Epidemiology Of Soccer-Related Injuries Treated At The United States Emergency Departments Between 2014 And 2023

PURPOSE: Across the United States, soccer has gained significant popularity over the past few decades in all age groups. From increasing enrollment in youth soccer to the development of adult recreational leagues, many Americans are playing soccer in an organized/semi-organized manner. The purpose of this study was to investigate soccer-related injuries for participants that presented to the United StatesEmergency Departments (EDs). METHODS: This was a retrospective descriptive epidemiologic study using theNational Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) from 2014 to 2023. Our main outcome measurements were estimated injury occurrence and characteristics. The NEISS data was screened to only include injuries incurred while at semi-organized/organized soccer events. Inclusion criteria included age > 4, location of injury occurring at a park/public property, school, or place of recreation, and injury mechanism within the bounds of a typical soccer game. RESULTS: From 2014-2023, 63,539 soccer-related injuries were treated at U.S. EDs. Males accounted for 69.7% of injuries. The average age of a patient was 16.5 ± 8.6 years old and the most commonly injured body parts were the ankle (15.1%), head (13.1%), and knee (12.8%). Sprains/strains (26.7%)and fractures (23.5%) were the most common diagnoses. Concussions comprised 6.3% of injuries. The vast majority of patients were treated and discharged. CONCLUSIONS: This study determined common soccer-related injuries, their patterns and severity over a10-year period. Interestingly, most injuries did not require hospitalization. Significance of Findings: Understanding the epidemiology of injuries presenting to EDs can help guide prehospital care and medical care allocation for team physicians covering soccer events and identify areas for targeted injury prevention efforts.