Incidence of sports injuries and physiotherapy care in Argentine athletes during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games: an observational study
Abstract
Objective: To report the overall and sport-specific incidence of sports injuries (SIs) and to describe the characteristics of SIs and physiotherapy care in Argentine Paralympic athletes during the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
Materials and methods: A prospective cohort observational study was conducted. All Argentine Paralympic athletes who received care from the physiotherapy service of the Argentine Paralympic Committee for a SI were included. Athletes from the blind football 5-a-side team were excluded.
Results: A total of 49 athletes (81.7 %) required physiotherapy care. The median age of injured athletes was 28 years (IQR 24.3–33), and 26 (52 %) were women. The overall cumulative incidence (CI) was 116.7 per 100 exposed athletes (95 % CI 90.9–147.4), and the overall incidence density (ID) was 64.9 per 1,000 athlete-days (95 % CI 48–85.8). Functional muscle disorder (FMD) was diagnosed 54 times (77.1 %), and overuse as the injury mechanism was recorded 64 times (91.1 %). A total of 232 physiotherapy sessions were recorded, of which 182 (78.4 %) were conducted in the clinic. The thigh, with 12 injuries (17.1 %), was the most frequently affected injury location.
Conclusion: Overall CI and ID were reported. Judo and taekwondo showed the highest CI, whereas taekwondo and rowing showed the highest ID. FMD was the most frequent injury. These findings contribute to future decision-making, including the design of specific injury prevention programs and the planning of specialized personnel and equipment.
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