Epidemiology of injuries of the Spanish high-level foot orienteer athlete

Abstract

Objective: Foot orienteering is an endurance sports that differs from other running events in the type of terrain encountered. The aim of this study was to identify the most common injuries occurring in spanish high- level foot orienteer athlete.

Methods: Forty-six orienteers who seek medical consultation in our unit were analyzed in a retrospective study. Data were recorded from age, sex, mechanism, anatomical distribution, and diagnosis. We classify injuries based on age and sex and their possible relationship was established using 2 test.

Results: Data were derived from 118 injuries. Acute injuries accounted for 67.79%.The ankle was the most commonly injuried location. Intra-articular pathology was the most common diagnosis. 

Conclusion: Orienteering put strenous demands on joints, and the ankle is particularly at risk. There are aspects of the injury profile of orienteering runners that differ in relation to those presented by middle-long distance runners. Ankle sprain is one of the most common acute injuries. It is necessary to carry out an adequate treatment to avoid sequelae, as well as prevention plans.