Introduction: Rhythmic gymnastics is an Olympic sport that combines elements of artistic gymnastics, dance and ballet. In order to be successful in this sport, it is important that all motor skills are well developed, especially mobility and coordination, as girls, during jumping, pyruet and balance, also have to cope with the manipulation of props such as rope, hoop, ball, clubs and ribbon. Rhythmic gymnastics is characterised by early specialisation, as girls have become members since the age of 15. From the youth category onwards, on average, they are training five to six times a week, 5 hours a day. As a result, they are already exposed to highly intensive training prior to the onset of puberty. Such high burdens require the highest level of capacity of the athlete. This can lead to physical and mental depletion of athletes, exposing them to an increased risk of injury. To successfully prevent injuries, we need to know in detail the mechanism of injury, what injuries occur in relation to anatomical location and their risk factors, as this is the only way to make effective prevention. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to present the incidence of muscular skeletal injuries in rhythmic gymnastics in Slovenia and worldwide through a review of the expert reviews and scientific literature. Methods: The search for professional and scientific literature was conducted through the PubMed and COBISS databases, using a selected combination of keywords within a time-frame of 2014 to 2020. Data are obtained for Slovenian rhythmic gymnastics in the database of the ‘Integrated preparation of athletes’ project, which is carried out annually by the Slovenian Gymnastic Federation. Results: Based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 7 surveys have been included in the literature review. Those surveys investigated the incidence of injuries in recreational and top-class rhythmic gymnastics. In total, 1470 subjects participated in the surveys. The results showed that chronic injuries predominate. The trunk and the lower limb are recorded as the most exposed part of the body. The most common anatomical locations of injuries are the ankle, the knee and the lumbar spine. Discussion and conclusion: We found that the incidence of injuries in Slovenia is quite similar to that in the world and that injuries in rhythmic gymnastics are exposed to various risk factors, most of which we can have control over. Prevention and physiotherapy aim at preventive action are key to reducing the incidence of injuries.
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