Artificial Pitches - Injuries?

Hey everyone,

Am currently doing some research as to the safety of the artifical football pitches versus traditional grass surfaces..

As we are all well aware there are now a number of artifical pitches in the Wellington region - football in all weather, great! BUT, I have heard a number of stories relating to some quite horrific injuries suffered on the same pitches, mostly through directional changes etc.

Are there any cases out there where this sort of thing has happened to people? Would love to hear from people if so.. 

I quite often play on them myself and am always terribly sore for a few days afterwards, but am wondering what the general consesus is for Wellington football players?

Cheers guys!

Last season Jnr Jnr found the bounce of the pitch at Nairnville suited his game.  This season he is somewhat more pants. We should get rid of them or renovate them every few years (which the rate payers should pay for of course).

PS you could maybe ask if ACC have any info on injuries from artificials.

Yeah def screws up a few knees in my opinion. Witnessed a few last year

Maybe depends on your level of fitness but I find that I pick up more muscle strains from playing on grass pitches rather than artificial. Artificial seems to have a higher rebound so don't tire or strain as much as on softer grass pitches.

I have also picked up ankle strains from un-even grass pitches, something that seems less likely considering the uniformity of artificial pitches.

Yeah,I actually feel better after playing on artificials. Never had any problems at all. 

Though a grass pitch of the same quality is preferable,that is unrealistic. 

Ive had some pretty deep grazes that i wouldnt have otherwise received on grass, but no real injuries. Ive never seen anyone injured on them in the 2 years worth of games ive played on them either.

Those little black bits of rubber get f**king everywhere though don't they?

I've got a vacuum cleaner full of them at home if the council wants them back.

Oh great, that would be perfect, thanks!

Yeah I've heard of a few people doing knees etc but would just be interested in a specific case study if anyone knows of anyone??

I'm not convinced by that.  I've seen worse grazing on an opening week McAlister game than I have seen on the artificals.  I'd say you would get more damage than the Kilbirnie swamp in July but much the same as an early season rock hard pitch still transitting between Cricket and Football.

So no real complaints about the artificals then? Or, if there are complaints, what would they be?

In regards to the issue of artifical pitches vs grass for injuries, there is such a wide variety of grass surfaces that it's kind of irrelevant to make sweeping statements about the two. Rock-hard grass pitches probably damage more ankles and knees than artificial pitches (at least having played summer 6-a-side for years that's how I see it) but boggy muddy pitches probably result in more muscle strains from players slipping etc. Uneven playing surfaces in general are surely correlated with more sprained ankles and twisted knees and so on too. Artificial pitches of the modern soft type also provide a much more consistent and even surface but if they get wet and you aren't wearing studs they get slippery as well. As others have said above, a good quality grass surface is ideal but given the amount of damage done over a winter of sport in Wellington it is completely unrealistic to expect. In this context then I'd imagine that artifical pitches would have a net effect of reducing injuries, not to mention allowing for better football to be played because of the consistency of the surface. I'm all for them personally, at least at regional football level - NZFC and up should be able to provide higher quality grass pitches.

Yeah I know someone who did exactly the same thing to their knee as well on their first turf game - can I in any way contact you further about this?? Sounds as if you have a lot of information regarding the issue..

Cheers

The NZ Pitchcare website has a few articles on artificial pitches too

http://www.pitchcare.co.nz/magazine/knee-injuries-likelier-on-artificial-than-grass.html

http://www.pitchcare.co.nz/magazine/natural-turf-better-than-artificial.html

http://www.pitchcare.co.nz/magazine/more-artificial-sportsfields-for-wellington.html

Some more here: http://www.pitchcare.co.nz/pitchcare/search.php?q=artificial+turf&ul=

http://www.pitchcare.co.nz/magazine/category/151

wow, this stuff is great, thanks very much for your help.. 

If you have anything else would you be able to email me at [email protected]??

Would be much appreciated, thanks

Here's the article, just managed to find it. It's in PDF form so I can't copy and paste.

http://www.agcsa.com.au/files/Research%20Artificial%20Turf%2013.4%20pg%2054-57pdf.pdf

These guys did the report: http://horticulture.com.au/reports/search_final_reports_result.asp?src=&orgid=40&projid=4859&strSearch=Artificial&strProjectNo=&strIndustry=40-Turf&strSortby=date&strDisplay=titledesc&pageno=1

But it seems you have to order the report from them here: http://horticulture.com.au/reports/order_a_final_report.asp?src=side

Can I just ask who you're researching for and what the main purpose of the research is? 

I'll flick you an email if you have any other questions, I'm more than happy to help. I'm qualified in turf management but it's more natural surface specific, I've only done my own research around artificials mainly since the development of fields in Wellington. Most of what I know I've posted here but what I would suggest is maybe conducting a survey where you can gather information from a wide variety of artificial turf users ranging from juniors to masters to club to professionals (I'm sure the Phoenix could help you). Judging by the varied opinions on here the results would be very interesting. 

TopLeft07

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I'll flick you an email if you have any other questions, I'm more than happy to help. I'm qualified in turf management but it's more natural surface specific, I've only done my own research around artificials mainly since the development of fields in Wellington. Most of what I know I've posted here but what I would suggest is maybe conducting a survey where you can gather information from a wide variety of artificial turf users ranging from juniors to masters to club to professionals (I'm sure the Phoenix could help you). Judging by the varied opinions on here the results would be very interesting. Yeah of course, sorry.

I am a post graduate journalism student at Massey University in Wellington this year, and a couple of us are looking to write an article about artificial turf safety and use in Wellington. We are not really sure what link there will be, if any, more just an interest than anything - we are all keen on sport ourselves, and often use the turfs, so that is where our interest has come from.

Any help you could provide further would be greatly appreciated.

Have you spoken to the librarians at Massey? I'd say Massey itself has a lot of access to information about this because they run sports science, nursing, and turf management degrees. The librarians should be happy to help you seek out information in online databases or in books

Ahh yeah, great idea, thanks for that

Any info from the egg ball fraternity (they have the Boyd Wilson pitch and there is the indoor training facility at the rugby institute in Palmy - Massey campus)?

And you only get it for the articles eh? 

Well yeah, but i get them season-long is what i meant to say. Got a nice one on my thigh at training last week in fact, got a nice slide on in the rain. Down on Wakefield 3 i wouldve been sweet

Grazed my knee pretty deeply,swelled up like a balloon, infection had me off it for a week. I know a couple of other people having the same prob.

This is because it is believed the 'carpet burns' caused by artificial turf create an entry point into the body for MRSA bacteria. Natural turf, on the other hand, contains an array of beneficial bacteria, which self-sanitise the surface and absorb human bodily fluids like sweat, spit, vomit, blood and urine, etc., as well as animal excreta and algae that could otherwise cause infection. 

Some manufacturers promote the absence of bacteria in artificial turf as a positive, but how widely and regularly are pitch sanitation products used and how effective are they? And how healthy are they for both humans and the environment? 

http://www.pitchcare.co.nz/magazine/natural-or-artificial-turf-the-esa-argue-the-case-for-natural-surfaces.html

I guess that begs the question, are sanitisers being used on the pitches we're using? 

I had a knee infection too, didnt swell too bad but was sore with a bit of puss

I've had a few grazes on Bill McKinlay, but not as many or as hard as playing on sand-based pitches such as Riverhills. The main problem for my team is that we train on a natural pitch, so we're not used to the bounce of the artificial, so our home record this season is simply pants.

I posted elsewhere that I've reffed a couple of junior game halves on artificial this season, as well as on the grass.

During both games on the artificial I've cramped up badly and have been sore (calves) for a few days afterwards, not too much bother from the grass.

The confounding factor in all of this is that I'm an unfit b@stard but perhaps there is a connection?

Jnr Jnr also notices some soreness in limbs for a few days after playing on the artificial.

Out of interest which artificials?

From my experience Wakefield feels a bit harder than the others Ive played on. The grass seems a bit more course too. Never had any grazes at Te Whaea or Wellington Coll, have had a few nasty ones on Wakefield.

Feverish will get injured on Wakefield tomorrow night

Semi related but not to do with injuries...does the pitch need replacing? Number one was looking really tired when I watched today.

Wakefield. 

I thought those newer artificials, if properly maintained, had a lifespan of about 10 years?

That's what I thought, was just surprised to see it looking tired. We are playing there tonight so will have a close up look!

Anyone else notice how the number 1 isnt even flat? Runs off downhill from halfway toward the club rooms