Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

The Severity of Sports Injuries

  • Injury Surveillance
  • Leading Article
  • Published:
Sports Medicine Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In order to assess the extent of the sports injury problem, it is necessary to identify both the incidence and severity of sports injuries. In the literature, the severity of sports injuries is usually described on the basis of 6 criteria: (i) nature of sports injury; (ii) duration and nature of treatment; (iii) sporting time lost; (iv) working time lost; (v) permanent damage; and (vi) monetary cost.

It is important to include information on the severity of injuries in a sports injury registration system. This kind of information will help to set targets for preventive strategies. The more severe the injuries sustained, the higher the priority will be to prevent these injuries regardless of the injury incidence. When assessing injury severity one should take into account that, in order to enhance the comparability of research data, uniform definitions are also important in this area of sports injury surveillance. This paper briefly discusses the 6 criteria used to describe the severity of sports injuries.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lysens R, Ostyn M. Prolegomena bij de preventie van sportletsels. Hermes 1984; XVII: 85–94

    Google Scholar 

  2. van Beek PA, Murphy P. Letsel bij volleybal. Geneeskunde en Sport 1983; 16: 59–65

    Google Scholar 

  3. Hensley LD, Paup DC. A survey of badminton injuries. Br J Sports Med 1979; 13: 156–160

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Juengst BK, Keth RK, Stopfkuchen H, et al. Verletzungen im Handballsport, Ergebnisse einer Befragung. Münch Med Wochenschr 1983; 125(24): 531–3

    Google Scholar 

  5. Krahl H, Steinbruck K. Traumatologie des Sports. In: Cotta H, editor. Belastungs-toleranz des Bewegungsapparates. Stuttgart: Georg Thieme Verlag, 1980

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kristiansen B. Association football injuries in school boys. Scand J Sports Sci 1983; 5(1): 1–2

    Google Scholar 

  7. Maehlum S, Daljord OA. Acute sports injuries in Oslo: a one year study. Br J Sports Med 1984; 18: 181–5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Maehlum S. Football injuries in Oslo: a one-year study. Br J Sports Med 1984; 18: 186–90

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Pförringer W, Keyl W. Sportverletzungen beim Squash, Epidemiologie und Prevention. Münch Med Wochenschr 1978; 120: 1163–6

    Google Scholar 

  10. van Rens ThJG. Sport en gezondheid, orthopaedische aspecten. Med Contact 1982; 40: 1283–8

    Google Scholar 

  11. Shively RA, Grana WA. High school sports injuries. Physician Sportsmed 1981; 9: 46–50

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. von Steinbrück K, Cotta H. Epidemiologie von Sportverletzungen. Dtsch Z Sportmed 1983; 6: 173–86

    Google Scholar 

  13. von Steinbrück K, Rieden H. Verletzungen bei Sportstudenten: Analysen und Konsequenzen. Dtsch Z Sportmed 1984; 11: 335–46

    Google Scholar 

  14. Sandelin J, Santavirta S, Lättilä R, et al. Sports Injuries in a large urban population: occurrence and epidemiological aspects. Int J Sports Med 1987; 8: 61–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. de Loës M. Medical treatment and costs of sports-related injuries in a total population. Int J Sports Med 1990; 11: 66–72

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. van Galen W, Diederiks J. Sportblessures breed uitgemeten. Uitg. Haarlem, The Netherlands: De Vrieseborch, 1990

    Google Scholar 

  17. Edixhoven P, Sinha SC, Dandy J. Horse injuries. Injury 1980; 12(4): 279–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. von Steinbrück K. Wirbelsaulenverletzungen beim Reiten: Teil I. Unfallheilkunde 1980; 83: 366–72

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Penschuck C. Verletzungsursachen beim Drachenfliegen. Chirurg 1980; 51: 336–40

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Steinberg PJ. Injuries to Dutch sport parachutists. Br J Sports Med 1988; 22(1): 25–30

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Horner C, McCabe MJ. Ice-skating and roller disco injuries in Dublin. Br J Sports Med 1984; 18(3): 207–11

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Jost O, von Ruland O, Heger RA. Rollschuhfahrersverletzungen. Dtsch Z Sportsmed 1981; 10: 268–74

    Google Scholar 

  23. Kvidera D, Frankel VH. Trauma on eight wheels: a study of roller skating injuries in Seattle. Am J Sports Med 1983; 11(1): 38–41

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Menke W, Muller EK. Sicherheitsskibindung. Münch Med Wochenschr 1982; 124(8): 183–4

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Kranenborg N. Blessures bij micro-korfballers. Gen en Sport 1981; 14: 36–40

    Google Scholar 

  26. van Geffen Y, Backx FJG, van Mechelen W, et al. Zaalkorfbalblessures bij 30-plussers: analyse van blessures en toepassing van preventieve maatregelen. Gen en Sport 1990; 23(4): 137–45

    Google Scholar 

  27. Kowal DM. Nature and causes of injuries in women resulting from an endurance training program. Am J Sports Med 1980; 8: 265–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Orava S, Jaroma H, Hulkko A. Overuse injuries in cross-country skiing. Br J Sports Med 1985; 19(3): 158–60

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Tolpin HG, Vinger PF, Tolpin DW. Economic considerations. Int Ophthalmol Clin 1981; 21: 179–201

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Tsongas PE. The role of government in injury prevention. Int Ophthalmol Clin 1981; 21: 171–7

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Schlatmann HFPM, Hlobil H, van Mechelen W, et al. Naar een Registratiesysteem van Sportblessures in Nederland: NISGZ publikatie no. 24. Papendal, The Netherlands: NISGZ, 1986

    Google Scholar 

  32. de Loës M, K Goldi. Incidence rate of injuries during sport activity and physical exercise in a rural Swedish municipality: incidence rates in 17 sports. Int J Sports Med 1988; 9: 461–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Vermeer JP. Sport en sociale verzekering. T Soc Gen 1982; 60(9): 222–3

    Google Scholar 

  34. Kranenborg N. Sportbeoefening en blessures. T Soc Gen 1982; 60(9): 224–7

    Google Scholar 

  35. Kent F. Athletes wait too long to report injuries. Physician Sports Med 1982; 10(4): 127–9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Torg JS, Truex R, Quendenfeld TG, Burstein A et al. The national football head and neck injury register: report and conclusions 1978. JAMA 1979; 241: 1477–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Vinger PF. Eye and face protection for United States hockey players: a chronology. Int Ophthalmol Clin 1981; 21: 83–6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Dolmans I, Pool J, Erdman-Trip JF, et al. Plotse dood bij sport. Gen en Sport 1985; 18, 3: 95–9

    Google Scholar 

  39. Koplan JP. Cardiovascular death while running. JAMA 1979; 242: 2578–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Miles S. Fit for anything? Br J Sports Med 1979; 12: 173–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Sörensen CH, Sonne-Hølm S. Social costs of sports injuries. Br J Sports Med 1980; 14: 24–5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. den Toom PJ, Schuurman MIM. Een model voor berekening van kosten van ongevallen in de privé-sfeer. Amsterdam: St. Cons. en Veiligheid, 1988

    Google Scholar 

  43. Pritchett JW. High cost of high school football injuries. Am J Sports Med 1980; 8(3): 197–9

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. van Puffelen F, Reijnen JON, Velthuijsen JW. Sport en gezondheid, economisch bezien. Amsterdam: SEO, 1989

    Google Scholar 

  45. van Mechelen W, Hlobil H, Kemper HCG. Incidense, severity, aetiology and prevention of sports injuries. Sports Med 1992; 14(2): 82–99

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Research in Extramural Medicine and Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    Willem van Mechelen

Authors
  1. Willem van Mechelen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Willem van Mechelen.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

van Mechelen, W. The Severity of Sports Injuries. Sports Med 24, 176–180 (1997). https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199724030-00006

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-199724030-00006

Keywords

Search

Navigation