Epidemiology of injuries in the Spanish national futsal male team: a five-season retrospective study

BACKGROUND Futsal started being played in 1930 and the number of futsal players has increased all over the world ever since. Nonetheless, despite the fact that Spain is one of the most relevant national teams worldwide, information on the incidence of injuries and their anthropometric characteristics is sparse in this country. AIM To analyse medical assistance provided to players in their prematch concentration camps with the Spanish national team over five seasons, from 2010-2011 to 2014-2015, and also to collect data regarding anthropometric characteristics. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a retrospective and detailed study of injuries players suffered over these five seasons. All variables were registered on an Excel spreadsheet and later analysed statistically. RESULTS 411 injuries were studied in total. The dominant somatotype was mesomorph and the injured pivots were both the most endomorphic and the most mesomorphic. The most injured body structure was the hamstring muscles, occurring due to training and intrinsic mechanisms, where fatigue was the most frequent diagnosis. Only a few complementary examinations were carried out and prematch withdrawal was rare. DISCUSSION The skinfold test total sum was lower than that of the Spanish 11-a-side players or than that in the lower category futsal Spanish players. In various research studies analysing exclusively injuries occurring in matches, the most frequent injury is ligament injury by extrinsic mechanism. The body mass index was not a useful parameter when assessing players' appropriate weight. Most injuries occurred in training sessions, mostly by intrinsic mechanism; the highest percentage of traumatic injuries occurred in official matches.