Dance Injuries in the Older Dancer: Comparison with Younger Dancers

Abstract

From a group of 727 consecutive injured dancers and dance teachers, 66 were 45 years of age or older. The injuries and physical complaints of these older dancers were analyzed. They were compared with the data of a control group of 345 consecutive injured dancers of all ages from a previous study. In approximately 75% of the injuries in both groups, the lower extremity was involved. There was a large as yet unexplained difference in the percentage of ankle injuries in the two groups: 27% in the younger group and only 3% in the older group. Almost half of the injuries in the older group were due to degenerative changes, most often of the patellofemoral joint.