Overuse Injuries in Professional Ballet

BackgroundDespite overuse injuries being previously described as the most frequent in ballet, there are no studies on professional dancers providing the specific clinical diagnoses or type of injury based on the discipline.HypothesisOveruse injuries are the most frequent injuries in ballet, with differences in the type and frequency of injuries based on discipline.Study DesignCross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.MethodsThis was a descriptive cross-sectional study performed between January 1, 2005, and October 10, 2010, on injuries occurring in professional dancers from leading Spanish dance companies who practiced disciplines such as classical, neoclassical, contemporary, and Spanish ballet. Data, including type of injury, were obtained from specialized medical services at the Trauma Service, Fremap, Madrid, Spain.ResultsA total of 486 injuries were evaluated, a significant number of which were overuse disorders (P < .0001), especially in the most technically demanding discipline of classical balle...