Epidemiology of Gymnastics Injuries

Abstract

Participation in gymnastics in the United States has grown in recent decades, yet available epidemiology data is limited by small, heterogeneous studies which rarely include male and club-level gymnasts. At all levels, gymnastics has one of the highest injury rates among girls’ sports. Across all disciplines, artistic gymnasts have the highest rates of injury. Sprains and strains are the most common injury types. Extremity injuries comprise approximately 75% of all gymnastics injuries, and ankle sprain is the most common diagnosis at every level. Lower extremity injuries are more common in female gymnasts, while upper extremity injuries are more common in male gymnasts. Increasing training hours and higher levels of gymnastics are associated with greater injury incidence and severity as well as more overuse injuries compared to acute injuries. At all levels, injuries occur most commonly during tumbling and dismount/landing with floor exercise being the most common injury apparatus. Although more overall injuries occur during practice, competition injury rates are 2–6 times higher per exposure time, and competition injuries tend to be more severe. Catastrophic injuries are rare and are most commonly reported at the college level.