Injuries in Wheelchair Basketball Players: A Systematic Review

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 May 11;19(10):5869. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19105869.

Abstract

Sports injuries have physical and psychological effects that negatively affect sports performance. Although there are data available on sports injuries in wheelchair basketball, some aspects need to be clarified, such as the location, mechanisms and risk factors for injury, which are not well described due to variations and/or a lack of definition of injury. The aim of this study was to determine epidemiological information, primary injury characteristics and affected body regions in wheelchair basketball players; Methods: The PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases were used; Results: eight articles were included in this review. The shoulder was the body region most affected (N = 60; 22.1%). When divided by body segments, the upper limbs were the most affected (N = 128; 47.2%), followed by the head and/or face (N = 53; 19.5%), trunk (included spine and ribs) (N = 48; 17.8%) and lower limbs (N = 42; 15.5%); Conclusions: wheelchair basketball players suffer a large number of injuries with different characteristics that are mainly linked to biomechanics and sport. These results can be used to guide coaches in structuring training to minimize recurring injuries, in addition to assisting in the organization of medical teams in competitions.

Keywords: incidence rate; para athletes; prevalence; sport injuries.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Systematic Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Athletic Injuries* / epidemiology
  • Basketball*
  • Humans
  • Lower Extremity / injuries
  • Upper Extremity / injuries
  • Wheelchairs*

Grants and funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior—Brazil (CAPES)—Finance Code 001 and PROPESP/Federal University of Para (PAPQ).