Abstract des Autors

First, a retrospective data pool consisting of the top female soccer players in Germany was created. All 254 female players from all 12 clubs were interviewed personally. Prospective controlled data were gained throughout one whole season. The retrospective portion of the study counted a total of 1,347 relevant injuries with a risk of 1.3 injuries per 1000 hours of play. Seventy-nine percent of the injuries affected the lower extremities; 9% were head injuries. Fourty-two percent affected the joints, 37% were muscle injuries. In 33% of cases, the knee joint was injured; the upper leg was injured in 22% of cases, and 18% of injuries involved the ankle. A total of 216 injuries recorded prospectively yielded an injury rate of 2.5/1,000. Of the 81% of injuries that resulted from trauma, 82% affected the lower extremities, and 7% involved the head. The most common injury site, accounting for 27% of all injuries, was the knee, followed by the ankle (23%) and the upper leg (14%). 34% of injuries were classified as minor, 39% as moderate and 27% as severe to a great extent involving ruptured ligaments in the ankle and knee. Soccer injuries happen less frequently in women's soccer, but women's injuries are just as severe as the injuries suffered by men. The most common traumatic injury is a sprained ankle. Torn ligaments in the ankle and knee are the most common injuries that require a long recovery period. Female players suffer more head injuries than male players. Preventive measures are extremely important as a means to reduce the number of ruptured ligaments. Verf.-Referat