(Ivanhoe Newswire) – Shoulder injuries account for eight percent of all injuries sustained by high school athletes. New research takes a closer look at what sports shoulder injuries are most prevalent in and how the injuries differ between male and female athletes.

Researches at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of the Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found shoulder injuries were relatively common in predominantly male sports such as baseball (18 percent of all injuries), wrestling (18 percent) and football (12 percent). Overall, boys experienced shoulder injuries at higher rates than girls, particularly in soccer and baseball/softball.

There were also substantial differences between the numbers of shoulder injuries incurred during practice versus a game. "Shoulder injuries were also three times more likely to occur in competition compared to practice," study author Ellen Yard, MPH, was quoted as saying.

The most common injury included sprains and strains (37 percent), dislocations and separations (24 percent), contusions (12 percent) and fractures (7 percent). Surgery was required in six percent of all shoulder injuries. The most common injuries requiring surgery were dislocations and separations.

SOURCE: Journal of Athletic Training, published online Jan. 26, 2009