Context:?Mini-basketball is one of the most popular junior sports in Japan. Mini- basketball–related injuries may increase because of early specialization. However, no reports have been published to date concerning basketball injuries in children younger than 12 years of age. Objective:?To prospectively study the incidence, sites, types, and mechanisms of injuries in mini-basketball teams. Design:?Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting:?Mini-basketball teams in Kobe, Japan. Patients or Other Participants:?A total of 95 players in 7 community-based mini-basketball club teams (age range, 9 through 12 years). Main Outcome Measure(s):?Data on all practice and game injuries for the 2013–2014 season were collected using an injury report form. Injury rates were calculated according to site, type, and mechanism. Results:?The overall injury rate was 3.83 per 1000 athlete-hours (AHs). The game injury rate (12.92/1000 AHs) was higher than the practice injury rate (3.13/1000 AHs; P < .05). The most common anatomical areas of injury during games and practice were the head and neck (36.4%, 4.70/1000 AHs) and the upper limbs (47.8%, 1.50/1000 AHs). Sprains (42.9%, n = 39) were the most common type of injuries overall, followed by contusions (29.7%, n = 27). Most game injuries resulted from body contact (45.5%, 5.87/1000 AHs), whereas most practice injuries resulted from other contact (56.5%, 1.77/1000 AHs). Conclusions:?Game injury rates were higher than practice injury rates in Japanese mini-basketball players. The high practice injury rate in this study may be due to specific factors related to growth, such as individual differences in height, or to skills, such as inexperience in ball handling.
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