Ways to classify sports injuries

Classification according to tissue type
Soft-tissue injury
Soft-tissue injuries are the most common injuries resulting from participation in sport.
They include the following:
• skin injuries—abrasions, lacerations and blisters
• muscle injuries—tears or strains of muscle fibres and contusions
• tendon injuries—tears or strains of tendon fibres and inflammation (tendonitis)
• ligament injuries—sprains and tears of ligament fibres.
Soft-tissue injuries can result in internal bleeding and swelling. Prompt and effective management
of this bleeding aids recovery. Soft-tissue injuries are covered in further detail on page 290.
Table 16.2 Injury prevalence in AFL (missed games per club)
Body area Injury type
Head/neck Concussion
Facial fractures
Neck sprains
Other head/neck injuries
Shoulder/arm/elbow Shoulder sprains and dislocations
Acromio-clavicular joint injuries
Fractured clavicles
Other shoulder/arm/elbow injuries
Forearm/wrist/hand Forearm/wrist/hand fractures
Other forearm/wrist/hand injuries
Trunk/back Rib and chest wall injuries
Lumbar and thoracic spine injuries
Other buttock/back/trunk injuries
Hip/groin/thigh Groin strains/osteitis pubis
Hamstring strains
Quadriceps strains
Other hip/groin/thigh injuries
Knee Knee anterior cruciate ligament (CL)
Knee medial CL or posterior CL
Knee cartilage
Other knee injuries
Shin/ankle/foot Ankle sprains or joint injuries
Calf strains
Achilles tendon injuries
Fractures/stress fractures of leg or foot
Other leg/foot/ankle injuries
0.3
0.7
1.1
1.6
6.4
1.4
1.8
1.5
2.3
3.1
1.9
2.8
1.7
18.0
24.3
5.6
5.5
Other Medical illnesses/non-football injuries 4.1
Missed games/club/season 147.5
Adapted from 16th Annual AFL Injury Report: Season 2007
Hard-tissue injury
Hard-tissue injuries are those involving damage to the bones of the skeleton. They range from severe
fractures and joint dislocations to bruising of the bone. A direct force can bruise a bone and cause
bleeding between the outer layer of the bone and the underlying compact bone. This is common in a bone
such as the tibia (shin) where there is little muscle tissue over the bone to absorb the force.
Bones have a blood supply and internal bleeding can result from a fracture. In major injuries, this
internal bleeding in the bone, together with bleeding from surrounding damaged tissue, can lead to shock
and serious circulatory complications. Hard-tissue injuries are covered in further detail on page 294.
15.9
6.3
9.1
6.0
7.1
3.1
2.2
9.5
4.2
#
Tendons join
muscle to bone
while ligaments
join bone to bone.
#
Osteitis pubis is
an overuse injury
to the groin region
(inflammation of the
pubis symphisis).
Chapter 16 | HOW ARE SPORTS INJURIES CLASSIFIED AND MANAGED?
289