Abstract
Objective
The aim of this study is to describe the epidemiology of cheerleading-related strain/sprain
injuries by type of cheerleading team and type of event.
Methods
Athlete exposure (AE) and injury data were collected from 412 United States cheerleading
teams via the Cheerleading Reporting Information Online surveillance tool, and injury
rates were calculated.
Results
Strains/Sprains were the most common injury (53%; 0.5 injuries per 1000 AEs) sustained
by cheerleaders during our 1-year study. The lower extremities (42%), particularly
the ankles (28%), were injured most often. Most injuries occurred during practice
(82%); however, the rate of injury was higher during competition (0.8 injuries per
1000 AEs; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.6-1.0) than during practice (0.6 injuries
per 1000 AEs; 95% CI, 0.5-0.6) for all team types. Injuries were sustained most frequently
by high school cheerleaders (51%), although college cheerleaders had the highest injury
rate (1.2 injuries per 1000 AEs). Strains/Sprains occurred most frequently while attempting
a stunt (34%) or while tumbling (32%). Spotting/Basing other cheerleaders (19%) was
the most common mechanism of injury and was more likely to result in a lower back
strain/sprain than other mechanisms of injury (odds ratio, 3.38; 95% CI, 1.41-8.09;
P < .01).
Conclusions
Cheerleaders should increase their focus on conditioning and strength-building training,
which may help to prevent strain/sprain injuries. Spotters and bases should additionally
focus on proper lifting technique to help avoid back injury. Guidelines may need to
be developed for return-to-play after cheerleading-related strain/sprain injuries.
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Article Info
Publication History
Published online: August 16, 2010
Accepted:
May 23,
2010
Received in revised form:
May 21,
2010
Received:
April 7,
2010
Footnotes
☆Funding for this study was provided by The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital .
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
