Long-term outcome of sports injuries: results after inpatient treatment

Abstract

Objective: To investigate whether sports injuries result in long-term disabilities and handicaps and to establish variables with a prognostic value for the occurrence of these long-term consequences.

Materials and methods: All patients older than 17 years of age and admitted to the University Hospital Groningen because of a sports injury were entered in the study. By filling in a questionnaire 1–4 years after the injury an inventory was made of the long-term consequences.

Main outcome measures: Absenteeism from work and sports, experienced disabilities or handicaps and the Sickness Impact Profile 68 (SIP68).

Results: Out of 306 patients 229 (75%) returned a completed questionnaire. Sixty-seven per cent of the working population had been unfit for work up to one year, whereas 4% still had not resumed work. Absenteeism from sports was also considerable; nearly half of the population did not participate in sports for more than a year. Furthermore, 32% of the patients still experienced disability or handicap following the injury. This finding is in agreement with the results of the SIP68 (odds ratio 6.8; confidence interval (95% CI): 3.51–13.08). Two prognostic variables could be distinguished: ‘gender’ and ‘type of sport’. Long-term consequences occur more often in women (p < 0.03) and with playing outdoor soccer, horse riding or skiing (p < 0.01).

Conclusions: Sports injuries can lead to long-term disabilities and handicaps. The variables ‘gender’ and ‘type of sport’ were of prognostic significance.