Tennis Injuries Among German League Players: Investigating Patterns and Epidemiology of Acute and Chronic Injuries

While injuries among elite tennis athletes are extensively documented, a notable research gap exists regarding tennis injuries among club-level players. This study examines tennis injuries in German league players, with a particular emphasis on the impact of racquet properties and court surfaces, di...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Open access journal of sports medicine 2024-07, Vol.15, p.67-75
Main Authors: Krueckel, Jonas, Szymski, Dominik, Lenz, Julia, Fluegel, Julian, Weber, Johannes, Achenbach, Leonard, Meffert, Rainer, Alt, Volker, Fehske, Kai
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ankle
Athletes
court surface
Epidemiology
Injuries
injury
Investigations
ligament
Original Research
Prevention
racquet material
Sports injuries
Tennis
Citations: Items that this one cites
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:While injuries among elite tennis athletes are extensively documented, a notable research gap exists regarding tennis injuries among club-level players. This study examines tennis injuries in German league players, with a particular emphasis on the impact of racquet properties and court surfaces, distinguishing between chronic and acute injuries. Retrospectively analyzing data from 600 tennis players over a 1.5-year period, a standardized questionnaire covered anthropometrics, injury characteristics, equipment usage, and court surface conditions. The study identified 1012 tennis-related injuries, averaging 1.7 per player. Acute injuries predominantly affected the lower extremity (56%), with ankle injuries being the most prevalent, and ligaments were the most commonly affected structures (36.4%). Chronic complaints (reported by 364 athletes) focused on the upper extremity (63.2%), primarily tendon injuries (56.8%). Racket properties exhibited no significant impact on chronic upper extremity injuries. This study highlights a high incidence of acute lower extremity injuries, especially ankle ligament injuries, among German league tennis players. It offers crucial insights for devising targeted injury prevention strategies applicable to amateur, semi-professional, and professional tennis players, despite finding no significant link between racquet material and chronic upper extremity injuries.
ISSN:1179-1543
1179-1543
DOI:10.2147/OAJSM.S460907