Growth and maturation are potential risk factors for soccer injuries. This research sought to describe how peak height velocity (PHV) affects overall and specific injury burden in circa- and post-PHV elite academy soccer players. Injuries and growth data collected from 2000 to 2020 were studied retrospectively. Longitudinal height records for 124 players were fitted with the Super-Imposition by Translation and Rotation model to calculate PHV (cm/year) and age at PHV. Players were classified according to PHV percentile (fast:≥75th; average: 25-75th; slow:≤25th) and maturity status (circa- or post-PHV). Overall and specific injury burden (days lost/player-season) and rate ratios for comparisons between groups were calculated based on zero-inflated negative binomial models. Confidence intervals were calculated at the 95% confidence level (CI) and the significance level was set at<0.05. In circa-PHV, players with fast PHV had 2.6 (CI: 1.4-4.8)- and 3.3 (CI:1.3-6.7)-times higher overall burden and 2.9 (CI:1.1-7.1)- and 4.1 (CI: 1.4-15.2)-times higher for growth-related injury burden compared to players with average and slow PHV, respectively. Regular monitoring of growth seems important to detect players at higher risk for being disrupted by growth-related injuries.
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