OBJECTIVE

To gather epidemiological information related to all steps of Van Mechelen's "sequence of prevention" for musculoskeletal injuries among adult recreational football players.

METHODS

A systematic review of the scientific literature was conducted in Medline via Pubmed. Therefore, two highly sensitive search strategies based on three groups of keywords (and related search terms) were used.

RESULTS

In total, 33 relevant original studies were included in our systematic review. The results of our systematic review showed that the incidence of musculoskeletal injuries among recreational adult football players ranged from 9.6 to 15.8 injuries per 1000 exposure hours. These injuries are especially located in the ankle, knee, groin and hamstring, being associated with previous injury and match exposure. The FIFA11 + injury prevention programme and the Nordic Hamstring Exercise (NHE) were found to be effective for the reduction or prevention of musculoskeletal injuries among adult recreational football players.

CONCLUSIONS

Our systematic review showed that musculoskeletal injuries are common among recreational adult football players, while effective preventive programmes are available. Further studies should focus on the identification and understanding of the key factors responsible for the optimal adoption, implementation and maintenance of these measures.