Analysis of musculoskeletal injuries in elite female soccer players: Cohort study in one Brazilian team

Purpose

The objectives of this study were to identify if preseason assessment variables predict lower limb musculoskeletal injuries in female soccer players and to compare characteristics between injured and non-injured athletes.

Design

4-month retrospective cohort study.

Setting

An elite women's soccer team from Brazil.

Participants

Twenty-seven female soccer players.

Main outcomes measures

Lower limb length and asymmetry, hamstring flexibility, isokinetic strength of the hamstrings and quadriceps, single hop, lunge test, mSEBT, Thomas, trunk mobility, hip adductor strength, Bent-knee fall-out for testing hip range of motion, lateral trunk flexor endurance, Hip Sit, and single-leg and countermovement jump were recorded at baseline. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify predictors for the occurrence of lower limb musculoskeletal injuries.

Results

The logistic regression showed a significant model for lower limb musculoskeletal injuries. Trunk mobility, Hip Sit test, and were associated with injury (p = 0.016; R² = 0,589). The model correctly classified 84.8% of cases (84.6% sensitivity and 85% specificity). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.53, 0.83; P < 0.024) demonstrating acceptable discriminative ability.

Conclusion

The model showed that trunk mobility, Hip Sit, and Bent-knee fall-out were predictors of lower limb musculoskeletal injuries in female soccer players.