification centers closed in different regions of the body, muscle might be the structural point of for injuries . 17 Besides, early maturers, who are physically superior to their on‐time and late peers, might develop a more physical way of playing football 33 that may predispose them to further muscle injuries. Moreover, recent evidence has suggested that in U14 category early maturers were quicker, made more accelerations and cover greater distances at high speed 29 .…”

“…14 Thus, we included an additional category for "growthrelated injuries," defined as unique injuries not seen in adults but common in skeletally immature athletes (e.g., growth plate fractures, apophysitis, apophyseal avulsion fractures, and greenstick fractures). 15 Injuries were classified into three groups based previous research 3,5,16,17 and practitioner experience: (1) growth-related injuries (Sever's disease, Osgood Schlatter disease, apophyseal injuries [osteochondrosis or avulsion] of the anterior inferior iliac spine, ischial tuberosity, or anterior superior iliac spine and spondylolysis), (2) muscle injuries (quadriceps, hamstring, and adductor), and (3) joint/ligament injuries (knee and ankle). The same doctor recorded injuries since the start of the study, thereby reducing the chance of bias, differences in injury interpretation, and changes in observation methods between doctors.…”