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Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries In Female Wrestling

Marina Dobnik, Rok Vatovec, Jakob Anderlic, Marko Joksimović, Matej Ipavec, Matej Plevnik · Muscles Ligaments and Tendons Journal · 2026

This review pooled ten studies to map how often female wrestlers get hurt and where. Injury rates ranged from about 4.3 per 1000 training hours to 16.8 per 1000 athlete-exposures, with arms and legs accounting for most injuries (shoulder/upper arm leading among extremity injuries); upper-limb injuries dominated in youth wrestlers while lower-limb injuries dominated in elite athletes, and most injuries were mild joint or muscle problems.
Takeaway: Prioritize shoulder and joint resilience work in younger female wrestlers and lower-limb conditioning as they reach elite levels.
Abstract (source)

Background: Wrestling is among the world’s oldest combat sports and is associated with a substantial burden of musculoskeletal injury. However, epidemiological syntheses in wrestling have historically been dominated by male cohorts, and the injury profile in women’s wrestling remains less clearly defined. Therefore, the

Aim: of this review was to synthesize the available evidence on the incidence, anatomical distribution, severity, and type of musculoskeletal injuries in female wrestlers. Material and

Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus with full text databases were screened for relevant articles. Ten studies were included in the qualitative synthesis of our review.

Results: Ten studies were included. Reported injury incidence ranged from 4.29 injuries per 1000 training hours to 16.8 injuries per 1000 athlete-exposures, depending on the exposure denominator used. Across studies, upper-extremity and lower-extremity injuries represented the largest proportion of reported injuries, followed by trunk and head/neck/face injuries. Within extremity injuries, shoulder and upper arm injuries represented the largest share. Notably, while upper-extremity injuries predominated in youth cohorts, lower-extremity injuries accounted for the greatest proportion of injuries in elite athletes. Most injuries were classified as mild, and joint and muscle injuries were among the most frequently reported injury categories.

Conclusions: This review provides an updated synthesis of musculoskeletal injury epidemiology in female wrestling, highlighting age- and level-specific injury patterns relevant for prevention planning. Nevertheless, interpretation must remain cautious due to substantial between-study heterogeneity in injury definitions, exposure denominators, injury categorization, and clinical ascertainment. Standardized surveillance

methods and reporting practices are needed to enable robust comparisons and evidence-based prevention strategies.

Narrative reviewOpen accessRecovery & Sleep
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