The art of falling: identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuries
IntroductionBouldering has seen a significant rise in popularity, accompanied by an increase in related injuries, primarily caused by falls. To enhance prevention strategies and improve protective mats, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms behind these injuries. However, there is limited knowl...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1609133/full |
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| author | Erwan Beurienne Erwan Beurienne Nicolas Bailly Maxime Luiggi Maxime Luiggi Cécile Martha Claire Bruna-Rosso Maxime Wylomanski Michel Behr Marine Dorsemaine |
| author_facet | Erwan Beurienne Erwan Beurienne Nicolas Bailly Maxime Luiggi Maxime Luiggi Cécile Martha Claire Bruna-Rosso Maxime Wylomanski Michel Behr Marine Dorsemaine |
| author_sort | Erwan Beurienne |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionBouldering has seen a significant rise in popularity, accompanied by an increase in related injuries, primarily caused by falls. To enhance prevention strategies and improve protective mats, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms behind these injuries. However, there is limited knowledge about the specific fall scenarios leading to bouldering injuries. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed description of accident scenarios and fall kinematics leading to bouldering injuries.MethodsAdults (aged 18 and above) who experienced an acute fall-related injury while bouldering were invited to complete a self-reported online survey. They were recruited between February 2024 and March 2025 through emails and QR-code posters via university mailing lists and partnerships with French bouldering gym franchises. A total of 245 participants provided personal information, descriptions of their injuries, details about the climbing routes, and fall scenarios, including the kinematics of the fall.ResultsA majority of the injuries affected the lower limb (67% of the case) with ankle sprain being the primary injury. Most of the falls (85%) were involuntary with 62% of them starting in a vertical position, frequently followed by a rotation during the fall (62%), and resulted in a feet first landing (74%). Most injuries happened after falls from vertical walls (45%) and steep walls (29%), primarily from the middle (32%) and the top (47%) sections of the wall.ConclusionThese results provide a first detailed description of the fall scenarios associated with injuries in bouldering and show that different injury mechanisms (such as vertical versus leaning positions during a fall) result in distinct patterns of injury. Such findings could be used to develop new pads with higher density or multi-layering, or to devise safer falling techniques that can be taught by trainers. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b28c5c5a319a431f9cc320eae46ee03f |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2624-9367 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Sports and Active Living |
| spelling | doaj-art-b28c5c5a319a431f9cc320eae46ee03f2025-08-20T03:50:58ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Sports and Active Living2624-93672025-07-01710.3389/fspor.2025.16091331609133The art of falling: identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuriesErwan Beurienne0Erwan Beurienne1Nicolas Bailly2Maxime Luiggi3Maxime Luiggi4Cécile Martha5Claire Bruna-Rosso6Maxime Wylomanski7Michel Behr8Marine Dorsemaine9Laboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Aix Marseille Université/Université Gustave Eiffel, Marseille, FranceTyyny, Context’, Le Chambon-Feugerolles, FranceLaboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Aix Marseille Université/Université Gustave Eiffel, Marseille, FranceADEF, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, FranceINSERM, IRD, SESSTIM, Sciences Economiques & Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l'Information Médical, ISSPAM, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, FranceISM, CNRS, Aix Marseille Université, Marseille, FranceLaboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Aix Marseille Université/Université Gustave Eiffel, Marseille, FranceTyyny, Context’, Le Chambon-Feugerolles, FranceLaboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Aix Marseille Université/Université Gustave Eiffel, Marseille, FranceLaboratoire de Biomécanique Appliquée, Aix Marseille Université/Université Gustave Eiffel, Marseille, FranceIntroductionBouldering has seen a significant rise in popularity, accompanied by an increase in related injuries, primarily caused by falls. To enhance prevention strategies and improve protective mats, it is crucial to understand the mechanisms behind these injuries. However, there is limited knowledge about the specific fall scenarios leading to bouldering injuries. The aim of this study was to provide a detailed description of accident scenarios and fall kinematics leading to bouldering injuries.MethodsAdults (aged 18 and above) who experienced an acute fall-related injury while bouldering were invited to complete a self-reported online survey. They were recruited between February 2024 and March 2025 through emails and QR-code posters via university mailing lists and partnerships with French bouldering gym franchises. A total of 245 participants provided personal information, descriptions of their injuries, details about the climbing routes, and fall scenarios, including the kinematics of the fall.ResultsA majority of the injuries affected the lower limb (67% of the case) with ankle sprain being the primary injury. Most of the falls (85%) were involuntary with 62% of them starting in a vertical position, frequently followed by a rotation during the fall (62%), and resulted in a feet first landing (74%). Most injuries happened after falls from vertical walls (45%) and steep walls (29%), primarily from the middle (32%) and the top (47%) sections of the wall.ConclusionThese results provide a first detailed description of the fall scenarios associated with injuries in bouldering and show that different injury mechanisms (such as vertical versus leaning positions during a fall) result in distinct patterns of injury. Such findings could be used to develop new pads with higher density or multi-layering, or to devise safer falling techniques that can be taught by trainers.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1609133/fullclimbingboulderinginjuryfallkinematicspads |
| spellingShingle | Erwan Beurienne Erwan Beurienne Nicolas Bailly Maxime Luiggi Maxime Luiggi Cécile Martha Claire Bruna-Rosso Maxime Wylomanski Michel Behr Marine Dorsemaine The art of falling: identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuries Frontiers in Sports and Active Living climbing bouldering injury fall kinematics pads |
| title | The art of falling: identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuries |
| title_full | The art of falling: identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuries |
| title_fullStr | The art of falling: identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuries |
| title_full_unstemmed | The art of falling: identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuries |
| title_short | The art of falling: identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuries |
| title_sort | art of falling identifying the falls scenarios associated with bouldering injuries |
| topic | climbing bouldering injury fall kinematics pads |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fspor.2025.1609133/full |
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