The epidemiology of back injuries in elite Gaelic football athletes: An 8-year prospective study

Thomas Dekkers; Kieran O'Sullivan; Kieran Collins; Joseph G McVeigh; Mark Roe; John C Murphy; Catherine Blake

doi:10.1016/j.ptsp.2022.07.009

The epidemiology of back injuries in elite Gaelic football athletes: An 8-year prospective study

Phys Ther Sport. 2022 Sep:57:105-111. doi: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2022.07.009. Epub 2022 Jul 31.

Authors

Thomas Dekkers¹, Kieran O'Sullivan², Kieran Collins³, Joseph G McVeigh⁴, Mark Roe⁵, John C Murphy⁶, Catherine Blake⁵

Affiliations

¹ Gaelic Sports Research Centre, Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland; Evolve Health, Skibbereen, Co.Cork, Ireland.
² School of Allied Health, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; Ageing Research Centre, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland; Sports and Human Performance Centre, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
³ Gaelic Sports Research Centre, Technological University Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
⁴ School of Clinical Therapies, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
⁵ School of Public Health, Physiotherapy, and Sports Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.
⁶ Medfit Proactive Healthcare, Ireland.

PMID: 35981446
DOI: 10.1016/j.ptsp.2022.07.009

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the epidemiology of back injury in elite male Gaelic football athletes between 2008 and 2016.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Injury data from the National GAA Injury Surveillance Database.

Participants: Elite male Gaelic football athletes.

Main outcome measures: Incidence of injury as a rate per 1000 h of exposure.

Results: 38 datasets were analysed. Out of a total of 1606 time-loss injuries, 76 were back injuries (4.73%, 95% CI 3.80%-5.88%). The incidence of back injuries in match play was 1.72 (CI 95% 1.21 to 2.45) and in training was 0.2 (CI 95% 0.14 to 0.28) injuries per 1000 h of exposure. The majority of back injuries (63.16%, CI 95% 51.93-73.12) were new, as opposed to recurrent (35.53% CI 95% 25.7-46.74). Most back injuries were acute (51.32%, CI 95% 40.29-62.22), compared to chronic (31.58%, CI 95% 22.23-42.7) or overuse (11.84%, CI 95% 6.36-21.00). The majority of back injuries occurred during non-contact player activities (n = 60, 78.94% CI 95% 68.50-86.60).

Conclusions: Back injury rates in Gaelic football are similar to soccer and Australian football but less than rugby union. Further research is needed to understand the factors leading to the onset and recurrence of back injury in Gaelic football athletes.

Keywords: Back injuries; Back pain; Football; Sports medicine.