Sports injuries in sitting volleyball athletes: a systematic review

Resumo

Abstract - After becoming a paralympic sport, sitting volleyball experienced solid development, a fact that required a greater increase in intensity and frequency in training and competitions, contributing to increased competitiveness and the appearance of injuries. Objective: Identify the epidemiological aspects of sports injuries in sitting volleyball athletes. Methods: This systematic review followed the declaration of preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) and was registered in the International Prospective Register of systematic reviews (PROSPERO). The search was carried out in the bases: PubMed, BVS, SciELO, and Medline. We included studies on sports injuries in sitting volleyball, with a sample composed of competitive athletes at least 1 year old and over 18 years old, published between 1981 and 2022, in English, Spanish or Portuguese. Results: This review showed a clinical incidence of 0.57 and a prevalence of 54.1% of injuries. Injuries occurred mainly in the upper limbs, specifically in the shoulder, by overload mechanism, during training, resulting in time loss, which were severe and nonrecurring. Conclusion: Therefore, we found a high occurrence of injuries in the sport and showed characteristics of the injury profile, essential information for directing preventive conduct, planning, and protection of the athlete's health.