Incidence and profile of musculoskeletal injuries in volleyball players and their associated factors: A cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Volleyball is widely practiced worldwide and involves rapid movements combined with repeated jumps and landings, creating substantial mechanical demand and a notable injury burden, especially in the shoulder, knee, and ankle. Identifying injury characteristics and related factors may support preventive strategies. OBJECTIVE: To estimate the overall injury incidence, describe injury characteristics, and explore factors associated with sports injuries in volleyball players. METHODS: Retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive epidemiological study conducted between March and September 2025 with volleyball players aged ≥ 18 years residing in Brazil. Data were collected through a digital questionnaire addressing demographics, anthropometrics, training habits, sleep, mood, and perceptions of injury risk and prevention. Descriptive statistics and association tests (chi-square, Fisher's exact test, Student's t-test, or Mann - Whitney) were used. Overall injury incidence was calculated per 1000 hours of estimated annual volleyball exposure. RESULTS: Eighty players were included, 55 women (68.8%) (median age 24 years). In 2024, 39 participants (48.8%) reported at least one injury, totaling 81 self-reported events, mainly affecting the knee, shoulder/clavicular region, ankle, and fingers. The overall estimated incidence was 2.89 injuries per 1000 exposure hours. 61.5% of injured players reported time loss, with a median return time of 21 days. Injured athletes reported a longer volleyball practice history in the parametric comparison, whereas no categorical variable remained associated with injury occurrence after revision of the analytical strategy. CONCLUSION: Volleyball players demonstrated a substantial injury burden, supporting preventive strategies that integrate physical, training-related, behavioral, and psychosocial components.