Soccer Injury Report

Concerns about injuries to the face and mouth from playing soccer appear to be unfounded, according to a study from the Texas A&M University College of Dentistry.

From more than 120 coaches surveys in eight cooperating YMCA leagues in the Dallas metropolitan area, the incidence of orofacial injury was low. Only 17 orofacial injuries were reported in 47,772 hours of games and practice. All reported injuries were to soft tissue and none required professional attention.

* McFadyen, J., "Orofacial injuries in youth soccer," Pediatric Dentistry, May-June 1999, Vol. 21(3), pp. 192-196.

Use of a padded goal post could prevent fatalities in soccer, according to a study performed at the Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The study, which appeared in the May issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine, found that using protective padding on goal posts significantly reduced injuries from impacts with the posts.

Over a 13 year time period, at least 18 individuals have died from impact with goal posts, according to the Consumer Safety Commission. Many others have sustained serious head and spinal cord injuries. About 650,000 soccer injuries required emergency room or hospital admission between 1989 and 1992.

Shin guards significantly reduce lower extremity injuries in soccer, according to a study performed at the Institute for Preventative Sports Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The study, which appeared in the April issue of the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine found that shin guards reduced the force delivered by a kick to the leg by 41.2 to 77.1 percent and thus significantly reduced the risk of injury.

The area of the shin is the third most common area injured in soccer. Such injuries commonly occur when players try to kick the ball and instead kick each other.

"Collisions are not as common in soccer as they are in a sport such as American football," said David H. , M.D., Director of the Institute and co-investigator in the study. "However, contact is common and can lead to serious injuries due to the higher speed at which soccer is played." These injuries include fractures of the lower leg bone (tibia).

Go To Top

Free Injury Guide

Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., has produced the "Essential Guide to Sports Injury Treatment and Prevention" brochure. The brochure gives tips on how to prevent and treat all types of sports injuries, including soccer injuries. The brochure is free to the public. For more information or to obtain a copy of "Essential Guide to Sports Injury Treatment and Prevention" brochure, call 888/ASK-SJHC (275-7542).

Family | Career | Art of Juggling | Single Moms | Health
Dad's Voice | Bookshelf | News | Recipes | Sports Mom | Discussion Lists
Business Directory | The Boards | Wisdom of Mothers | Postcards | Resources
Search | About Us | Contact Us |Advertising on the Refuge | Home

Copyright © 2000   Working Moms Refuge.