Causes of Injury
Define injury
A reduction or loss of bodily function or structure.
What is an internal risk factor?
A factor related to the individual participating
Define a musculoskeletal injury.
An injury involving muscle, bone, tendon, ligament, or soft tissue
What is the purpose of protective equipment?
To reduce injury by providing a protective barrier.
What percentage of high-school sport injuries are acute?
93%
State the formula for calculating risk of injury and explain one component.
Risk = Likelihood × Severity; likelihood = how probable an injury is.
Give two external risk factors and briefly explain each.
Environmental conditions like heat
Playing surface like slippery turf
Describe a laceration injury with an example.
Cut by an external object
Ex: rugby boot studs cutting a hand.
Give two examples of rule changes that reduce injuries.
Ban on body checking (youth hockey), ban on basket tosses on hard surfaces.
Identify the two most common chronic injuries in high-school sports.
Muscle strains and tendon inflammation (each 23%).
Distinguish between acute and chronic injuries with one example each.
Acute = sudden injury
Ex: contusion
Chronic = repeated force over time
Ex: tendonitis
Describe two internal and two external risk factors for swimming.
Internal: skill level, training level.
External: water depth, water temperature.
Outline three types of musculoskeletal injuries.
Laceration/shearing, contusion/compression, strain-type.
Explain how prehabilitation reduces injury risk.
Strength, balance, and mobility training prepare the body to handle forces.
Explain why concussion recovery is not always linear.
Differences in injury severity, individual physiology, and symptom responses may cause progress or setbacks.
Explain how risk assessment can reduce the magnitude of injury risk.
Identifies hazards, classifies likelihood/severity, and guides strategies to lower one or both.
Explain how previous injury and equipment quality affect injury likelihood.
Previous injury weakens tissue → higher susceptibility. Poor or worn equipment → less protection/higher force impact.
Explain how a contusion and a strain differ in force, cause, and outcome.
Contusion = compressive force causing bruising or fracture
Strain = overstretching fibers causing reduced muscle function.
Evaluate the benefits and limitations of ICE (ice, compression, elevation).
Reduces swelling/pain, compression improves drainage, elevation reduces fluid. Overuse of ice may delay healing.
Describe the purpose of a concussion return-to-play progression.
Gradually increases activity to safely restore brain function and prevent re-injury.
Discuss how both likelihood and severity influence injury magnitude, using a sport scenario.
A high-risk situation like deep-water swimming, combines high likelihood and high severity. Identifying both helps determine appropriate strategies like lifeguards, depth tests, or technique training.
Explain how an internal and an external risk factor can combine to increase injury risk.
Example: Low fitness level (internal) plus a slippery playing surface (external) increases the likelihood of losing balance and getting injured.
Compare acute and chronic injuries using each musculoskeletal type (laceration, contusion, strain) to illustrate your answer.
Lacerations and contusions are almost always acute, caused by sudden force (cuts, impacts).
Strains can be acute (a sudden overstretch) or chronic (repeated stress over time causing gradual muscle fiber damage).
Discuss the importance of scaling sporting equipment in youth sports and evaluate one potential drawback.
Scaled equipment improves technique, safety, and learning. But over repetition with scaled equipment may increase overuse injury risk.
Evaluate two different injury interventions and explain how each reduces injury risk.
Protective equipment reduces severity of impact. Prehabilitation reduces likelihood of injury by improving strength and stability.