Sports Injuries and Prevention First Edition

This book presents the incidence of sports-related injuries, the types of injuries specific to
particular sports, and the importance of factors such as age and gender. Possible injury
mechanisms and risk factors are presented based on an analysis involving recent scientific
findings. A variety of sports are included to allow the reader to better generalize the results as
well as to apply appropriate procedures to specific sports. The authors have emphasized
basic scientific findings to help the reader gain a broad knowledge of sports injuries. The
potential audience includes medical doctors, physical therapists, athletic trainers, coaches
and interested parents. This book is expected to play a prominent role in the construction of
training programs for both healthy and injured players. The focus on junior athletes will aid in
their education, injury prevention and increased performance. It will also benefit instructors at
the junior and senior high school levels.
The book is composed of seven parts. In the beginning part, current situations and the
general characteristics of sports-related injuries are outlined on the basis of an investigation
utilizing statistical data involving a large number of populations. In the following parts,
detailed information on the injuries in terms of the types of sports activities, body sites,
symptoms and the relationships among these factors are discussed. Part 2, for example,
deals with topics on concussion and severe head–neck injuries which occur frequently in
rugby and judo. In Parts 3 and 4, as one of the major sports-related injuries, anterior cruciate
ligament (ACL) injuries are discussed. Beginning with the underlying mechanisms as
assessed by using the latest measuring techniques, characteristic features of their
occurrence are described. Further, Part 4 deals with topics on post-operative (ACL
reconstruction) aspects of ACL injuries, especially those related to muscle functions and
tendon regeneration in the hamstring muscles. Part 5 deals with muscle strain and focuses
particularly on those occurring in the hamstring muscles, as this muscle group is known, as
one of the most frequent sites of muscle strain. In Part 6, disorders related to the ankle and
foot are introduced. Finally, Part 7 provides information on lower back disorders. Included are
detailed mechanisms of their incidence, epidemiology and implications for their prevention.