Injuries

• acute injuries - a sudden injury associated with a traumatic event
• acute injury

  • common causes are collision between two players, a fall from a horse or excessive impact from an object
• chronic injuries - a slowly developed injury associated with overuse
• chronic injury

  • occur over a period of time
  • associated with repeated or continuous stress
  • common causes are a sudden increase in the intensity, frequency, duration of activity, reduction of recovery, inadequate equipment or technique, poor range of motion and an inadequate warm up and cool down
• hard tissue injury - damage to the bone, joint or cartilage, including fractures and dislocations
• hard tissue injury

  • can result in internal bleeding, circulatory problems and joint instability and usually require hospital treatment
• soft tissue injuries - damage to the skin, muscle, tendon or ligament, including tears, strains and sprains
• soft tissue injuries

  • result in inflammation and bruising (internal bleeding) and require immediate attention to minimise recovery times
• causes of chronic injuries:

  • sudden increase in intensity or frequency of training
  • reduction in recovery time
  • poor technique
  • Inadequate equipment
  • poor flexibility of associated joints
  • inadequate warm up/cool down
• Soft tissue injuries occur in:

  • muscle
  • tendons
  • ligaments
• hard tissue injuries occur in:

  • bone
  • joint
  • cartilage
• fracture - A partial or complete break in the bone due to an excessive force that overcomes the bones potential to flex.
• Fractures:

  • hard tissue injury
  • Usually comes from direct force (collision or object) or an indirect force (falling or poor technique)

  Indication of fracture: pain at the fracture site, inability to move or unnatural movement of the injured areas, deformity, swelling and discolouration.
• Types of fractures:

  • compound (open) fracture
  • simple (closed) fracture
• Compound (open) fractures - the fractured bones themselves break through the skin, creating an open wound with a high risk of infection. 
• Simple (closed) fractures - remain unbroken as the fracture causes little movement of the bone and therefore minimises the damage to the soft tissue surrounding it.
• Incomplete fracture - a partial crack in the bone that doesnt completely separate the bone
• Complete fracture - a total break in the bone which separates the bone into one or more fragments
• Greenstick fracture - a splitting partial break in the bone resulting from a bending action (like a fresh twig)
• Transverse, oblique and spiral fractures - a crack perpendicular, diagonal or twisting diagonal respectively across the length of the bone
• Comminuted fracture - a crack producing multiple fragments of bones and a long recovery process
• Impacted fracture - a break caused by the ends of a bone being compressed together
• avulsion - a bone fragment detached at the site of connective tissue attachment
• Types of fractures:

  • simple
  • compound
  • incomplete
  • complete
  • greenstick
  • transverse, oblique and spiral
  • comminuted
  • impacted
  • avulsion
• dislocation - The displacement of one bone from another one out of their original position
• Dislocation

  • hard tissue injury
  • Usually occurs from a direct force (collision or object) or an indirect force (a fall) pushing the joint past its extreme range of motion
  • All dislocations require treatment by a medical practitioner to ensure the bones are replaced in the correct alignment without causing further damage to the joint
• Dislocation:

  Typical sites of dislocation: shoulder, hip, knee, ankle, elbow, finger and toes

  Indication of dislocation: severe pain at an injury site, loss of movement, deformity, swelling or a ‘pop’ feeling
• Subluxation - an incomplete or partial dislocation
• subluxation

  • Often cause damage to the ligaments that connect bone to bone
  • Ligaments can permanently lengthen when overstretched, which decreases joint stability and increases the likelihood of recurrent dislocations.
  • This may result in surgeries and compromise a long-term playing career. 
• Contusion (bruise) - an area of skin or tissue in which the blood vessels have ruptured (a complete tear of a muscle, tendon or ligament)
• Contusion

  • soft tissue injury
  • Most are minor and heal rapidly without a break in play or training
  • Severe contusions, can cause deep tissue damage, preventing participation in sports for months
  • A fall or direct impact from a player or object causes contusions
• Haematoma - damaged tissue leads to the localised congealed bleeding from the ruptured blood vessels
• Haematoma

  • soft tissue injury
  • Range from superficial small bruises to deep bleeds that seep into surrounding tissues

  Indication of haematoma - swelling and discolouration 
• Sprain - Overstretch or tear in the ligament that connects bone to bone and supports a joint
• sprain

  • soft tissue injury
  • Caused by a sudden twist, impact or fall that forces the joint beyond its extreme range of motion
  • The severity of sprains ranges from overstretching of a few ligament fibres (first degree sprain) to a partial tear (second degree sprain), a total rupture or detachment of a ligament from the bone (third degree sprain)
• sprain:

  Typical site of a sprain - ankle of game players and athletes, knees to footballers and skiers and thumbs and wrist of an athlete bracing a fall

  Indication of a sprain - pain, swelling, bruising, inability to bear weight and possible dislocation
• Strain - Overstretch or tear in the muscle or tendon that connects muscle to bone
• strain

  • soft tissue injury
  • Caused by overstretching a particular area or contracting muscle fibres too quickly, resulting in overstretch, and partial or complete rupture of the muscle fibres or tendon
  • Most commonly occur in sports that require dynamic lunging and explosive movements
  • severity of strains ranges from minor damage to the fibres (grade 1) to a complete rupture (grade 3), which will require surgery and significant rehabilitation 

  Indication of a strain - pain on movement, swelling and discolouration or bruising
• Abrasion - Superficial damage to the skin caused by a scraping action against a surface
• abrasion

  • soft tissue damage
  • falling or slipping on an athlete track, netball court or clothes rubbing on the body
  • If abrasion causes an open wound, it may contain dirt or gravel and require cleaning
  • If a laceration (cut) is caused, medical attention may be required for suturing (stitching) 
  • Most sports have blood rules requiring the player to leave the game until the bleeding stops