Safety of a preadolescent basketball program
M. E. Gutgesell
Department of Pediatrics, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville.
A preadolescent youth basketball program was prospectively studied to
determine injury rates and the kinds of injuries sustained. The overall
injury rate was 7.6% (39 injuries among the 510 children aged 5 to 12
years). Girls had a higher injury rate than boys (P less than .02). Only 12
children (2.4%) suffered significant injuries as defined by the inability
to play for at least one session. Most injuries were contusions (35.9%),
followed by strains or sprains (28.2%), epistaxis (12.8%), lacerations
(5.1%), and one finger fracture (2.6%), the most significant injury. Games
were more likely to produce injuries than practice sessions; most injuries
occurred in the second half of game play. This study documents a low injury
rate in an organized preadolescent basketball program.
