(Scientific Session) Early Sports Specialization Is Associated with an Increased Risk of Lower Extremity Injuries in NCAA Athletes

Background and/or Objectives: In the United States, youth athletes are beginning to specialize in a single sport more frequently. Previous studies in sports medicine have shown an association between the degree of sport specialization and risk of injury, acute injury, overuse injury, and severe overuse injury. To date, studies have focused on youth athletes in high school. This study is the first of its kind to investigate the effect of pre-matriculate sport specialization on collegiate athletes.

Design: Retrospective cohort study

Setting: NCAA: Division I, II, and III athletes

Participants: (n = 110; 41 male, 64 female)

Interventions: Not Applicable

Main Outcome Measures: Participants completed a survey about their demographics, high school specialization status, collegiate injury history, physical activity, and recovery time. Specialization status used a previously published and validated three-point scale: low, moderate, and high. Injury history was ordered by upper extremity injury (UEI) and lower extremity injury (LEI). Tests of independence were undertaken to investigate potential associations between variables.

Results: Highly specialized athletes were more likely to report UEIs and LEIs than low-specialized athletes (p < 0.05, p < 0.01, respectively). Moderately specialized athletes were more likely to report LEIs than low-specialized athletes (p < 0.05), but were not more likely to report UEIs (p > 0.05). Highly specialized athletes, in comparison to low-specialized athletes, were at an eight times greater risk of reporting an injury of any type 7.9 (2.3-27.2).

Conclusions: High specialization status during high school was associated with a history of UEIs and LEIs as a collegiate athlete. Recovery time for an injury, as recorded in missed days of practice and competition, was longer for highly specialized athletes versus low-specialized athletes (107 days, 72 days, respectively). Athletes, parents, coaches, and sport administrators should be aware of the association between the degree of sport specialization and the risk of injury for collegiate athletes to successfully take future risk mitigation measures.