Is There a Role for Screening in Injury Prevention?

Description

Dr. Stephen Targett, a sports physician at Aspetar Hospital, discusses the role of screening in injury prevention during a conference talk. He begins by defining what screening means in both the medical and sports medicine contexts, emphasizing its importance in identifying risk factors for injuries, particularly in athletes. As the clinical lead for the screening department at Aspetar, Targett has assessed around 1,500 athletes per year, including professional football players. He explains that while screening can involve general health assessments like pre-participation examinations, its effectiveness in predicting injuries is still debated. Targett presents various studies, highlighting the complexity of injury etiology, the variability of risk factors over time, and the limitations of relying on individual risk factors for injury prediction. He provides examples from prominent studies that illustrate the substantial overlap between injured and non-injured athletes, leading to issues in establishing reliable predictive criteria. Targett argues for the need for multifaceted approaches beyond screening that include ongoing monitoring and intervention strategies. He concludes that while screening has a role in injury prevention, it is not a standalone solution and should be combined with robust educational and preventive measures to effectively support athlete health.

DOI: 10.1302/3114-210691

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