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An overview of machine learning applications in sports injury prediction

##article.authors##

  • Alfred Amendolara New Jersey Institute of Technology https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9696-8961
  • Devin Pfister
  • Marina Settelmayer
  • Mujtaba Shah
  • Veronica Wu
  • Sean Donnelly
  • Brooke Johnston
  • Race Peterson
  • David Sant
  • John Kriak
  • Kyle Bills

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51224/SRXIV.220

Keywords:

Machine Learning, Injury, injuries prediction

Abstract

Use injuries represent a serious and intractable problem in athletics that has traditionally relied on historic datasets and human experience for prevention. Existing methodologies have been frustratingly slow at developing higher precision prevention practices. Technological advancements have permitted the emergence of artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) as promising toolsets to enhance both injury mitigation and rehabilitation protocols. This article provides a comprehensive overview of ML techniques as they have been applied to sports injury prediction and prevention to date. Literature from the last five years has been compiled and the findings presented. Given the current lack of open source, uniform data sets, as well as a reliance on dated regression models, no strong conclusions about the real-world efficacy of ML as it applies to sports injury prediction can be made. However, it is suggested that addressing these two issues will allow powerful, novel ML architectures to be deployed, thus rapidly advancing the state of this field and providing validated clinical tools.   

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