Football is a sport characterized by physical contact, which explains the high rate of musculoskeletal injuries in players described in the literature. The most common injuries are lower limb injuries (69–88%) [1–4], but there has also been a recent increase in the rate of upper limb injuries associated with football [5, 6]. A small but significant proportion of injuries occur in the upper limb (6%), a large percentage of which affect goalkeepers (often in the thumb, 9%) [7]. Among the other players, however, there is a disturbing incidence of acute traumas due to falls. These injuries tend to affect the elbows, wrists, and hands and are sustained predominantly by players in the full-back, center-forward, and center-half positions. Outfield players are prone to acute lesions (bruises, lacerations, and sprains), whereas fractures and dislocations are less common. Despite its grass covering, the football field is hard. Players sometimes fall from a height of 2–3 m directly onto the ground and often use the upper limbs to deaden the impact.

These falls can be very traumatic. The upper limb receives all of the axial forces, causing indirect traumas with resultant injuries to the shoulder, elbow, and wrist. As mentioned above, although not common, fractures and dislocations are possible. These injuries must be diagnosed quickly as they represent a serious risk to the player.

This chapter discusses the main injuries involving the elbow and wrist encountered in football players.

The most common traumatic lesions of the elbow are sprains. Serious injuries due to contact with the ground are unlikely, and football players do not wear the elbow pads used in other sports. However, there are rare instances of capitulum humeri lesions due to abnormal falls with the hand in a defensive attitude, as well as isolated olecranon fractures.