Sports injury hospitalisations

There were 56,000 sports injury hospitalisations reported in Australia in 2021–22.

The displacement effect of COVID-19 on hospitalisations can be observed in 2020–21, with the spike in sports injury hospitalisations. This effect appears to be resolving in 2021–22, with 16% fewer sports injury hospitalisations (Figure 1).

Figure 1: Sports injury hospitalisations, by sex, 2012-13 to 2021–22

Line chart shows upward trend of hospitalisations from 2012–13 to 2016–17. Hospitalisations are lowest in 2019–20 and highest in 2020–21.

Visualisation not available for printing

For more detail, see data tables B1–2.

Males aged 15–19 are most likely to be hospitalised

More than half of all sports injury hospitalisation cases were males (39,500) in 2021–22.

Males had a higher rate of hospitalisation than females in every age group. Rates rise during childhood and peak in the teenage years, with a higher peak for males. The highest rates were in:

  • the 15–19 age group for males (820 cases per 100,000)
  • the 10–14 age group for females (275 cases per 100,000) (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Sports injury hospitalisations, by age and sex, 2021–22

Combined bar and line chart shows 10–14 and 15-19 age groups have the highest sports injury hospitalisations for males and females in 2021–22.

For more detail, see data tables A1 and A20.

Place of occurrence

As you might expect, the largest proportion of injuries occurred at dedicated sports areas. For sports injury hospitalisations in 2021–22, the place of occurrence was specified in over two thirds of cases (68%). Of these specified cases:

  • nearly 6 out of 10 occurred at a sports or athletic area (59% or 22,500), including
    • a third at an outdoor ground (33% or 12,600)
    • almost 1 in 10 at an indoor hall (7% or 2,700)
  • more than 1 in 10 occurred on a street or highway (12% or 4,700).

For more detail, see data table A7.

Types of injury sustained

A person can be hospitalised with multiple injuries, some of which will be more serious than others. This report only presents data about the main injury – known as the principal diagnosis – additional concurrent injuries are not included.

This report discusses common injury types including:

Fracture: A partial or complete break in a bone

Soft-tissue injury: Sprain or strain of muscles, ligaments or joints

Open wound: A break in the skin such as a cut, puncture or bite

Intracranial injury: Injury inside the skull (often a concussion)

Dislocation: A separation of different bones where they join

Superficial injury: An injury to the skin surface such as abrasion, bruising or blistering.

For more detail, see the appendix tables to the technical notes.

Fractures are the most common injury

In just over half of all sports injury hospitalisations in 2021–22, the main injury was a fracture (53% or 29,900). Soft–tissue injuries were the next most common (17% of cases or 9,300) (Figure 3).

Figure 3: Type of injury as a percentage of all sports injury hospitalisations, 2021–22

Bar chart shows fractures, soft-tissue injuries, open wounds, intracranial injuries and dislocations were the main types of injuries in 2021–22.

Note: Type of injury is derived from the principal diagnosis.
Source: AIHW NHMD.

The most common fractures were of the arm or shoulder (39% of fractures or 11,700 cases), followed by a fracture to a leg or hip (23% of fractures or 7,000 cases). 68% of soft tissue injuries were to the leg or hip (6,300 cases).

For more detail, see data tables A2–6.

Concussions

Most hospitalisations for intracranial injuries (injuries inside the skull) in sports (80%) were concussions in 2021–22. Concussions are usually caused by a knock to the head but can also be caused by a blow to the body (Concussion in Sport Australia, 2024).

There has been growing concern in Australia and internationally about the incidence of sport-related concussion and potential health ramifications for athletes (Concussion in Sport Australia, 2024). While short-term symptoms are reversible, a single knock to the head can have serious consequences in later life (Queensland Brain Institute, 2021).

Concussion can occur in nearly every sport, not just contact sports. There were almost 2,300 hospitalisations for concussion caused by sports in 2021–22. Of these:

  • around 1,600 were in males, and 700 were in females
  • about 760 occurred while playing some form of football
  • around 425 occurred while cycling.

For more detail, see data tables A15–18.

Falls and transport accidents cause over half of all injuries

Falls and transport accidents caused over half (56%) of all sports injury hospitalisations in 2021–22. Falls include falls on the same level (13% or 7,300 cases), falls involving an object (12% or 6,800 cases) and falls involving another person (6.2% or 3,500 cases). Transport accidents include road transport (21% or 11,700 cases) such as bicycle crashes, and other land transport including horses (4.2% or 2,300 cases) (Figure 4).

Figure 4: Selected causes of injury as a proportion of sports injury hospitalisations, 2021–22

Bar chart shows major causes of sports injury hospitalisations in 2021–22 were transport, falls, contact with another person, and overexertion.

Source: AIHW NHMD.

For more detail, see data tables A11–12.

Emergency admissions are more common than elective

Hospitalisations are classed as emergency admissions if the patient requires admission within 24 hours. About two-thirds of sports injury hospitalisations in 2021–22 (68%) were emergencies. The proportion that was emergencies varied by sport, ranging from 89% of hospitalisations for recreational walking, to 38% for netball injuries.

For more detail, see data table A24.

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