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Double-jointed footballers have more injuries
The study, published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, followed 54 players from a Premier League football team over the course of one season. Of the players, 18 (a third of the group) were categorised as hypermobile: a term used to describe a person with at least four abnormally flexible joints (the knees or elbows can bend backwards, the thumb can be flexed to touch the forearm, the little finger can bend backwards beyond 90 degrees or the palms can be placed on the floor without bending the knees.)
The researchers, including masters student Matt Konopinski and Senior Lecturer Gareth Jones, found that, over the season, the 18hypermobile players suffered 72 injuries: a rate of 22 injuries for every 1,000 hours of training and competition. By comparison, the 36players with less-flexible joints sustained a total of 61 injuries: a rate of just over six injuries per 1,000 hours.
Hypermobile players were also found to be much more likely to sustain a severe injury and re-injury. Twelve of the 18 athletes suffered at least one severe injury during the season - often a ligamentor cartilage tear in the knee. This compared with only two of the 36non-hypermobile athletes.
Gareth explained: "Hypermobile joints lack passive stability and, as a consequence, they may be more vulnerable to injury. The knee is especially vulnerable in football possibly due to the inherent demands of the game. For people with hypermobile joints, ligaments and other structures in the knee may be less able to cope with the stress placed on them. Exercises to boost strength, muscle control and balance may reduce the risk of injury.
The findings suggest that hypermobility could be common in football and the research team now hope to conduct a large scale multi-site study in elite football.