Muskuloskelettal Medicine

Abstract

Objective: To describe the injury and illness complaints of elite athletes during the four weeks before the 2022 European championships in Munich (Germany).Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study in athletes registered at the 2022 European championships from the 11th to the 21st August 2022, using an online pre-participation health questionnaire (PPHQ) asking about personal and training characteristics and injury and illness complaints during the four weeks preceding the championships.Results: Among the 5419 registered athletes, 239 (4.4%) completed the PPHQ. A total of 47 athletes (19.7%) reported an injury complaint during the four weeks before the championships. The most frequently reported worst symptom was pain (59.6%), location was upper extremity (19.1%), followed by posterior thigh (12.8%) and head/trunk (12.8%). The mean injury severity score (ranging from 0 to 100) was 39.420.2. About two-thirds of athletes reported performance not or only slightly affected by the injury complaint. Twenty-five athletes (10.5%) reported an illness complaint prior to the championships. The most frequently reported affected system was respiratory tract (52.0%), cause was infection (64.0%), and the mean illness severity score was 35.517.7. 80% of athletes reported that the performance was not or only slightly affected by the illness complaint.Conclusion: About 20% of included athletes reported an injury complaint and about 10% an illness complaint during the four weeks before the 2022 European championships. These results highlight the need of improving the monitoring and if needed, the management of athletes health, in the final preparation for international championships.Key Words: Sports Injury Prevention, Pre-Competition Medical Assessment, Injury/Illness Surveillance, Epidemiology, Championships