MUSCULOSKELETAL INJURIES IN GYMNASTS

Artistic gymnastics has peculiar characteristics with different requirements in the execution of technical elements that require the use of specific physical skills. Previous studies have demonstrated the importance of identifying and characterizing musculoskeletal injuries (SCI) associated with the practice of artistic gymnastics. The aim of this study was to analyze the prevalence of SCI among gymnasts. This is a retrospective, observational, descriptive, cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. The sample had 67 participants, aged between 8 and 17 years, 49 women and 18 men, from two training centers in Campo Grande, MS. The research was approved by the Ethics Committee for Research with Human Beings of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul (CEP/UFMS), under opinion nº 5,013,655. In addition to the anthropometric assessment, a questionnaire was applied to identify retrospective cases of SCI. For analysis of the results, the Z test was used to compare absolute and relative proportions (%). The significance level adopted was p<0.05. From the reports of 23 participants (34.3%), a total of 34 cases of SCI were obtained, culminating in 0.51 injuries/participant and 1.49 injuries/injured participant. Of that number, eight (8) individuals reported at least two retrospective cases of SCI, while another 65.2% (15) reported only one retrospective case of SCI. According to previous studies, there is a greater occurrence of injuries in the lower limbs in female gymnasts, while the locations in the upper limbs stand out among male gymnasts. In the present study, there was a greater number of injuries in the lower limbs for both genders (n=20; 58.8%; 11 cases of SCI in the ankle/foot, 55%). As a causal mechanism of SCI, exercises on the ground were the main circumstances for the appearance of sports injuries (n=27; 79.4%), in both categories, female and male (p=0.012). Our investigation involved a considerable number of young participants classified as “non-elite”, according to the previous definition. In general, these gymnasts are submitted to greater demand in terms of training of learning elements, with a focus on the development of basic physical skills. As a result, emphasizing exercises on the lower limbs compared to the upper limbs is very common in these conditions, which may be associated with several biomechanical effects. It is concluded that regular physical training in artistic gymnastics causes biological adaptations that allow gymnasts to perform better, but this routine also exposes them to greater chances of injury.