 Cross-country runners in high school, especially girls, suffer injuries at a consistently high rate, which may mean coaches may have to change the way they evaluate potential athletes and conduct practice, a new study says.Researchers led by Dr. Mitchell J. Raugh, an orthopedic and sports physical therapy expert at the Rocky Mountain University of Health Professions in Provo, Utah, found that out of 421 boys and girls from 23 cross-country teams in Seattle, Wash., 162 of them suffered 316 injuries during the 1996 season. Girls were four times more likely to get injured and sidelined for as many as 15 days or more, according to the study in the recent American Journal of Epidemiology.
The overall injury rate was 17 injuries per 1,000 athletic exposure, with girls suffering 19 injuries for every 1,000 athletic exposure. Athletes were injured more frequently during practices than during meets, and the body parts most commonly affected included the shin, the knee, and the ankle, according to the study. More than 365,000 students participate in cross-country running, the seventh most popular sport for high-school girls and boys. However, the sport is fraught with injuries, with studies pegging the injury rate among cross-country runners in general from less than 2 percent to as high as 50 percent. However, little research exists as to the injury rate among high school athletes. Dr. Raugh said the difference between the injury rates for boys and girls may go back to differences in pre-season summer training. In addition, the girls' quadriceps angle-from a point on the hip to the middle of the kneecap and from the kneecap to a point on the upper shin-was also blamed for the higher risk of injury. A quadriceps angle of 20 degrees or more, which is more common with girls, is blamed for a two-fold increase risk of injury than if the angle was less than 20 degrees. Boys with an angle of 15 degrees or more are more likely to get injured, according to the study. The findings cause researchers to suggest that high-school coaches boost their pre-season screening for students who've not recovered entirely from prior running injuries and not let them participate in cross-country running until they're fully rehabilitated. In addition, coaches should build up the intensity and duration of workouts, the researchers added. Source:Â American Journal of Epidemiology
Posted by: Steve Smith
Website: http://aje.oxfordjournals.org This summary by Nubella News is a snapshot of a larger, more detailed study and/or research project. Nubella News encourages all site visitors and readers interested in understanding the material contained within this article at a more detailed level, to perform additional research and investigation into the article topics, references, and any links provided within the material. Nubella News does not intend to offer medical advice. We recommend that all readers ask their doctor or medical professional for additional advice, guidance, and/or recommendations pertaining to this article. |
