TY  - JOUR
T1  - Risk Factors for, and Prevention of, Overuse Shoulder Injuries Among Elite Handball Players: A Systematic Review
AU - ullah, Inayat AU - Taj, Iqra AU - Saleem, Noor ul AU - Malik, Muhammad AU - Batool, Syeda AU - Waqar, Hira AU - Fatima, Urooj 
JO  - Research Journal of Medical Sciences
VL  - 19
IS  - 4
SP  - 112
EP  - 120
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2001/08/19
SN  - 1815-9346
DO  - makrjms.2025.4.112.120
UR  - https://makhillpublications.co/view-article.php?doi=makrjms.2025.4.112.120
KW  - Elite handball players
KW  - handball
KW  - risk factors
KW  - prevention
KW  - athletes
AB  - This systematic review aims to evaluate the available research on the
causes of overuse shoulder injuries in elite handball players, as well as the
available preventive measures. An extensive search was conducted using
EBSCO Host from 2013 to December 2023 for studies that investigated the
risk factors or prevention strategies of overuse shoulder injuries among
elite handball players. The Modified Downs and Black tool (9) was used to
assess the methodological quality of the included RCT and non‐RCT
studies. Thirteen studies were included after screening and quality
assessment using the Modified Downs and Black checklist (9). Despite
limitations in study methodologies and definitions of injury, evidence
synthesis revealed multifactorial causative factors, including muscle
strength imbalances, scapular dyskinesis, glenohumeral range of motion
(ROM), training load, injury history, sex, and player positions. Strong
evidence was found for female sex and weakness of the external rotator
cuff muscles as risk factors. Moderate evidence supported associations
with glenohumeral ROM imbalances, improper training load dosage, prior
injury, player position, and playing level. Due to the high frequency of
overuse shoulder injuries, particularly in female players, there is a need for
further research to develop tailored preventative measures. This review
underscores the complexity of injury prevention in handball and
emphasizes the importance of customized interventions to mitigate the
specific challenges posed by the sport and protect athletes' health.
ER  -