Injury Profile of Hip-Hop Dancers

Abstract

This study assessed the injury incidence, mechanisms, and associated potential risk factors for hip-hop, popping, locking, house, and breaking dance styles. Data were collected from June to November 2015. The retrospective cohort study included 146 dancers (female: N = 67; age = 20 ± 4.2 years; males: N = 79; age = 22.9 ± 5.8 years) who completed a questionnaire that collected data concerning training hours, injuries, self-reported injury causes, treatment, and recovery time over the last 5 years. For the last 5 years, 52% (N = 76) of the dancers reported 159 injuries and, in the year prior to the survey, 31.5% (N = 46) reported a total of 75 injuries. Overall, 0.61 injuries (5 years) and 1.156 injuries (1 year) per 1,000 hours exposure time occurred. For breaking, 1.286 injuries (5 years) and 2.456 injuries (1 year) per 1,000 hours exposure time were calculated, while the other dance styles accumulatively reached 0.151 injuries (5 years) and 0.318 injuries (1 year) per 1,000 hours of exposure time. Breakers reported most injuries at the upper extremities, followed by the lower extremities, trunk, and head and neck region. Most injuries in hip-hop occurred at the lower extremities, mainly affecting the knees, followed by groin and ankle. Injuries experienced by popping and locking dancers only involved the lower extremities. In house, the lower extremities were affected most frequently, followed by the trunk. A total of 65.3% of the dancers experienced time loss, with a duration of 12.7 ± 21.3 weeks. Breakers experience significantly more injuries than dancers of the other styles. Injury risk among dancers of all the styles studied can be considered low compared to soccer players, swimmers, and long-distance runners.