چکیده (انگلیسی):

Abstract: Athletes attach vital values to full recovery after injury based on the needs for optimal performance. However, limited quantitative studies emphasising playing position, age and circumstance, and therapeutic patterns used for the treatment of injured First Capital Plus Premier League soccer players have been conducted. This study hence describes (a) injury types based on playing position, age and circumstance, and (b) therapeutic patterns used for the treatment of injured First Capital Plus Premier League soccer players. Athletes’ case files containing medical teams’ injury reports for 2012/2013 and 2013/2014 Ghana Football Association league seasons and a total of 209 injury cases of football players with age range of 19-30 years and mean age of 23.67±0.90 years were described. Ages 25-27(78, 37.32%) sustained more injuries while fracture lasted for 90 days. Eighty-eight (42.1%) athletes had contusion which lasted for between 3-28 days, Strain (37, 17.1%) and Sprain (23, 11.0%) were most prevalent. Midfielders sustained higher injury (83, 39.72%) of foul contact (186, 89.0%) circumstance. Frontal head (63, 30.2%) and Knee (43, 20.5%) were anatomical structures mostly hampered by injury. Significant differences exist in injury based on playing positions, causes and players’ age (p<0.05). Therapeutic patterns of RICE (123, 58.85%, p<0.05), psychotherapy (122, 58.37%, p>0.05), analgesia (114, 54.55%, p<0.05) and tapping and wrapping (110, 52.65%, p<0.05) administered to injury sustained were significant. Given that RICE is the mostly used therapeutic pattern based on injury type, we recommend that all Ghana club owners should abundantly make portable cold application materials and methods available to medical teams for use during games. This could reduce the risk of acute injury and lessen early career termination of premier league soccer players.