Basketball
An estimated 990,000 Australians aged 15 and over played basketball in 2020–21 (ASC, 2021). There were 2,390 injury hospitalisations attributed to basketball—1,940 male and 450 female. For those aged 15 and over, the rate of hospitalisation was about 175 per 100,000 participants.
After a dip in 2019–20 related to COVID-19 lockdowns, hospitalisations in 2020–21 rebounded near to 2018–19 levels (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Trend in basketball injury hospitalisations, by sex, 2011–12 to 2020–21
For more detail, see data tables B3–4.
The highest number of basketball injury hospitalisations were in the 10–14 and 15–19 age groups (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Age distribution of basketball injury hospitalisations, 2020–21
Source: AIHW NHMD.
For more detail, see data table A14.
Almost half of the hospitalisations were fractures (49%), and almost a third were soft-tissue injuries (31%) (Figure 3).
Figure 3: Basketball injury hospitalisations, by type of injury as a proportion, 2020–21
Note: Type of injury is derived from the principal diagnosis.
Source: AIHW NHMD.
For more detail, see data table A25.
There were 90 hospitalisations for concussion—61 male and 29 female.
The main injury was most often to the leg or hip (39%), followed by the hand or wrist (20%) (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Basketball injury hospitalisations, by body part injured, as a proportion, 2020–21
'Notes
1. Body part injured is derived from the principal diagnosis.
2. ‘Trunk’ includes thorax, abdomen, lower back, lumbar spine & pelvis.
Source: AIHW NHMD.
For more detail, see data table A26.
Where it was specified, the most common cause of injury was ‘falls from or involving an object’ (25%), followed by overexertion (21%) (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Cause of injury as a proportion when specified, basketball injury hospitalisations, 2020–21
Source: AIHW NHMD.
For more detail, see data table A27.
Seasonal differences
The last four years of data indicate a sawtooth pattern of hospitalisations over the year. This may reflect amateur basketball being played in two seasons each year. The interruption caused by COVID-19 is evident in the drop from March 2020 (Figure 6).
Figure 6: Basketball injury hospitalisations by month of admission, 2017–18 to 2020–21
For more detail, see data table B3.