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B.3.1SL + HL

Causes of injury

Guiding question: Why do some athletes get injured more than others, and how does the type of force affect the injury?

Learn it, then try it

Read each idea, work through its activities, then tick it off. 0 of 3 done.

  1. B.3.1.1

    Internal and external risk factors

    Internal risk factors belong to the individual, such as age, sex, pregnancy, training load, congenital conditions and previous injury. External risk factors come from the environment, such as protective equipment, playing surface and weather. Injury usually results from several factors interacting rather than from one cause.

    Check yourself

    Quick check

    1. 1.Which is an internal risk factor for injury?

    2. 2.Which is an external risk factor for injury?

    3. 3.A rugby player is injured in a match on a hard pitch in heavy rain, two weeks after returning from a hamstring strain. Which of these are external risk factors? I. Heavy rain II. The recent hamstring strain III. The hard pitch

  2. B.3.1.2

    Acute and cumulative trauma

    Acute trauma happens in one moment, when a large or unexpectedly directed force exceeds what a tissue can withstand, as in an ankle sprain. Cumulative trauma comes from smaller forces repeated many times, such as a stress fracture in a runner. The tissues at risk include bone, muscle, skin, connective tissues and the brain, as in concussion.

    Match the terms

    Key terms

    Match each term to its meaning.

    Tap a term, then tap its meaning.

    Check yourself

    Quick check

    1. 1.Which describes the cause of an acute trauma?

    2. 2.Which is an example of an injury caused by cumulative trauma?

    3. 3.A hockey player rolls an ankle on landing and is diagnosed with a sprain. Which tissue has been damaged?

  3. B.3.1.3 · HL only

    Technique and overuse injury

    Faulty technique repeats abnormal loading, so many chronic or overuse injuries are linked to how a movement is performed. Examples include the knees collapsing inwards on landing, or a mixed bowling action in cricket that stresses the lower back. Correcting these biomechanical faults lowers the risk of injury.

    Check yourself

    Quick check

    1. 1.Which injury is most likely to be caused by repeated poor technique?

    2. 2.A distance runner overstrides, landing with the foot well in front of the centre of mass, and develops pain at the front of the knee. Which intervention best addresses the cause?

    3. 3.Why are many chronic or overuse injuries linked to technique?

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Self-marking exam-style questions with Guide me hints and full mark schemes.

Links to other topics

  • A.3.1If a runner is overtrained, could tiredness alter their running pattern enough to cause injury?
  • A.3.1How does the amount of training or sport someone does affect how often they are injured?
  • C.2.1How could a constraints-led approach help spot and correct faulty technique?