The role of pre-season health characteristics as injury risk factors in female adolescent soccer players

Abstract

[Purpose] Determine if female adolescent soccer players with a history of concussion, impaired K-D scores, and pre-season subjective complaints of neck pain, dizziness, and headache were predisposed to additional risk of musculoskeletal or concussive injury during 10-weeks of competitive play. [Participants and Methods] Twenty-three female high school soccer athletes provided concussion history and reported pre-season subjective complaints. K-D testing was performed pre and postseason. During the 10-week season, all injuries, preventing participation in practice or game, were recorded. [Results] Six reported a history of concussion. Of those six, three injuries were reported, including two concussions and a hamstring strain. Baseline K-D scores were worse in athletes that had two or more pre-season subjective factors compared to those that did not have any. Moderate positive correlations were found between a history of concussion and the number of injuries and a history of concussion and K-D post-test scores. [Conclusion] Findings indicate that pre-season subjective factors of neck pain, dizziness and headache, history of concussion, and K-D potentially increased injury risk. Combining pre-season metrics both at baseline and during the course of the season may assist in better injury risk screening in-season or indicate suboptimal function due to cumulative effects.