Injury risk is greater in physically mature versus biologically younger male soccer players from academies in different countries

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate if maturity status was associated with injury risk in male academy soccer players.

Design: Prospective cohort surveillance study.

Setting: Professional soccer academies.

Participants: 501 players (aged 9-23 years) from eight academies in England, Spain, Uruguay and Brazil.

Main outcome measures: Players were grouped by maturity offset as pre-peak height velocity (PHV), circa-PHV, post-PHV or adult. Injury prevalence proportion (IPP) and days missed were recorded for one season per player, with training/match exposure recorded in a sub-sample (n = 166).

Results: IPP for all injuries combined increased with advancing maturity, with circa-PHV (p = 0.032), post-PHV (p < 0.001) and adult (p < 0.001) higher than pre-PHV. IPP was higher in post-PHV and adult than pre-PHV for non-contact (p = 0.001 and p = 0.012), soft-tissue (both p < 0.001), non-contact soft-tissue (p < 0.001 and p = 0.005), muscle (both p < 0.001), thigh (both p < 0.001), ankle (p = 0.035 and p = 0.007) and hamstring injuries (p = 0.041 and p = 0.017). Ligament/tendon IPP was greater in adult versus pre-PHV (p = 0.002). IPP for growth-related injuries was lower in post-PHV than pre-PHV (p = 0.039). Injury incidence rates (n = 166) exhibited similar patterns to IPP in the full cohort.

Conclusions: Injury patterns were similar between post-PHV and adult academy players but, crucially, relatively more of these groups suffered injuries compared to pre- and circa-PHV (except growth-related injuries).

Keywords: Adolescence; Football; Maturation; Maturity; Peak height velocity.