Injury Characteristics and Associated Factors in Federated Artistic Skaters: A Cross-Sectional Survey.

Background

Artistic skating involves high mechanical demands (e.g., jumps and spins) that may increase injury frequency, yet discipline-specific evidence remains limited.

Objective

The aim of this study is to describe injury characteristics in federated artistic skaters and to explore factors associated with injury frequency.

Methods

A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using an online survey distributed to federated clubs. Eligible participants practiced show and/or free skating, were federated athletes, and had competed at least once in an official competition.

Results

Fifty artistic skaters participated (90% women; age 18.37 ± 3.58 years), recruited from 13 clubs; 28% competed in show, 30% in free, and 42% in both disciplines. All participants reported at least one injury; 58% occurred on the right side, and injuries most frequently affected the lower limb. The most commonly reported injury types were muscle injuries (26%), sprains (20%), tendon injuries (18%), and single-bone fractures (12%). Jumping was the most frequent action at the time of injury (40%), followed by spins (20%). Injuries most often occurred on parquet (42%) and polished concrete (38%), and 54% of athletes required physiotherapy. Time-loss was ≤7 days in 44% of cases, while 28% reported >28 days. A significant association was found between time since first menstruation and having sustained >1 injury (p = 0.034). No significant differences were observed in other demographic variables, training/competition characteristics, or preventive practices between groups (p > 0.05).

Conclusions

Injuries in federated Spanish artistic skaters were predominantly lower-limb and commonly occurred during jumping, frequently requiring physiotherapy and, in a substantial proportion, leading to prolonged time-loss. Injury frequency was associated with time since first menstruation, while training load indicators and preventive practices did not differ between skaters with one versus multiple injuries.