Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Professional Ballet Dancers at the Opéra de Paris

Xavière Barreau; Cyril Courtin; Sonia Ramos-Pascual; Ankitha Kumble; Mo Saffarini; Alexis Nogier

doi:10.1097/JSM.0000000000001316

Epidemiology of Musculoskeletal Injuries in Professional Ballet Dancers at the Opéra de Paris

Clin J Sport Med. 2024 Dec 17. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001316. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Xavière Barreau¹, Cyril Courtin², Sonia Ramos-Pascual³, Ankitha Kumble³, Mo Saffarini³, Alexis Nogier^{2

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Affiliations

¹ Service de Médecin de la Dance, Opéra de Paris, Paris, France.
² Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique, Clinique Trenel, Sainte-Colombe, France.
³ ReSurg SA, Nyon, Switzerland.
⁴ Service de Chirurgie Orthopédique, Clinique Maussins-Nollet, Ramsay Santé, Paris, France; and.
⁵ Clinique Nollet, Rue Brochant 23, Paris, France.

PMID: 39679834
DOI: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001316

Abstract

Objective: To describe the incidence, location, and type of musculoskeletal injuries in ballet dancers at the Opéra de Paris from 2018 to 2023 and to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on injury incidence.

Design: Descriptive Retrospective Study.

Setting: Primary.

Patients: Professional ballet dancers registered at the Opéra de Paris across 5 seasons (September 1, 2018-June 30, 2023).

Independent variables: Demographics (age, body mass index, sex, rank).

Main outcome measures: Injury data (duration, mechanism, location, and type).

Results: The incidence proportion of musculoskeletal injuries ranged from 47.1% to 72.6% per season between 2018 and 2023. Dancers most commonly sustained foot (49.3%) and ankle (45.1%) injuries, with 75.6% of dancers sustaining a lower limb injury. Compared with the 2018 to 2019 season, the risk of a dancer sustaining an injury was significantly lower in the COVID-19 season (2019-2020) (OR, 0.34; 95% CI, 0.21-0.53; P < 0.001), while the risk of an injury resulting in time loss was significantly lower in the 2022 to 2023 season (OR, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.27-0.64; P < 0.001).

Conclusions: The incidence of musculoskeletal injuries in professional ballet dancers was as high as 72.6% per season between 2018 and 2023, with the most common injury location being the foot and ankle. Compared with that in the 2018 to 2019 season, the risk of a dancer sustaining an injury was significantly lower in the COVID-19 season (2019-2020). These findings can help anticipate musculoskeletal injuries in professional ballet dancers and improve injury prevention programs, by developing targeted training schemes.