ABSTRACT
Injury in sport or sport injury is a common occurrence affecting athletes at all participation levels. In addition to the obvious physical perturbations to the body, injury may result in a plethora of psychosocial disruptions to the athlete. This chapter examines theory and research focused on the antecedents (precursors) of sport injury, prevention strategies designed to reduce injury vulnerability, and post-injury interventions aimed at enhancing rehabilitation and return-to-play outcomes. Whereas overuse injuries result from repeated exposure to physical training, acute injuries occur suddenly, typically following traumatic confrontation of the physical body. The chapter addresses six sections: conceptual models designed to understand injury risk; empirical research testing injury prediction models; research on injury prevention strategies; post-injury treatment interventions; future research directions; and conclusions. It describes two prominent conceptual models of injury risk – the Andersen and Williams stress-injury model and the biopsychosocial sport injury risk profile.
