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Musculo-skeletal [back to the Category]
Injury Statistics [read the french version]
Dr Anne Thiescé
Dance Injuries
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence of ballet dancers injured:
Menetry (1996: ballet Béjart Lausanne): 97%,
Bowling (1989 UK: professional contemporary dancers): 84%,
Perreault (1988: Montreal): 93.7%,
Rovere (1981-82: North Carolina School of classical, modern, jazz and character dancing): 85%.
Incidence of injuries per dancer:
Menetry (1996: ballet Béjart Lausanne): 4.3 per male dancer, 3.6 per female dancer, Perreault (1988: Montreal): 4.6. Ménetry finds 1.3 injuries per dancer for every 1000 hours of practise. This figure is light when compared to that found in other sporting activities; for example: 8.2 in handball, 4.7 in ice hockey, 5.8 amongst middle distance runners, 5.6 amongst sprinters, 2.5 amongst long distance and marathon runners.
Does this mean then, that the high frequency of disorders of the locomotion system amongst ballet dancers, is due to overwork, with the number of practise hours being far superior to that of other sports.
Consultation of doctors and other therapists
In her research study in Great Britain, Ann Bowling observes that 76% of injured ballet dancers have consulted a physiotherapist, less than 50% a doctor, 29% a masseur, 20% an acupuncturist, and 22% an osteopath. Only one third of injured ballet dancers stopped dancing.
Locations
In ballet, injuries to the locomotion system occur mainly to the lower limbs and the spine.
The foot / ankle is the limb most frequently injured:
Menetry (1996: ballet Béjart Lausanne): 31%,
Garrick (1993: US, California): 37.2%,
Plat (1985: Opéra de Paris): 30.5% of female dancers, 23.3% of male dancers,
Quirk (1983: Australian Ballet, and Australian Ballet School): 42.4%,
Rovere (1981-82: North Carolina School of classical, modern, jazz and character dancing): 37%,
Arnheim (1979: Dance students University of UTAH): 32.6%.
Injury to the lumbar region of the spine varies according to the research study:
Menetry (1996: ballet Béjart Lausanne):12%,
Garrick (1993: US, California): 23%,
Quirk (1983: Australian Ballet, and Australian Ballet School): 8.5%,
Arnheim (1979: Dance students University of UTAH): 9.9%.
Other figures found in print:
90% of ballet dancers have clicking hips,
89% of ballet dancers have a hallux valgus (bunion)
31% of ballet dancers have had, or will have, a stress fracture,
17% of ballet dancers over 40 years old have coxarthrosis,
15 to 20% of ballet dancers have a spondylolysis,
24 % of ballet dancers (mainly female dancers) have a scoliosis,
49% of consultations for ballet dancers' knees involve a disorder of the patella.
Bibliography:
Bowling A., Sohl P.: Injuries to Dancers, Prevalence, Treatment and Prevention. Sports.Med.,1990; 9 (5): 317-322.
Costes F., Desoilles H., Illouz G., Chavy AL.: Appareil locomoteur et danse classique. Rev. Rhum. et Mal. Ostéoarticulaires,1960; 27: 259-267.
Garrick J.G., Requa R.K.: Ballet injuries, An analysis of epidemiology and financial outcome. Am.J.Sports Med.,1993 ; V21 No. 4.
Hamilton L., Hamilton W.G., Meltzer J., Marshal P., Molnar M.: Personality, stress, and injuries in professional ballet dancers. Am. J. Sports Med., 1989; Vol 17, No. 2: 263-267.
Menetrey J. Fritschy: Etude des blessures musculo-tendineuses et ostéoarticulaires dans la danse professionnelle. Sportmedezin und Sporttraumatologie,1996; 44 (3):115-118.
Pelletier A.: Spondylolisthésis. Médecine et sciences de la danse IV° congrès international 18/6/94.
Quirk R.: Ballet injuries: The Australian experience. Clin.Sports.Med.,1983 ; V2 No.3.
Rovere G.,Webb L., Gristina A., Vogel J.: Musculoskeletal injuries in theatrical dance students. Am.J.sports.Med.,1983 ; V11, No. 4, July-August.
Sabourin F.: Le genou du danseur.; Pré-actes du 4° Congrès international sur la recherche en Danse. 25-29. 09.1989.
Sabourin F.: Pathologie rachidienne microtraumatique et danse. Médecine des Arts,1996; 15: 37-40.
Sabourin F.: Traumatologie et microtraumatologie au cours de la pratique de la danse. Colloque "Médecine de la Danse" Cannes 25/3/1995.
Seznec J.C.: Danse et mal de dos. Médecine des Arts,1997; 22: 37-40.
Thiescé A.: La hanche du danseur. Thèse de médecine, Paris V, 1987.
Prevalence and Incidence
Prevalence of ballet dancers injured:
Menetry (1996: ballet Béjart Lausanne): 97%,
Bowling (1989 UK: professional contemporary dancers): 84%,
Perreault (1988: Montreal): 93.7%,
Rovere (1981-82: North Carolina School of classical, modern, jazz and character dancing): 85%.
Incidence of injuries per dancer:
Menetry (1996: ballet Béjart Lausanne): 4.3 per male dancer, 3.6 per female dancer, Perreault (1988: Montreal): 4.6. Ménetry finds 1.3 injuries per dancer for every 1000 hours of practise. This figure is light when compared to that found in other sporting activities; for example: 8.2 in handball, 4.7 in ice hockey, 5.8 amongst middle distance runners, 5.6 amongst sprinters, 2.5 amongst long distance and marathon runners.
Does this mean then, that the high frequency of disorders of the locomotion system amongst ballet dancers, is due to overwork, with the number of practise hours being far superior to that of other sports.
Consultation of doctors and other therapists
In her research study in Great Britain, Ann Bowling observes that 76% of injured ballet dancers have consulted a physiotherapist, less than 50% a doctor, 29% a masseur, 20% an acupuncturist, and 22% an osteopath. Only one third of injured ballet dancers stopped dancing.
Locations
In ballet, injuries to the locomotion system occur mainly to the lower limbs and the spine.
The foot / ankle is the limb most frequently injured:
Menetry (1996: ballet Béjart Lausanne): 31%,
Garrick (1993: US, California): 37.2%,
Plat (1985: Opéra de Paris): 30.5% of female dancers, 23.3% of male dancers,
Quirk (1983: Australian Ballet, and Australian Ballet School): 42.4%,
Rovere (1981-82: North Carolina School of classical, modern, jazz and character dancing): 37%,
Arnheim (1979: Dance students University of UTAH): 32.6%.
Injury to the lumbar region of the spine varies according to the research study:
Menetry (1996: ballet Béjart Lausanne):12%,
Garrick (1993: US, California): 23%,
Quirk (1983: Australian Ballet, and Australian Ballet School): 8.5%,
Arnheim (1979: Dance students University of UTAH): 9.9%.
Other figures found in print:
90% of ballet dancers have clicking hips,
89% of ballet dancers have a hallux valgus (bunion)
31% of ballet dancers have had, or will have, a stress fracture,
17% of ballet dancers over 40 years old have coxarthrosis,
15 to 20% of ballet dancers have a spondylolysis,
24 % of ballet dancers (mainly female dancers) have a scoliosis,
49% of consultations for ballet dancers' knees involve a disorder of the patella.
Bibliography:
Bowling A., Sohl P.: Injuries to Dancers, Prevalence, Treatment and Prevention. Sports.Med.,1990; 9 (5): 317-322.
Costes F., Desoilles H., Illouz G., Chavy AL.: Appareil locomoteur et danse classique. Rev. Rhum. et Mal. Ostéoarticulaires,1960; 27: 259-267.
Garrick J.G., Requa R.K.: Ballet injuries, An analysis of epidemiology and financial outcome. Am.J.Sports Med.,1993 ; V21 No. 4.
Hamilton L., Hamilton W.G., Meltzer J., Marshal P., Molnar M.: Personality, stress, and injuries in professional ballet dancers. Am. J. Sports Med., 1989; Vol 17, No. 2: 263-267.
Menetrey J. Fritschy: Etude des blessures musculo-tendineuses et ostéoarticulaires dans la danse professionnelle. Sportmedezin und Sporttraumatologie,1996; 44 (3):115-118.
Pelletier A.: Spondylolisthésis. Médecine et sciences de la danse IV° congrès international 18/6/94.
Quirk R.: Ballet injuries: The Australian experience. Clin.Sports.Med.,1983 ; V2 No.3.
Rovere G.,Webb L., Gristina A., Vogel J.: Musculoskeletal injuries in theatrical dance students. Am.J.sports.Med.,1983 ; V11, No. 4, July-August.
Sabourin F.: Le genou du danseur.; Pré-actes du 4° Congrès international sur la recherche en Danse. 25-29. 09.1989.
Sabourin F.: Pathologie rachidienne microtraumatique et danse. Médecine des Arts,1996; 15: 37-40.
Sabourin F.: Traumatologie et microtraumatologie au cours de la pratique de la danse. Colloque "Médecine de la Danse" Cannes 25/3/1995.
Seznec J.C.: Danse et mal de dos. Médecine des Arts,1997; 22: 37-40.
Thiescé A.: La hanche du danseur. Thèse de médecine, Paris V, 1987.
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