Epidemiology of Injuries in Elite Male Futsal Players

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to describe and characterize injuries sustained by elite male futsal players in Portugal.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Top-tier Portuguese league in the 2019 to 2020 season.

Participants: One hundred sixty-seven players from 9 elite/international-level (tier 4) futsal teams.

Independent variables: The location, type, body side, body part, mechanism of injury, severity, occurrence, days lost, training, and match exposure were collected.

Main outcome measures: Injury incidence, prevalence, and burden.

Results: The study was conducted during an 8-month season. A total of 133 injuries were recorded, and 92 (67.6%) players sustained injuries. The overall time-loss injury incidence was 4.5 injuries per 1000 hours of exposure. Injury incidence during matches was higher than during training sessions (25.9 vs 3.0 per 1000 hours of exposure, respectively). Average time loss was 9 days, and moderate injuries were the most frequent (44%), followed by mild injuries (24%). Injury burden was 73.8 days lost per 1000 hours of total player exposure. Sprains/ligament (29%) and muscle rupture/tear/strains (32%) were the most common injuries. The groin (19%), thigh (17%), knee (19%), and ankle (15%) were the most affected body areas. Noncontact injuries were the most reported mechanism (65%), and 24% were overuse injuries.

Conclusions: This study showed that elite/international-level (tier 4) male futsal players are more prone to noncontact injuries, primarily affecting the lower limbs. The incidence during match play increased by 9-fold compared with training sessions.