Knee Injuries: A Burden of Schoolboy Rugby Players

Abstract

Background: School rugby injuries are a great concern to all rugby loving nations. There have been anecdotal reports by sport medical professionals that deviant quadriceps angle are associated with rugby knee injuries. This study aimed to document the nature of acute musculoskeletal rugby knee injuries among schoolboys participating in the Rugby A-League of the Upper Highway area of Kwa Zulu-Natal over a 12 month period (July 2013-June 2014). Materials and Methods: Data were collected from 115 high school rugby players via voluntary parental informed consent and player assent. Players completed a self-report musculoskeletal injury and exercise history questionnaire probing the nature of acute rugby knee injuries, predisposing risk factors (quadriceps angle, injury and exercise history). Probability was set at p≤ 0.05. Results: Twenty-four players sustained acute musculoskeletal knee injuries (p<0.001). The mechanisms producing the acute musculoskeletal injuries, were tackling (52.1%), diving/falling (43.47%) and rapid rotational movement at high velocity (4.34%) (p<0.05). The intrinsic risk factor predisposing rugby players’ to knee injury was deviant quadriceps angles (p<0.05). Exercise history did not predispose the players’ to knee injury (p<0.05). Conclusion: Players sustained a high prevalence of knee injuries associated with deviant quadriceps angles.