PTCohortInternational journal of sports physical therapy2025

Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Male Adult Basketball Athletes in Brazil: A One-season Descriptive Study.

Vinicius Castro Campos, Carlos Vicente Andreoli, Ronaldo Alves da Cunha

PMID 40182910

WHAT IT FOUND

Injuries were 15 times more likely per hour during games than practice.

The knee was the most common injury site, while muscle injuries caused the highest overall burden on performance. Monitoring non-time-loss injuries is critical, as they significantly reduce training quality.

Key findings

01The incidence of injuries was significantly higher during games (79.6 per 1,000 hours) compared to practice (5.1 per 1,000 hours).

02The knee was the most frequently injured anatomical location (19.5%), followed by the hip/groin (15.2%) and thigh (14%).

03Muscle injuries were the most common type (33.5%) and had the highest cumulative severity score, indicating a major impact on performance.

STILL TO COME

How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs

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What it does not show

The study relied on self-reported injury data, which may lead to underestimation if athletes did not report injuries to avoid missing practice or games. High workload and travel schedules for club staff may have hindered complete data collection and introduced reporting fatigue. The study included only 9 of 16 teams, which may limit generalizability to all professional basketball players in Brazil.

Declared interests

The authors report no conflicts of interest.

The easy way to misread this

Do not assume that injuries without time loss are minor. The study shows that non-absent injuries still carry a significant cumulative severity score and impact training quality, so monitoring these is essential for performance management.

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