The Burden of Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in Wrestling: A Systematic Review of Incidence,Injury Types,and Competition-Level Comparisons

Abstract

Context:

Wrestling is a physically demanding sport that places athletes at a high risk of musculoskeletal injuries, particularly to shoulder and elbow joints.

Objective:

This study summarizes published data on shoulder and elbow injuries in wrestling, determines their burden, and reports weighted average injury rates (wIRs).

Data Sources:

Databases searched included PubMed, Embase, Medline, Cochrane Library, and SPORTDiscus.

Study Selection:

Full-text studies in English evaluating shoulder or elbow injuries in competitive wrestlers with reported injury data specific to wrestlers, as well as to the shoulder or elbow were included. Exclusions were case reports, reviews, and studies not reporting orthopaedic injury data.

Study Design:

Systematic review.

Level of Evidence:

Level 4.

Data Extraction:

Extracted data included the first author, publication year, journal, country of the corresponding author, level of competition, method of data collection, duration of data collection, incidence of injury (injury rate [IR]) per athlete-exposure (AE), number of shoulder or elbow injuries, total number of injuries, total AEs, specific injury types, mechanism of injury, and time lost due to injury.

Results:

Shoulder and elbow injuries together accounted for 21.2% of all wrestling injuries, with a wIR of 14.1 per 10,000 AEs. Shoulder injuries accounted for 14.1% of all injuries (wIR = 6.2 per 10,000 AEs), while elbow injuries accounted for 7.2% (wIR = 4.1 per 10,000 AEs). The most frequent injuries were shoulder strains/sprains (wIR = 4.2), including rotator cuff (wIR = 3.4) and acromioclavicular joint injuries (wIR = 1.5), shoulder instability (wIR = 2.5), and elbow instability, including ulnar collateral ligament injury (wIR = 1.8).

Conclusion:

Shoulder and elbow injuries are common in wrestling, with shoulder injuries being more prevalent due to the joint’s mobility and relative instability. This review identifies the most common injuries and serves as a valuable resource for physicians managing the care of wrestlers.