Economic burden of sports injury in China: result from a single center of medical quality and safety monitor system

TL;DR

This study analyzes the economic burden of sports injury surgeries in China, finding that shoulder arthroscopy is the most expensive procedure.

Contribution

The study provides a detailed cost analysis of sports injury surgeries in Southeast China using hospital data from 2015 to 2022.

Findings

Shoulder arthroscopy had the highest median cost of ¥51,550 (≈ 7660 USD), driven mainly by disposable medical materials.

Hospitalization costs varied significantly by age, with the highest median cost for patients over 65 years old.

The economic burden of sports injuries increased over time, with the highest median expenditure in 2019–2020.

Abstract

Sports injuries are becoming increasingly prevalent worldwide as sports and physical activities gain popularity. These injuries impose a significant burden on individuals and society. However, a limited understanding of the cost analysis of sports injuries in Southeast China exists.

The objective is to explore the medical costs associated with sports injury surgery and related healthcare policies from a hospital perspective.

We conducted a prospective analysis of inpatient costs for sports injury surgeries at the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University from 2015 to 2022. The total expenditure was categorized into various components: general medical service, nursing service, imaging, rehabilitation, etc. These were analyzed based on the International Classification of Function, Disability, and Health (ICF) system, surgical type, year category, and age. Furthermore, we accessed authoritative economic data, such as standardized occupational salaries and cost estimations, to comprehensively depict the economic burden. We employed a generalized linear model to identify factors influencing costs and performed statistical comparisons across different demographic and clinical categories.

All values are expressed in 2022 Chinese Yuan (¥). A total of 8,804 hospitalized patients were registered. The median total expenditure is ¥38,691 (19680, 49640) (≈ 5749 US dollars), of which the S730 is the lowest ¥23,250 (8627, 31364) (≈ 3455 USD), and the S710 is the highest ¥61,626 (25990, 77122) (≈ 9157 USD). Grouped by year, the median in 2019–2020 was the highest at ¥42,008 (23095, 53281) (≈ 6242 USD), and the lowest in 2015–2016 was ¥30,903 (11517, 42954) (≈ 4592 USD). In terms of surgery type, Shoulder Arthroscopy has the highest median cost of ¥51,550 (40703, 60028) (≈ 7660 USD), and Ankle arthroscopy has the lowest median cost of ¥34,177 (29194, 38209) (≈ 5078 USD). In terms of age, the highest median cost was ¥44,306 (27807, 55588) (≈ 6583 USD) for > 65 years, and the lowest was ¥13,671 (5182, 15899) (≈ 2031 USD) for 1–12 years. Different age groups, genders, years of admission, ICF categories, surgical grades, occupation types, and arthroscopic surgery types significantly affect hospitalization costs.

This study examined various aspects of surgery for sports injuries in Southeast China. Shoulder arthroscopy was the costliest procedure, with disposable medical materials being the primary expense. These findings offer valuable insights into expenditure patterns in this context.

Not applicable.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12962-025-00659-z.

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