Non-shoulder Injuries in Swimming: A Systematic Review. Issue 3 (1st May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Hill, Lee; Mountjoy, Margo; Miller, Jim
• Is Part Of: Clinical journal of sport medicine. Volume 32:Issue 3(2022)
• Page Start: 256
• Page End: 264
• Publication Date: 2022-05-01
• Subjects: swimming -- injury -- elite -- prevention -- knee; Sports medicine -- Periodicals; 617.1027
• DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000903
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1050-642X

Abstract

Abstract : Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text. Abstract : Objective: The shoulder is the most common injury in swimming, followed by the knee and spine. The repetitive nature of swimming training may predispose a swimmer to injury. Several risk factors have been previously identified, but the level of evidence and level of certainty that these risk factors predispose a swimmer to injury risk has yet to be evaluated critically in a systematic review. Design: Systematic review and meta-analysis following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Data Sources: Data were obtained through PubMed, Cochrane, and Google Scholar. The database search was limited to articles that were published between January 1980 and December 2019. Eligibility Criteria for Selecting Studies: Level I, II, and III studies were included in this review. All studies must have been conducted in swimmers or swimming, a description of the specific pathology and provide at least one identified risk factor with an association ( P < 0.05). Results: A total of 19 critically appraised articles identified 28 potential risk factors for musculoskeletal injuries in swimmers. The risk factors were grouped by the anatomical region: neck and back, pelvis and hip, and the knee. Only 2 risk factors were appraised at a moderate level of certainty, both occurring in the knee. The remaining 26 identified risk factors were appraised at a low level of certainty. There is a clear lack of research surrounding nonshoulder injuries in swimmers.