The Influence of Time of Season on Injury Rates and the Epidemiology of Canadian Football Injuries

Objective: To describe injury rates and injury patterns in the Canadian Football League (CFL) according to time during the season, player position, injury type, and injury location.

Design: Prospective, cohort study.

Setting and participants: Eight seasons from CFL injury surveillance database.

Independent variables: Depending on the analysis, time of season (preseason, regular, and playoffs), player position, injury type, and injury location.

Main outcome measures: Medical attention and time-loss injury rates per 100 athletes at risk (AAR), and prevalence of time-loss injuries per week.

Results: The average game injury rate was 45.2/100 AAR medical attention injuries and 30.7/100 AAR time-loss injuries. Injury rates declined by 1% per week over the season for both medical attention (rate ratio = 0.99) and time-loss (rate ratio = 0.99) injuries, with a substantial decline during the playoffs compared with preseason (rate ratio = 0.70-0.77). The number of ongoing time-loss injuries increased over the course of the regular season. Quarterbacks, offensive backs, and linebackers had the highest game injury rates. Joint/ligament and muscle/tendon injuries were the most common injury types for games and practices, respectively. The lower extremity was the most commonly affected area, specifically the lower leg/ankle/foot and hip/groin/thigh.

Conclusions: There was a 1% decline in injury rate per week during the season and a 30% decline during the playoffs. The number of ongoing time-loss injuries increased over the regular season. Current results can aid league officials and medical staff in making evidence-based decisions concerning player safety and health.