The world of sport and particularly at a highly competetive level, involves a substantial risk of injury due to the high level of physical and mental demands. The multifactorial origin of injuries makes it very difficult to identify the risk factors and prevention strategy programs. Since the publication in 1992 of ¿sequential model for injury prevention¿ by W. Mechelen, different groups have provided new criteria analyses aimed to determine, from a scientific perspective, the effectiveness and efficiency of these models. The first step is always to define the magnitude of the problem. The most referenced and followed epidemiological study model is that proposed by the UEFA medical experts team (in Hägglund, Walden and Ekstrand, 2005) The following article summarises and translates into the Spanish language the content of these articles that have been published as originals in various journals, and are associated with the search for designing protocols for the prevention of sports injuries. (¿Better prevent than cure¿ Erasmus 466–1536).