Musculoskeletal Injury Patterns among Korean Professional Women Soccer Players: A Retrospective Descriptive Study

Abstract

Female Korean professional soccer players endure a high burden of injuries throughout their careers. This retrospective study investigated their injury history characteristics by surveying 181 players across eight Korea Women’s Football Federation teams. The survey covered demographics, playing positions, career spans, dominant legs, national team memberships, and detailed information on previous injuries, including location, type, mechanism, and severity. Analysis revealed lower extremities as the most vulnerable region, injured in 44.7% of competitions, and 46.6% of practice sessions, followed by foot and ankle injuries. Joint and ligament injuries dominated, comprising 45.0% of competition-related incidents, and 55.2% of those sustained during practice. Notably, contact was the primary mechanism for practice injuries (49.8%), while overuse (33.4%) and contact (33.2%) shared the blame in competitions. Interestingly, severe injuries were significantly more prevalent in practice (65.2%) compared to competitions (48.2%). Almost all players had at least one previous injury, often affecting the lower extremities. This highlights the need for targeted preventive measures addressing the high prevalence of severe joint and ligament injuries, often exacerbated by aggressive situations. These findings emphasize the crucial need for tailored injury prevention strategies specifically designed for the unique demands and challenges faced by women’s soccer players.