The goal of this investigation was to determine if playing or training on third-generation artificial turf (AT) surfaces increases\nthe incidence rate of injuries compared to natural grass (NG) surfaces. This was accomplished by a meta-analysis performed on\npreviously published research. Eight studies met the criteria of competitive soccer players, participation on both surfaces, and\npresentation of both exposure time and injury occurrence. Exposure time and injury incidence values were used to generate injury\nrate ratios (IRRs, AT/NG) for all injuries as well as specific injuries. Subgroup analyses were also performed by condition (match\nor training), gender, and age (youth or adult). The overall IRR was 0.86 (P < .05) suggesting a lower injury risk on AT than NG.\nHowever, there was considerable heterogeneity between studies. Analyses of individual injuries and subgroups found that in many\ncases IRR values were significantly less than 1.0. In no case was the IRR significantly greater than 1.0. Based on this, it appears that\nthe risk of sustaining an injury on AT under some conditions might be lowered compared to NG. However, until more is known\nabout how issues such as altered playing styles affect injury incidence, it is difficult tomake firmconclusions regarding the influence\nof AT on player safety.
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