Developmental Differences in Muscle, Tendon, and Cartilage Injuries in Elite Badminton

This study investigated severe muscle, tendon, and cartilage injury characteristics by injury timing and post-injury management among elite badminton players. A retrospective interview study was conducted with 126 badminton players aged 19–24 years. A total of 87 severe injury cases reported by 73 athletes were analyzed, with some athletes contributing more than one case. Injuries were classified by timing into the secondary school group (SSG, n = 33) and the post-secondary group (PSG, n = 54). Injury characteristics and post-injury management were compared using chi-square or Fisher’s exact tests, with effect sizes. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) examined associations with injury timing. Compared with the SSG, the PSG had higher odds of lower limb muscle injuries (OR = 6.00, 95% CI = 1.85–19.47, p = .003) and smash/stroke-related injuries (OR = 5.43, 95% CI = 1.15–25.66, p = .033), whereas the PSG had lower odds of lower limb tendinopathies (OR = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.08–0.55, p = .001). These findings suggest that severe injury characteristics may differ according to the timing of injury occurrence, despite no significant between-group differences in post-injury management, and may help inform potential injury prevention priorities based on the observed injury patterns.