Longitudinal study on locations of injury among junior high school, high school, and university badminton athletes at Japanese national-level competitions.
Eiji Miyake, Mitsunobu Yatsunami, Jun Kurabayashi and 1 others
PMID 35937623WHAT IT FOUND
Elite badminton athletes most commonly injure the lower back, followed by the racket-side knee, thigh, ankle, and shoulder.
Overuse drives back and shoulder injuries, while trauma causes most thigh and ankle problems, with racket-side ankle sprains requiring the most time off.
Key findings
01The five most common injury locations were the lumbar spine/lower back (35 athletes), racket-side knee (26), racket-side thigh (25), racket-side ankle (23), and racket-side shoulder/clavicle (19).
02Overuse injuries were significantly more common in the lower back and racket-side shoulder, whereas trauma injuries were significantly more common in the racket-side thigh and ankle.
03Racket-side ankle injuries had a significantly higher proportion of cases requiring at least one day of abstinence from play compared to slight injuries.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study was limited to elite athletes, so findings may not apply to recreational players or those without access to on-site medical staff. Diagnoses were made by physical therapists at the gymnasium, not physicians, which may affect diagnostic accuracy. Selection bias is possible because high-level players are less likely to abstain from training, potentially underestimating injury incidence in broader populations.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume these injury patterns apply to recreational badminton players. The study tracked elite athletes who train daily with on-site physical therapists, a context that differs significantly from casual play where injury mechanisms and reporting may vary.