Thomas Jefferson University Hospital - Soccer’s Popularity Adds Injury Numbers for ER Visits

Soccer’s Popularity Adds Injury Numbers for ER Visits

Orthopedic surgeon Steven B. Cohen, MD, comments – and provides tips for preventing soccer injuries

Over a 13-year period, almost 1.6 million U.S. children needed to visit the emergency room due to soccer-related injuries, according to a report in The American Journal of Sports Medicine. The study included injuries that occurred during both organized and non-organized soccer play. While past research on soccer injuries has tended to focus on pro players, injuries to specific body parts, and age- or gender-specific soccer injuries, this study is the first to investigate soccer-related injuries among the entire U.S. pediatric population.

Steven B. Cohen, MD, orthopedic surgeon and Director of Sports Medicine Research at the Rothman Institute at Jefferson, Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, and Assistant Team Physician for the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Joseph’s University, says that while the study has some flaws, it’s valuable as a source of detailed information about the types of soccer injuries affecting children of various ages.

Just as important, it helps illustrate that soccer isn’t necessarily a “safer” alternative to football: “The perception is that football is the sport where the majority of injuries occur,” Dr. Cohen says. “Quite honestly, that’s not the case. In youth football especially, you have a lot of padding, and the speed of the sport is slower. In soccer, there’s greater speed but less protection, so you may be more likely to develop bumps, bruises and strains that you wouldn’t in football.”

Young teens have highest rates
During the study period of 1990 to 2003, the number of high school students playing soccer more than doubled from 305,102 to 658,817, the researchers note. The study’s author has said that accurate estimates of how many younger children are playing are harder to come by, because there is no national database of soccer organizations. However, the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates that more than 11 percent of youngsters were involved in youth soccer in 1990, and that this number rose to nearly 22 percent by 2003.

For the study, researchers examined data from the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, which is made up of 100 nationally representative hospital emergency departments.

They found that just under 1.6 million children between the ages of two and 18 sustained soccer injuries serious enough to require an emergency room visit during the study period.

Boys were the most likely to be injured, with nearly 59 percent of the injuries occurring in males. Youngsters between the ages of 10 and 14 had the highest rates of injuries, sustaining 49 percent of all injuries.

While boys sustained the majority of the injuries, the rate of injuries rose faster among girls. The researchers suspect that this may be because more girls are now playing soccer.

The most common injuries were to the hand, wrist or fingers, followed by ankle injuries and knee injuries. Girls were more likely to sustain ankle and knee injuries and to have sprains or strains than boys.

In older players – those ages 15 to 18 – concussion was the most common injury and often occurred due to collisions with other players or from falling to the ground.

“Older athletes run at higher speed and play with greater intensity,” Dr. Cohen notes. “So it’s intuitive that any physical impact and resulting injuries would be greater, as well.”

Even the youngest players were not immune to injuries. Children ages two to four sustained more injuries to the face, head and neck than older players. In fact, the youngest players (especially boys) were also more likely to be hospitalized for soccer injuries than their older counterparts.

“Generally speaking, younger children have great difficulty expressing themselves in words,” Dr. Cohen says. “When a young child is injured, and particularly if you suspect a concussion, it’s wise to hospitalize and observe that child.”

Preventing injuries
Dr. Cohen says that no matter how cautious parents and children are, injuries are inevitable when kids play sports, – including soccer. Even so, he offers the following common-sense tips to help minimize the likelihood of injury and the severity of injury if one should occur:

Choose a sports organization or team with a commitment to injury prevention. Playing fields should be level and well-maintained to help prevent falls.

Look for coaches trained in first aid and CPR and with a plan for emergency response. Also look for coaches whose philosophies are aligned with your child’s interest in soccer – that is, highly competitive or simply recreational.

Make sure your child has and uses – consistently and correctly – his/her protective gear. In soccer, protective gear generally includes shin pads for boys and girls and some kind of protective cup for boys.

Incorporate warm-up and cool-down exercises into your child’s routine before and after a sporting event.

Ensure your child drinks plenty of water or sports drink while playing. On hot days, make sure that kids take more breaks than they may on cooler days.

Above all, Dr. Cohen stresses that children should never play through pain.

“Children are not ‘little adults,’” he says. “They shouldn’t ignore their pain. Pain is a sign of overuse or injury, and it’s vitally important for kids to give their bodies time to recover.”

Always consult a physician if your child has been injured playing soccer or any other sport.To schedule an appointment with a Jefferson physician, call 1-800-JEFF-NOW. Regardless of your needs, including location, types of insurance accepted, and particular expertise, JEFF NOW will help you find the doctor that’s right for you and get you an appointment quickly and easily.