Profile of dance injuries in a Broadway show: a discussion of issues in dance medicine epidemiology.

Abstract

A description of dance injuries in a Broadway show using ballet technique is reported for the first time. Presentation of this material is used as a vehicle to discuss issues in dance epidemiology and etiology. As interest and research in dance medicine increases, standardization of reporting methods and definitions becomes critical in discussions of epidemiology and etiology. Borrowing from sports medicine classifications, which define sports injury as "time lost from play," we suggest dance injury be defined as "time lost from performing". The overall injury rate was 40.0%, which was low compared with those of classical ballet companies. The majority of injuries involved the foot and ankle, similar to previous reports of classical ballet companies. Reasons for the low injury rates and types of injuries are discussed. The information necessary to facilitate comparison of data with other studies is outlined. We hope this article will contribute to further discussion regarding adoption of universal language and details necessary for reporting injury. Additional areas of research are suggested.