Exploring the relationship between floor type and risk of injury in netball
Date
2010
Authors
Walker, A.W.
Editors
Fleming, P.R.
Forrester, S.
Forrester, S.
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Conference paper
Citation
STARSS 2 - Science Technology and Research into Sport Surfaces, 2010 / Fleming, P.R., Forrester, S. (ed./s), pp.1-14
Statement of Responsibility
Conference Name
Science Technology and Research into Sport Surfaces 2010 UK (21 Apr 2010 - 22 Apr 2010 : Loughborough University, UK)
Abstract
Over 5 million Australians suffer sports related injuries each year. Lower limb injuries are the most common form of injury across all sports and recreational activities, and "landing badly" on a playing surface, is the most common method of injury reported for both ankle and knee injuries. Netball is the most popular team sport in Australia and it is played predominantly by females on non-resilient, hard playing surfaces. Netball ranks amongst the top sports for sporting injuries, with ankle and knee injuries making up more than two thirds of all netball injuries requiring emergency department treatment. In recent years, advances in materials technology have played a critical role in the development of most sports but despite such a large range of playing surfaces and material types now available for use in playing surface construction, there is a lack of information relating injury risk associated with playing sport on various surfaces. To date, studies have been limited to a narrow range of natural (timber, parquet and grass) or synthetic (rubber composition, bitumen, concrete and synthetic turf) surfaces, but such studies have tended to only make generalised comment on each surfaces structural and material characteristics in relation to injury risk. This prospective research project will see the development of a clinical trial which will be undertaken in partnership with Netball South Australia, to quantify injury rates and describe injury mechanisms, on each surface type used by Netball South Australia and its associated organisations.