Impact, incidence and prevalence of musculoskeletal injuries in senior amateur male rugby: epidemiological study

Objectives: Exposure to different types of injuries in rugby union is common. It is important to know about the injury epidemiology for medical teams care in order to optimize players ' performance and the treatment of common injuries, but there is limited specific information related to amateur rugby union. The purpose of this study is to determine the incidence, prevalence, injury burden, severity, nature of injuries sustained by senior amateur male rugby players from three clubs in Argentina during a given season. Methods: An observational, analytical, prospective, multicenter study was developed. Data collection was conducted from 15 March 2019 to 2 November 2019, during a complete season under the applicable standards of the Rugby Injury Consensus Group according to the Orchard Sports Injury and Illness Classification System. Incidence (injuries/1000 player-match-hours), prevalence (%), severity (time loss), injury burden (days lost/1000 player-match-hours), injured location and type of injury (%) were estimated. Results: 250 players and 180 injuries were assessed. Injury prevalence was 52.4%. Incidence rate per match and training was 30.9/1000 player-match-hours, and 0.77/1000 player-training-hours, respectively. The median injury severity score was 23 (IQR 12.7-52) days lost accounting for an injury burden of 97.3/1000 player-hours. Of the total, 113 (62.8%) injuries were contact injuries. The lower limbs were the most commonly affected (58.9%). Hamstring strain injury had the highest incidence and anterior cruciate ligament tear was the most severe injury. Conclusion: The prevalence, incidence, and injury burden reported in this study are unprecedented and would add knowledge for the amateur rugby union community. Trainers, physicians, and physical therapists, should consider it to improve their clinical practice.

Automated summary

This study investigated the injury epidemiology of senior amateur male rugby players from three clubs in Argentina during a season, revealing unprecedented levels of injury prevalence, incidence, and burden.