Do hard playing fields increase the risk of injury in community level Australian football?
- Authors: Twomey, Dara , Otago, Leonie , Finch, Caroline , Chivers, I. , Orchard, John
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
- Full Text: false
- Description: Introduction: Certain ground conditions, including hardness, have been associated with an increased injury risk. Many sporting grounds have been deemed unplayable based on hardness measures and subsequently closed. However, most research linking injury to ground conditions has been based on subjective observations or focussed at high performance venues. The aim of this study was to identify the relationship between ground hardness and injury incidence in community level Australian football. Methodology: Measurements of ground hardness, using the Clegg hammer, were recorded on eight community level football grounds between 4 and 8 times during the 2007 season. Injury data was collected by trained data collectors over the season. The 1st Clegg hammer drop was used as the hardness measure, and injuries were ranked as ‘likely’, ‘possibly’, and ‘unlikely’ to be related to grounds by three independent assessors. Results: 130 injuries were recorded at the grounds tested. The Clegg hammer measures ranged from 55 to 134 gravities (g), with four injuries sustained at readings over 120 × g. Of the 130 injuries, 12 were classified as ‘likely’ to be related to ground conditions, 29 ‘possibly’ related, 75 ‘unlikely’ and 14 unknown due to incomplete details. None of the ‘likely’ injuries were sustained on readings over 120 × g. No significant relationships were found between ground hardness and any injury profiles (0.02 < r < 0.14, p < 0.01). Conclusions: Presently, sporting grounds are being closed with hardness readings exceeding 120 × g. The results of this study provide some evidence to challenge this, however, due to low injury rates further research with a larger cohort is necessary.
Elite netball injury surveillance : Implications for injury prevention
- Authors: Saunders, Natalie , Otago, Leonie
- Date: 2008
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
- Full Text: false
- Description: Introduction: In Australia, the National League competition (Commonwealth BankTrophy (CBT)) provided an opportunity to gain an understanding of injuries sustained at the elite level. The purpose of this review therefore is to examine the injury incidence in the CBT competition (2003–2005) and considerations for future injury prevention strategies. Methods: All players in the CBT competition are included in the injury data surveillance scheme. Each team physiotherapist is responsible for assessing, treating and recording injuries within the team. An injury is defined as any netball related physical damage that caused the athlete to miss or modify one or more training sessions, matches or both, and/or required a consultation with a health professional. Results and discussion: The exposure to risk has been estimated from the data supplied for CBT games only to be 71.4, 61.8 and 66.7 injuries per 1000 participations for 2003–2005 respectively. Game injuries account for the majority of injuries with the ankle remaining the most common site of injury across the 3-year period, despite the fact that the majority of players wear ankle tape. The knee was the second highest recorded site of injury for 2004 (14.9%) and 2005 (14%). The majority of injuries are new injuries with three most common mechanisms of injury being collision with a player, landing and overuse injury. Ongoing injury prevention strategies are warranted to reduce injuries resulting from a non-contact mechanism. In addition, training exposure is required to accurately assess the overall risk of injury in netball.
Muscle recruitment patterns during landing : Implications for analysis
- Authors: Saunders, Natalie , Otago, Leonie , McLean, Scott
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Conference paper
- Relation: Paper presented at ASICS Conference of science and medicine in sport 2008, Hamilton Island : 16th-18th October 2008
- Full Text: false
- Description: Introduction: Neuromuscular control during high-risk sports tasks is viewed as a primary risk factor in ACL injury. Attention has also been given to the role of the hip as a possible explanation contributing to ACL injury rates. Typically neuromuscular predictors of ACL injury have arisen from lab-based assessments; however it is possible that this approach excludes important components of actual game-play that may contribute directly to injury risk. The current study therefore, examined muscle recruitment patterns (MRP) during game-play and lab-based conditions that included hip musculature, to consider strategies for lower limb control. Methods: Nine female subjects had EMG data recorded continuously during a netball game. At a subsequent session, in the lab, EMG data was also recorded for three landing conditions. Bilateral EMG was collected via telemetry for rectus femoris, biceps femoris, medial hamstring and gluteus medius. Muscle onset relative to initial contact and the subsequent pattern/s of onset for each land, for each subject, were examined. Results and discussion: Results indicate that the average number of MRP across subjects was 3.6 and 5.8 for the game-play and the lab-based conditions, respectively. When muscles crossing the knee joint were examined only, results revealed that the average number of MRP across subjects was 2.1 and 2.4 for the game-play and the lab-based conditions, respectively. Differences exist when comparing game-play and lab-based measures and the role of the hip musculature in affecting lower limb control warrants ongoing investigation in relation to ACL injury risk.
The policies and practices of sports governing bodies in relation to assessing the safety of sports grounds
- Authors: Swan, Peter , Otago, Leonie , Finch, Caroline , Payne, Warren
- Date: 2009
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport Vol. 12, no. 1 (2009), p. 171-176
- Relation: http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/565900
- Full Text:
- Description: Sport is an important context for physical activity and it is critical that safe environments are provided for such activity. Sports safety is influenced by the presence of sports ground environmental hazards such as ground hardness, poorly maintained playing fields, surface irregularities and the presence of debris/rubbish. To reduce injury risk, sports governing bodies need to ensure regular assessment of grounds safety and the removal of identified hazards. This study describes sports ground safety guidelines and recommendations of a sample of sports governing bodies and provides recommendations for how they could be improved. Semi-structured key informant interviews were conducted with nominees of state governing bodies for Australian football, cricket, soccer and hockey. The use of matchday checklists to identify ground hazards, as mandated by insurance companies was widely promoted across all levels of play. Sports governing bodies had more direct involvement in assessing grounds used for higher level of play, than grounds used for community or junior sport. There was a general presumption that identified hazards on community grounds would be corrected by local councils or clubs before anyone played on them, but this was rarely monitored. Sports governing bodies run the risk of being negligent in their duty of care to sports participants if they do not formally monitor the implementation of their ground safety polices and guidelines. There is also further scope for sports bodies to work closely with insurers to develop ground safety assessment guidelines specific to their sport. © 2008 Sports Medicine Australia.
- Description: 2003008186