Current state of injury prevention in sport

In 2021, the German Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatic Sports Medicine (GOTS) published the results of a survey aimed at assessing knowledge, habits, and perceptions regarding injury prevention practices in sport among 272 therapists (from Austria, Germany, and Switzerland) who were members of the society, using a 22-item online questionnaire.

ReFORM wished to extend this survey within its own network. To this end, the GOTS questionnaire was translated into French by several experts and native speakers. It was then widely disseminated among healthcare professionals (sports physicians, surgeons, strength and conditioning coaches, physiotherapists, etc.) working with athletes of all levels. The survey was notably relayed by the French Society of Sports Traumatology and the French Society of Exercise and Sports Medicine. In total, nearly 500 participants completed the questionnaire.

The results obtained within the ReFORM network were pooled and compared with those from the GOTS survey. A substantial gap was observed between the positive perceptions reported regarding injury prevention and its actual implementation in practice.