A Literature Review: Epidemiology of Injuries in Paralympic Athletes

Mahardika Oktavian Klose, Sri Sumartiningsih

Abstract


The continued growth of international sporting competition for athletes with disabilities, known as the Paralympics, requires a comprehensive understanding of injury patterns in Winter and Summer Paralympic athletes. Previous studies on Paralympic injury incidence have often been limited to athletes from a specific country, a single Paralympic event, or a specific sport, creating challenges in mapping injury patterns across a diverse Paralympic athlete population. This study aimed to identify injury incidence by sex, age, anatomical region, sport, season of competition, and injury onset, or to map injury patterns in Paralympic athletes. A literature review was conducted using Google Scholar, PubMed, and Scopus. Article quality was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS), with six articles meeting the criteria. Four articles addressed the Winter Paralympics, and two addressed the Summer Paralympics. Results showed the highest injury incidence occurred in men around 35 years of age, primarily in the shoulder, during competition, and generally due to acute trauma. Differences in sport between the Winter and Summer Paralympics contribute to variations in injury incidence. However, 5-a-side football (Summer) and alpine skiing (Winter) consistently showed the highest injury rates. Study limitations include differences in measurement methods, athlete heterogeneity, and sport variation. These findings are important for tailoring injury prevention strategies to specific sports and athlete characteristics.

Keywords


Summer Paralympics; Sports injury; Para-athletes, Winter Paralympics;

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17509/tegar.v9i1.91417

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