Participation in Special Olympics sports was associated with varying injury rates, ranging from 38.5% of athletes injured in gymnastics to 12.9% in golf.
Cross-Sectional (n=2,251)
Special Olympics athletes experience a high rate of injuries, particularly non-musculoskeletal injuries, which should inform medical coverage planning for future events.
OBJECTIVE: To categorize injury types and occurrence among athletes participating in the Special Olympics (SO). DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional cohort study. SETTING: 2018 SO USA Games. PARTICIPANTS: Athletes participating in 14 sports at the 2018 SO USA Games (n = 2251). INDEPENDENT VARIABLES: Individual and team sports. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage of athletes injured per individual sport, percentage of injury type by sport, rate of injuries per 1000 exposures, and number of injuries per game in team sports. RESULTS: In individual sports, the percentage of athletes injured ranged from 38.5% in gymnastics to 12.9% in golf. Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries occurred in 53.3% of gymnastics injuries and 58.6% of tennis injuries. For stand-up paddleboard, most injuries were non-MSK (66.7%). The highest rate of MSK injuries occurred in gymnastics (25.6/1000 exposures), whereas the highest rates of non-MSK injuries (95.2/1000 exposures) and minor injuries (47.6/1000 exposures) were among stand-up paddleboard athletes. In team sports, the highest number of injuries per game occurred in softball (1.9 per game). CONCLUSIONS: A high percentage of injuries occurred at the 2018 SO USA Games. The high rate of non-MSK injuries is unique to the SO and should be considered when planning medical coverage for future events.
Newman et al. (2022) conducted a cross-sectional in Special Olympics athletes (n=2,251). Participation in individual and team sports was evaluated on Percentage of athletes injured per individual sport, percentage of injury type by sport, rate of injuries per 1000 exposures, and number of injuries per game in team sports. Participation in Special Olympics sports was associated with varying injury rates, ranging from 38.5% of athletes injured in gymnastics to 12.9% in golf.