Sports injuries are injuries that occur in athletic activities.

They can result from acute trauma, or from overuse of a particular body part.

Traumatic injuries account for most injuries in contact sports such as Ice Hockey, Association football, rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, and American football.

This is because of the dynamic and high collision nature of these sports.

Collisions with the ground, objects, and other players are common, and unexpected dynamic forces on limbs and joints can cause injury.

Traumatic injuries can include:

Contusion or bruise - damage to small blood vessels which causes bleeding within the tissues.

Strain - trauma to a muscle due to overstretching and tearing of muscle fibers

Sprain - an injury in a joint, caused by the ligament being stretched beyond its own capacity

Wound - abrasion or puncture of the skin

Bone fracture

Head injury

Spinal cord injury

In sports medicine, a catastrophic injury is defined as severe trauma to the human head, spine, or brain.

Concussions in sport became a major issue in the United States in the 2000s, as evidence connected repeated concussions with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and increased suicide risk.

Overuse and repetitive stress injury problems associated with sports include:

Runner's knee

Tennis elbow

Tendinosis

Some activities have particular risks:

Bicycle safety

Gun safety

Sailing ship accidents

Skateboarding