Objectives: To determine the direct and indirect costs of injuries in sub-elite footballers in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, stratified by injury location, type, sex and age groups.
Design: Descriptive epidemiological study.
Methods: A de-identified insurance database containing three seasons (2018-2020) of football injuries in NSW was used to determine injury costs. Injuries were coded using the Orchard Sports Injury and Illness Classification System. Claim costs are presented by age group (Junior = 7-17 years, Senior = 18-34 years, and Veteran = 35+ years), sex and injury location and type. Cost data are reported as means ± standard deviation (SD) with 95 % Confidence Intervals (CI).
Results: There were 4145 total injury claims, totalling AU$13,716,173, at a mean cost of $3309 (95 % CI 3042-3577) per injury. Joint sprains accrued the largest costs ($6,665,938) with knee injuries accounting for just under half of the total costs of all injuries over the three-season period (49.1 %). ACL injuries accounted for 26.2 % of total costs with a high mean cost per injury ($4564 SD ± 346) alongside lower limb fractures ($4787 SD ± 425) and tendon ruptures ($4659 SD ± 1053). Despite only 22.5 % of injuries accruing indirect costs, these costs accounted for 70.2 % of the total cost ($9,623,665) with the mean indirect cost per injury being ten-times higher than the mean direct cost per injury ($10,337 vs. $987, respectively).
Conclusions: Knee injuries (mainly ACL ruptures), joint sprains, fractures and tendon ruptures are the costliest injuries in sub-elite football in NSW. With effective preventative measures available, there is potential to reduce injury rates and subsequent costs.
Keywords: Cost data; Football Injuries; Sub-elite.
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