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Prevention of acute knee injuries in adolescent female football players: cluster randomised controlled trial

Walden, Markus ; Atroshi, Isam LU ; Magnusson, Henrik ; Wagner, Philippe LU and Hagglund, Martin (2012) In BMJ: British Medical Journal 344(e3042).
Abstract
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of neuromuscular training in reducing the rate of acute knee injury in adolescent female football players. Design Stratified cluster randomised controlled trial with clubs as the unit of randomisation. Setting 230 Swedish football clubs (121 in the intervention group, 109 in the control group) were followed for one season (2009, seven months). Participants 4564 players aged 12-17 years (2479 in the intervention group, 2085 in the control group) completed the study. Intervention 15 minute neuromuscular warm-up programme (targeting core stability, balance, and proper knee alignment) to be carried out twice a week throughout the season. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was rate of anterior... (More)
Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of neuromuscular training in reducing the rate of acute knee injury in adolescent female football players. Design Stratified cluster randomised controlled trial with clubs as the unit of randomisation. Setting 230 Swedish football clubs (121 in the intervention group, 109 in the control group) were followed for one season (2009, seven months). Participants 4564 players aged 12-17 years (2479 in the intervention group, 2085 in the control group) completed the study. Intervention 15 minute neuromuscular warm-up programme (targeting core stability, balance, and proper knee alignment) to be carried out twice a week throughout the season. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury; secondary outcomes were rates of severe knee injury (>4 weeks' absence) and any acute knee injury. Results Seven players (0.28%) in the intervention group, and 14 (0.67%) in the control group had an anterior cruciate ligament injury. By Cox regression analysis according to intention to treat, a 64% reduction in the rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury was seen in the intervention group (rate ratio 0.36, 95% confidence interval 0.15 to 0.85). The absolute rate difference was -0.07 (95% confidence interval -0.13 to 0.001) per 1000 playing hours in favour of the intervention group. No significant rate reductions were seen for secondary outcomes. Conclusions A neuromuscular warm-up programme significantly reduced the rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury in adolescent female football players. However, the absolute rate difference did not reach statistical significance, possibly owing to the small number of events. (Less)
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author
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publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
BMJ: British Medical Journal
volume
344
issue
e3042
publisher
BMJ Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • wos:000303817700001
  • scopus:84861516626
ISSN
1756-1833
DOI
10.1136/bmj.e3042
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
f0d513c2-47ee-4431-a0fd-134aff32ba9d (old id 2545464)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 10:47:00
date last changed
2022-04-28 01:12:18
@article{f0d513c2-47ee-4431-a0fd-134aff32ba9d,
  abstract     = {{Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of neuromuscular training in reducing the rate of acute knee injury in adolescent female football players. Design Stratified cluster randomised controlled trial with clubs as the unit of randomisation. Setting 230 Swedish football clubs (121 in the intervention group, 109 in the control group) were followed for one season (2009, seven months). Participants 4564 players aged 12-17 years (2479 in the intervention group, 2085 in the control group) completed the study. Intervention 15 minute neuromuscular warm-up programme (targeting core stability, balance, and proper knee alignment) to be carried out twice a week throughout the season. Main outcome measures The primary outcome was rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury; secondary outcomes were rates of severe knee injury (>4 weeks' absence) and any acute knee injury. Results Seven players (0.28%) in the intervention group, and 14 (0.67%) in the control group had an anterior cruciate ligament injury. By Cox regression analysis according to intention to treat, a 64% reduction in the rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury was seen in the intervention group (rate ratio 0.36, 95% confidence interval 0.15 to 0.85). The absolute rate difference was -0.07 (95% confidence interval -0.13 to 0.001) per 1000 playing hours in favour of the intervention group. No significant rate reductions were seen for secondary outcomes. Conclusions A neuromuscular warm-up programme significantly reduced the rate of anterior cruciate ligament injury in adolescent female football players. However, the absolute rate difference did not reach statistical significance, possibly owing to the small number of events.}},
  author       = {{Walden, Markus and Atroshi, Isam and Magnusson, Henrik and Wagner, Philippe and Hagglund, Martin}},
  issn         = {{1756-1833}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{e3042}},
  publisher    = {{BMJ Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{BMJ: British Medical Journal}},
  title        = {{Prevention of acute knee injuries in adolescent female football players: cluster randomised controlled trial}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/2133064/3048495.pdf}},
  doi          = {{10.1136/bmj.e3042}},
  volume       = {{344}},
  year         = {{2012}},
}