An analysis of epidemiology and financial outcome

Abstract

The financial outcome and epidemiology of ballet dan cers' injuries were studied by examining workers' com pensation insurance records covering 3 seasons (3 years) of activity for a large professional ballet com pany. One hundred four dancers sustained 309 injuries that resulted in insurance payouts for medical costs of $398,396. The average cost per injury was $1289. Although only 4.2% of the injuries resulted in medical costs exceeding $5000, these represented 60.0% of the total medical costs. Nine injuries resulted in medical costs in excess of $10,000 each. Overall, there were 2.97 injuries per injured dancer. Twenty-four dancers (23.0% of the injured) sustained 5 or more injuries each and thus were responsible for 51.9% (161) of all injuries. The foot (74 injuries, 23.9%), lumbar spine (71, 23.0%), and ankle (41, 13.3%) were the most frequently injured anatomic regions. The experience of this ballet com pany is similar to that of a college athletic department or a professional sports team. All could employ similar strategies to reduce injuries and associated costs.