Musculoskeletal injuries in gymnastics : a review of epidemiology, etiology, and associated factors

Horvat, Urša (author), Salmič, Manca (author), Kozinc, Žiga (author)

Gymnastics encompasses various disciplines, including artistic gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics, acrobatics, aerobic gymnastics, parkour, and gymnastics for all. While there are many differences in characteristics, movement execution, and equipment, all disciplines involve brief and high-intensity movements. Athletes achieve extreme ranges of motion and generate and absorb significant forces while performing gymnastic elements. Consequently, gymnasts are prone to numerous injuries, with frequencies ranging from 0.5 to 9.4 injuries per 1000 hours of athlete exposure. The most common types of gymnastics injuries are sprains and strains. In females, lower limb injuries prevail, whereas males predominantly experience upper limb injuries. Specifically, the ankle, knee, and foot are frequent sites of injury in the lower limb, while the shoulder joint, wrist, and elbow are commonly affected in the upper limb. Spinal and head injuries occur less frequently. Identifying factors associated with injuries is important for their prevention. They can be classified as non-modifiable, potentially modifiable, and modifiable. By addressing the latter two groups of factors, we can contribute to reducing the incidence of injuries. The main intrinsic factors linked to injury onset include age, a rapid growth period, previous injuries, joint laxity and instability, limb asymmetry, abnormal muscle stiffness, stress, fear, and lack of focus, while the main extrinsic factors are early specialization, training volume and duration. Most injuries occur during artistic gymnastics routines, especially during the floor exercise. Although more injuries happen during training sessions, the injury rate is higher during competitions. Furthermore, a higher number of injuries is associated with less experienced coaches and inadequate equipment. Preventive measures for gymnastics injuries revolve around training equipment, and healthcare modifications. Optimal landing technique, balanced workload, and comprehensive rehabilitation are crucial, alongside addressing mental and emotional strain.

• Language: English
• Keywords: gymnastics, injury, epidemiology, sport, musculoskeletal injury, prevalence, incidence, pathomechanics, gymnasts
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 51-68, 158
• Numbering: Vol. 17, iss. 1
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-183698
• UDC: 796.41
• ISSN on article: 1855-7171
• DOI: 10.52165/sgj.17.1.51-68
• COBISS.SI-ID: 228362499

Copyright

Podatek o licenci CC BY-SA 4.0 je naveden na pristajalni strani članka (glej zgoraj izvorni URL). (Datum opombe: 19. 6. 2026)

• Publication date in RUL: 19.06.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Science of gymnastics journal
• Publisher: University of Ljubljana Press, Slovenia (Založba Univerze v Ljubljani)
• ISSN: 1855-7171
• COBISS.SI-ID: 246418176

Licences

• License: CC BY-SA 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
• Description: This Creative Commons license is very similar to the regular Attribution license, but requires the release of all derivative works under this same license.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Kostno-mišične poškodbe v telovadbi : pregled vrst, vzrokov in povezanih dejavnikov

Abstract

Telovadba obsega različne panoge, kot je orodna telovadba, ritmika, skoki na prožnih ponjavah, akrobatika, telovadni plesi, ulična telovadba in telovadba za vse. Čeprav obstajajo številne razlike v značilnostih, izvajanju gibanja in opremi, vse panoge vključujejo kratke in visoko energetsko zahtevne gibe. Telovadci dosegajo skrajne obsege gibanja ter ustvarjajo in proizvajajo znatne sile med izvajanjem telovadnih prvin. Posledično so telovadci nagnjeni k številnim poškodbam. Frekvenca se giba od 0,5 do 9,4 poškodbe na 1000 ur vadbe telovadca. Najpogostejše vrste poškodb pri telovadbi so zvini in nategi. Pri ženskah prevladujejo poškodbe spodnjih okončin, pri moških pa zgornjih okončin. Natančneje gleženj, koleno in stopalo so pogosta mesta poškodb spodnjega uda, medtem ko so ramenski sklep, zapestje in komolec pogosto prizadeti na zgornjem udu. Redkeje se pojavljajo poškodbe hrbtenice in glave. Prepoznavanje dejavnikov, povezanih s poškodbami, je pomembno za njihovo preprečevanje. Lahko jih razvrstimo kot nespremenljive, potencialno spremenljive in spremenljive. Z obravnavo zadnjih dveh skupin dejavnikov lahko prispevamo k zmanjšanju pojavnosti poškodb. Glavni notranji dejavniki, povezani z nastankom poškodbe, vključujejo starost, obdobje hitre rasti, prejšnje poškodbe, ohlapnost in nestabilnost sklepov, nesomernost okončin, nenormalno togost mišic, stres, strah in pomanjkanje osredotočenosti, medtem ko so glavni zunanji dejavniki zgodnja usmerjenost, obseg in trajanje vadbe. Največ poškodb se zgodi med sestavami orodne telovadbe, zlasti med sestavo na parterju. Čeprav se več poškodb zgodi med vadbo, je stopnja poškodb večja na tekmovanjih. Poleg tega je večje število poškodb povezano z manj izkušenimi vaditelji in neustrezno opremo. Preprečevalni ukrepi za telovadne poškodbe se vrtijo okoli opreme za vadbo in sprememb zdravstvene oskrbe. Najprimernejša tehnika doskokov, uravnotežena delovna obremenitev in celovito okrevanje po poškodbi so poleg odpravljanja duševnih in čustvenih obremenitev ključnega pomena.

• Keywords: gimnastika, poškodbe, epidemiologija, šport, mišično-skeletna poškodba, prisotnost, pogostost, patomehanika, telovadci