Abstract
Injuries are one of the worst case scenarios for an athlete and a team. The aim
of this study was to analyze the injury incidence, characteristics and burden
among a cohort of elite female futsal players. A prospective cohort study was
designed over a season. Eighty-nine players from seven elite female futsal teams
were monitored during the whole season. Eight different variables were recorded
when an injury happened, as well as exposure time. A total of 90 injuries were
recorded so that 54 out of 89 players (60.6%) sustained an injury. The
overall injury incidence was 5 injuries per 1000 h of futsal play exposure.
Moderate injuries were the most frequent (1.7 injuries per 1000 h of futsal play
exposure). The quadriceps and ankle were the regions where most injuries
occurred. Contact injuries were more common during matches than training, and
usually happened at the end of the season. Elite female futsal players are
exposed to a substantial injury risk, especially on ankle and quadriceps with
moderate severity, occurring at the end of the sessions, especially during
matches. These results highlight the need of new preventive strategies to reduce
the high injury incidence in female futsal players.
Key words
team sport - injury burden - women - exposure time
