Summary

  • In Australia in 2002, netball was the fourth and basketball the sixth most popular organised sport for participation for those 15 years and over (Australian Sports Commission 2003).
  • There were 1,244 basketball related and 1,129 netball related hospitalisations in Australia in the 2002-2003 financial year.
  • The majority of basketball related hospitalisations occurred in males and as expected, the majority of netball related hospitalisations occurred in females.
  • Males had a higher rate of hospitalisation per participant than females for both basketball and netball (15 years and older).
  • The knee and lower leg was the most common principal body region injured in hospitalised persons.
  • Fractures were the most common type of injury in those requiring hospitalisation for basketball and netball, followed by sprain and strain.
  • Injury to the Achilles tendon and rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament were the two most common primary diagnoses.
  • Fractures of the distal forearm occurred mainly in 5-19 year olds, knee ligament and meniscal injury occurred mainly in 15-34 year olds and rupture of the Achilles tendon occurred mainly in 25-44 year olds.
  • Repair of the Achilles tendon and closed reduction of a fracture of the distal radius were the two most common primary procedures.
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