Prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries, pain, and illnesses in elite female basketball players

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The participation of women in sports, including basketball, is becoming increasingly common, and this increased involvement raises concerns about the potential risk of sports injuries, but there is a lack of epidemiological studies about the incidence of sports injuries in women’s basketball, especially in Europe. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and localizations of sport related injuries and illnesses in elite female basketball players. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study. The sample consisted of 358 elite female basketball players, with a mean age of 23.4 ± 5.93 years, participated in the study. The players were interviewed using a pre-participation health questionnaire during the 2013–2016 sport seasons in the pre-season preparation phase. Results: 155 health problems were reported in 358 athletes during the screening period. The most frequently injured body parts were lower limbs: more than 60%, representing an injury rate of 0.14 per athletes and a 0.2 pain rate per athlete during the study period. Conclusions: The main findings showed the importance of monitoring lower extremity injuries and pain to pay attention to the players, which are at risk. The occurrence of injuries and pain among female basketball players was high. The lower extremities are the most frequently injured body area in the Lithuanian Women’s Basketball League.