@article{article_1665848, title={Analysis of Injury Patterns in Turkiye’s National Men’s Handball Team During The 2024 European Championship Qualifiers: Implications For Prevention and Management}, journal={Gümüşhane Üniversitesi Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi}, volume={14}, pages={947–953}, year={2025}, DOI={10.37989/gumussagbil.1665848}, author={Yüksel, Fuat and A. Güzel, Nevin}, keywords={Profesyonel sporcular, aşırı kullanım, epidemiyoloji}, abstract={Handball is one of the most intense indoor sports, characterized by high physical demands such as frequent jumps, rapid changes of direction, and aggressive physical contact. Injuries in handball are common; however, there is limited information on injury patterns in the Turkish national men’s handball team. This study aims to examine the patterns of injuries sustained by players during the 2024 European Championship qualification process.. This retrospective study included 46 athletes who participated in national team camps and matches between October 2022 and April 2023. Injury data, including type, location, and recovery time, were collected by the team physiotherapist. Descriptive statistics were summarized, and comparisons between acute and overuse injuries were made using the Student’s T-test (p <0.05). Of the 46 injuries, 24 (50%) occurred in the lower extremities, 18 (39%) in the upper extremities, and 5 (11%) in the trunk. Overuse injuries accounted for 52.2% of injuries, while 47.8% were acute. Athletes with more years of experience were more prone to overuse injuries (p <0.05), while acute injuries were linked to longer recovery times (p <0.05). The shoulder was the most frequently injured region (28.5%), with 11 out of 13 injuries due to overuse. Tendon injuries were the most common (47.8%), followed by muscle injuries (39.1%). Injuries over match exposure were 23.4/1000 h, and 13.2/1000 h for training exposure. Overuse injuries, particularly in the shoulder, are prevalent among Turkish handball players. Proper injury prevention strategies, especially focusing on load management and preventive exercises, are essential to reduce injury rates. Key Words: Professional athletes, overuse injury, epidemiology}, number={3}, publisher={Gümüşhane Üniversitesi}