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Int J Sports Med 1986; 07(6): 333-337
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1025787
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Pattern of Injury in Handball and Comparison of Injured Versus Noninjured Handball Players

J. H. Hoeberigs1 , W. Ch. C. van Galen2 , H. Philipsen3
  • 1Instituut Sportgeneeskunde Limburg, Department of General Surgery, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  • 2Instituut Sportgeneeskunde Limburg, Department of Medical Sociology, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands
  • 3Department of Medical Sociology, University of Limburg, Maastricht, The Netherlands
* Handball is played by two teams on indoor or outdoor courts measuring approximately 40 × 20 m. Each team consists of seven players in the field and five substitutes on the bench. Physical contact between opponents is allowed but regulated. A player can be exchanged by a substitute as often as the team wants.
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Publication Date:
14 March 2008 (online)

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Abstract

A questionnaire was sent to 300 members (at random) of the Dutch Handball Association (response: 76%) (1) to study the injuries involved in handball and the resulting medical attention and (2) to compare injured versus non-injured players with respect to sex, age, somatotype, and sports participation. Group A was defined as players taking part in handball only (62%); 38% also regularly took part in other sports (group B). The male/female ratio in group B was approximately 4 times larger than in group A. The results showed that 51% of all players sustained at least one injury during handball in 1 year. The ratio of injuries/all players in our study did not differ much from the level in a comparable Danish study, 0.82 and 0.71, respectively. Nearly 60% of all handball injuries were localized in the lower compared with only 30% in the upper extremities. A general practitioner was consulted in nearly 40% of the injuries. Within group A, relatively more males were injured and also more frequently compared with females. Injuries in females did not differ from all injuries with respect to localization and medical attention. After comparison of injured versus noninjured players, we conclude that the role of somatotype is not elucidated and that sex and the number of sports might play an important role in the etiology of handball injuries, whereas age is only of minor importance.

Key words

handball injuries - questionnaire - injured versus noninjured players - sex - age - somatotype - sports participation - medical attention

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