SIRC -- Provincial Program Injury Report

September 2007 to September 2008

VAUGHAN, ON -- Using the “Injury Tracker” program since 1996 to log injuries reported to the Sports Centres data collection department, a summary of the injuries reported from September 2007 to 2008 is attached below.

The data collected represents injuries during training/games/travel with the OSA Provincial High Performance Development Program as they occurred and as recorded using our standardized daily logging process by our therapists and doctors.

Injuries were recorded with the assistance of the following professions: sports medicine specialists, physiotherapists, osteopaths, sports chiropractors, athletic therapists and sports massage therapists. The wide spectrum of health care providers is reflected in the variety of terminology used for injury description recorded on the original injury recording charts used by the Sports Centres.

Through its network provider group, the Sports Centres maintains a uniform cross-section of health care providers and the required documentation for collection of this type of information. This approach provides the injured Provincial players with the best comprehensive Team Based approach when looking for a consensus on an athlete’s injury as presented during their training, game or travel schedules.

As in previous years, our highly trained Exercise Physiology and Injury Recovery Rehabilitation Staff at the Canadian Sports Centres utilized a Periodization approach to ensure objective user friendly outcomes.

This process included - but was not limited to - the use of periodic team and individual athletic performance testing protocols. Athlete progress was measured and recorded by computer using new wireless infrared technology which permitted testing athletes while engaged in the process of their usual training and game sessions at the Soccer Centre and while on the road during competition. With data uploaded to a laptop computer via infrared technology, this new approach enabled provision of appropriate and timely feedback to both coaching staff and the athlete as to fitness levels, training difficulty and effort for post-event analysis.

Concussion and head injury management continues to be of concern to all involved with the Provincial program. A concerted effort has been made by certain organizations and research teams throughout the world to provide tools like the SCAT Card recommended by FIFA, which was posted on the OSA website by the Sports Centres earlier this year.

This on-going effort is to provide some standardization to the assessment and management of each head injury/facial episode. Discrepancies within the healthcare system regarding appropriate management of head injuries continues to prove challenging to the parent when considering what advice to follow and how to keep the best interests of their child in mind during the recovery phase.

Although the seriousness of any episode should not be underestimated, 3 significant concussions were recorded for an overall rate of .02% when all recorded injuries are considered.

Following is a revised chart giving an overview of the most frequent injuries encountered and the body part in which they occurred.

The data indicate that sprains/strains to the joints and muscles of primarily the lower limbs were the most common injury sustained.

ACL and meniscus tears have been reduced over previous years, primarily among the female athletes. These injuries fall under the sprains category and although sprains account for the second most common injury reported, 98% are to the foot and ankle and not the knee.

Staff consensus is that this reduction is primarily due to the performance training modifications implemented by our exercise physiology staff. Return-to-play time-frames for all injuries have improved over past years as our athletes benefit from a comprehensive, integrated and multi-disciplinary injury management approach with early access to appropriate assessment and diagnostic testing.

Best practice to improve an athlete’s performance while striving to minimize the risk for injury is an evolving process which the Sports Centres will continue to implement and monitor.

In the event injury does occur, the Sports Centres will continue to provide the most progressive integrated management of these injuries for the benefit of our provincial and national athletes.

Prepared by:
Dr. Robert Gringmuth, Mr. Paolo Pacione, Mr. Matt Daher
Chair and Members, OSA Medical Advisory Group

Distribution of Injuries

Sport: Provincial Soccer
Teams: NTCO/OSA, U14, 15, 16

Athlete: Male and Female
Type of injury: All Reported To Sport Centres
Body structure(s): ALL