Etiology of musculoskeletal injuries in amateur breakdancers

Abstract

Aim. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in breakdancers and investigate the association with training habits. Methods. Forty-six males and 16 females completed a questionnaire regarding their training and competition habits (frequency, warm-up and stretching, strength training, protective equipment, move types and supervision) and the musculoskeletal injuries sustained as a result of breakdancing in the previous 12 months. The effects of training habits and sex on injury rates were analyzed by a Mann Whitney Test and a Kruskal Wallis Test, while a stepwise linear regression analysis assessed the link between injury rates and quantitative risk factors. Results. The injury rate was 4.02 injuries per 1000 h, with no significant difference between males and females (P>0.05). The main injuries affected were the knee (23.4%) and wrist (15.3%), and females were characterized by a significantly greater number of finger injuries and a lower number of shoulder injuries that males (P<0.05). In addition, of all the risk factors evaluated, only the amount of time spent performing breakdance training showed a significant association with injury rate (P<0.05). Conclusion. These results suggest that interventions should focus on protecting specific body parts and improving training quality and recovery.