Alpine skiing injuries.

Alpine skiing accidents admitted to the Trondheim Regional and University Hospital during one year were recorded. Of the 339 injured, 67 per cent were male and 33 per cent were female. Eighty-seven per cent were outpatients, and 13 per cent were hospitalized. Falling accidents (67 per cent), followed by collision accidents (17 per cent), were the most common cause of injury. The injuries in the lower extremities were caused by falling and the head injuries were mostly caused by collisions. Knee ligament strains were the most common injuries, and 17 per cent of these were hospitalized and required operative treatment. Of the minor knee strains, all 44 per cent were not fully recovered after two and a half years. Seventeen patients sustained tibial fractures, eleven of them spiral fractures and six transverse fractures. The patients with spiral fractures were younger than the patients with transverse fractures. Head injuries were the most severe injuries, with eleven concussions and two epidural haematomas.     

Epidemiology and traumatology of injuries in elite soccer: a prospective study in Finland

A prospective study of male soccer injuries among 12 teams playing at the highest competition level was carried out in Finland in 1993. Overall, two out of three players were injured during the whole season. The injury incidence per 1000 playing hours among injured players and all players during games was higher than during practice, 14.2 vs. 11.3 and 2.3 vs. 1.8, respectively. The lower extremity was involved in 76% of the injuries. Thigh injuries were most frequent (22%), whereas overuse injuries were scarce (6%). Eighteen per cent of the injured players needed surgery and in most cases (58%) the reason for surgery was a knee injury. Sixteen per cent of all injured players were absent from soccer for more than 1 month after the injury. The mean absence time was 17 days for all and 84 days for operatively treated players.     

Sport accidents in childhood.

Injuries among children during sporting activities are common. This study is a one year study including children between five and fourteen years of age who sustained their injuries during sporting activities and were treated at Trondheim Regional and University Hospital. Sport accidents account for 27 per cent of all childhood accidents in this age group. Fifty-three per cent of the injured were boys, and 47 per cent were girls. The boys sustained more severe injuries than the girls. Soccer caused the greatest number of injuries. Horse riding and alpine skiing were the cause of the most severe injuries. A more widespread use of protective guards, better technique and body control, better coaching and not allowing the younger children to take part in technically advanced sporting activities might reduce the number and the severity of the sport injuries in children.     

Value of wearing head protection gear while playing hurling.

One of the three national games of Ireland, hurling is a contact team sport (15 a side) played with a metre long ash stick and a small hard leather ball. Over a 12 month period, 413 players were treated for hurling-related injuries at Cork Regional Hospital. While hand and facial trauma predominate, the proportion between the two sites has changed substantially from previous reports with a reduction in the level of facial injuries. The wearing of a helmet, and optionally a supplementary faceguard, is seen to have contributed to this trend. Despite this welcome reduction of facial injuries, a certain resistance to the use of protective headgear is evident, particularly among older players.     

One hundred and ten sports related facial fractures.

In a 1 year period (1993) 332 facial fractures were treated in Cork Regional Hospital. Of these 110 (33%) were sports related. Males accounted for 94.5% of patients and 77% of patients were aged below 30 years. Nasal fractures were the most common fractures seen (56%). Almost half (49%) of sports related facial fractures occurred while playing Gaelic games. The incidence of hurling fractures has been more than halved over the last 20 years. Seventy eight percent of patients required operative treatment.     

Injuries due to violent crimes.

This is a study of police reported assaults during 1979, 1982 and 1985 in the County of Kopparberg. Criminological and odontological variables of 1,870 cases of assaults reported to the police during these three separate one-year periods were collected and analysed. Most of the cases were from densely populated areas. There was an increase in cases from 1979 to 1985, particularly of violence in residences. No differences in the type or kind of assault could be found. The proportion of women victims increased markedly and, to a lesser extent, so did the proportion of women offenders. One third of the victims were not injured by the assault, one third suffered haematomas or swellings and one third suffered wounds. 6.5 per cent of the total had fractures. The left side of the face was the most common site of soft-tissue injuries and zygomatico-orbital fractures. No aggravation of the violence or the resultant injuries could be found during these periods.     

Incidence, nature and causes of floorball injuries

During 1990 and 1991, 9% of all sports injuries that required emergency care at the University Hospital of Umeå were caused by floorball. Seventy-eight per cent of the injuries were minor (AIS 1) and 21% were moderate (AIS 2). Sprains of the ankle and knee joints were most frequent, constituting 30% and 11% of all injuries, respectively. Licensed players were affected in 14% of all floorball injuries, and 61% of these injuries occurred during a game. We found no difference in severity or type of injuries between licensed players and recreational players. Our data show that the number of floorball injuries is increasing and that the majority of these injuries are of minor severity.     

Ocular injury in hurling

Objectives: To describe the clinical characteristics of ocular injuries sustained in hurling in the south of Ireland and to investigate reasons for non-use of protective headgear and eye wear. Results: Hurling related eye injuries occurred most commonly in young men. Fifty two patients (17%) required hospital admission, with hyphaema accounting for 71% of admissions. Ten injuries required intraocular surgical intervention: retinal detachment repair (5); macular hole surgery (1); repair of partial thickness corneal laceration (1); repair of globe perforation (1); enucleation (1); trabeculectomy for post-traumatic glaucoma (1). Fourteen eyes (4.5%) had a final best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) of <6/12 and six (2%) had BCVA <3/60. In the survey, 63 players (48.5%) reported wearing no protective facemask while playing hurling. Impairment of vision was the most common reason cited for non-use. Conclusions: Hurling related injury is a significant, and preventable, cause of ocular morbidity in young men in Ireland. The routine use of appropriate protective headgear and faceguards would result in a dramatic reduction in the incidence and severity of these injuries, and should be mandatory.     

Patterns of knee injuries in wrestling: a six year study

Data on knee injuries sustained by the University of Iowa wrestling team over a 6 year period were compiled. There were a total of 136 wrestlers during this time. Fifty-one different wrestlers sustained 136 injuries (64 knees). Multiple parameters were examined for each injury, including date of injury; days lost; diagnosis; side injured; mechanism; occurrence during competition or practice; whether the wrestler was in control, "on the bottom," or both wrestlers standing; type of move being made at the time of injury; how far into a match or practice the injury happened; initial versus recurrent injury; principal form of management; weight-bearing status; and presence of knee pads. Each wrestler's weight class, years of experience, rank on the team, lead leg, and compliance were noted. We found an incidence of 30 knee injuries per 100 wrestlers per year. There were 11.5 knee injuries per 100 wrestlers per year requiring a week or greater time loss. This comprises over one third of all serious wrestling injuries. Exposure data revealed injury rates in matches to be almost 40 times those of practice. Wrestlers with previous knee injuries were at high risk for reinjury. Early season competition is an extremely high risk period. The most frequent injuries were prepatellar bursitis, lateral and medial sprains, and lateral and medial meniscal tears. We noted a relatively higher rate of lateral versus medial meniscal tears compared to other sports and a somewhat common presentation of a meniscal tear resulting from minimal trauma. The lead leg was injured most often. The takedown was the most frequent situation where any injury occurred. Defensive wrestlers appeared to be at higher risk during takedowns. The wrestler "underneath" was also injured more often. Compliance correlated with decreased recurrence of injury. Approximately 50% of wrestlers were found to be noncompliant with medical recommendations. Junior varsity wrestlers lost significantly more time than varsity wrestlers with equivalent injuries. There was no correlation of injury rate with weight class, period of match, timing in practice, or years of experience.     

Sports injuries in adolescent boarding school boys

A survey is presented of 346 sports injuries admitted to the Eton College Sanatorium between 1971 and 1982. The incidence of injury was lowest in 13 year olds perhaps because of their lighter weight. The injuries were classified into four groups--minor head injury, soft tissue injury, fractures and dislocations, and eye injury. Football caused 75 per cent of all injuries except eye injury where it accounted for only a third. Comparison of the incidence of injury at the three types of football played at Eton--Rugby, Association and Eton--showed Rugby football to be the most dangerous and Eton football the safest game. Advice on the management and prevention of injury is given.     

Injury rates during the 1988 US Olympic Team Trials for taekwondo.

Injury rates were recorded during the 1988 US Olympic Team Trials for taekwondo involving 48 men and 48 women. The injury rate for men (12.74/100 athlete-exposures) was about 40 per cent higher than the rate for women (9.01/100 athlete-exposures). The foot and the head were the most frequently injured body parts. Contusions were the predominant type of injury, and concussions were recorded for both men and women. A large proportion (41 per cent) of the men's injuries were the result of receiving a blow from an unblocked attack. For the women the most common injury situation (40 per cent) was while attacking with a kick. For both men and women, 15 per cent of the reported injuries were time-loss injuries. The head injuries found in this study are discussed with reference to the high impact velocities and momentum levels generated during taekwondo kicking. Recommendations are made with regard to protective equipment testing and rule changes to reduce the possibility of cerebral injury.     

Soccer injuries of youth.

During a soccer tournament with participation of 6,600 boys and girls (9-19 years) all injuries were evaluated, 5.2% of the players were injured; out of these 51% had "slight injuries", 42% "moderate injuries" and 7% "severe injuries". For the individual player the incidence of injury was 19.1/1,000 playing hours including all degrees of injuries; if "slight injuries" were excluded the incidence was 9.4/1,000 playing hours. The incidence rose with increasing age, girls were injured more often than boys. There were 81% of all injuries localised to the lower extremity, especially the ankle and foot. Contusion was the most frequent diagnosis, amounting to a third of all injuries. Blisters and exoriations amounted to nearly a fifth, 4% of the injuries were fractures, especially in the upper extremity; overuse injuries were seen only in 5.2% of the cases. Based on examination of the injury pattern in these children, injuries of youth seem to be relatively rare and mostly of a non-severe character.     

Eye casualties during Operation Telic

AIM: To audit all eye casualties presenting to a British Army Field Hospital during the conflict period of Operation Telic between the dates 27th March and 1st May 2003. METHOD: A retrospective analysis of entries into the attendance register and clinical notes from the Emergency Department of 34 Field Hospital. RESULTS: Forty five eye casualties were seen in the Emergency Department of 34 Field Hospital and they accounted for 2.0% of all attendances (n=2292). Of these, eye injuries were the commonest (58.7%), whilst the diagnosis of conjunctivitis was the most frequent non-traumatic presentation. A total of 6 casualties required transfer rearwards to a specialist UK facility. Of all eye casualties seen, 6 were of non-coalition status. CONCLUSIONS: Eye patients account for a significant proportion of the total number of casualties seen during the warfighting stage; only 25% of eye injuries can return to active duty, compared with 85% of all surviving wounded. Importantly, even minor eye injuries or infections can rapidly incapacitate personnel and if untreated cause permanent severe visual loss. The prompt diagnosis of ocular pathology, coupled with appropriate treatment in the field or evacuation for advanced care, can limit potential sight-threatening sequelae.     

Facial injuries due to criminal violence: a retrospective study of hospital attenders.

The material comprised 222 assault victims whose injuries required attention at the Departments of Oral Surgery and Ear, Nose, and Throat diseases, the Central Hospital in Falun or corresponding departments at the Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm or the University Hospital in Huddinge. Information was obtained from patient records. One hundred and thirty-eight patients had fractures and the remainder had flesh-wounds, haematomas or swellings. The most frequent fracture site was the nasal bone followed by the jaws. Forty-one per cent of the patients in Falun and 28 per cent in Stockholm reported the assaults to the police: in Falun the proportion of women victims who reported the assault was significantly higher than those who did not. The willingness to notify the police of the violence was not influenced by the use of drugs or the seriousness of the injuries. The study showed that violence in suburban Stockholm was aggravated: one-third of the patients in the study required hospitalization compared to a quarter in a rural area.     

Registration of cruciate ligament injuries in Norwegian top level team handball. A prospective study covering two seasons

All cruciate ligament injuries in the three upper divisions for men and women (3392 players) in Norwegian team handball in the 1989-90 and 1990–91 seasons were registered. A questionnaire was mailed to all injured players. Ninety-three cruciate ligament injuries were registered; 87 in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), and six in the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL). Among women, 1.8% were injured compared with 1.0% of the men. In the first division, the risk of being injured was considerably higher: 4.5% of the players had a cruciate ligament injury. There were 0.97 cruciate ligament injuries per 1000 playing hours in the three divisions taken together. Seventy-five per cent of the injuries occurred during games. Ninety-five per cent involved no contact between players. Activities in which the friction between shoe and floor was significant caused 55% of the injuries. Injuries caused by running into another player contributed to only 5% of the injuries. No significant differences were observed in injury incidence during matches between different types of floors (parquet, Pulastic and other synthetic sufaces).     

Professional Golfers and the Price They Pay

Professional golfers' injuries are usually related to their swings. A wide variety of acute and chronic injuries have been reported, including carpal fractures, ulnar and median nerve neuropathies, tendinitis, skin rashes, and eye injuries. There have been two deaths. In this study questionnaires were mailed to 500 professional golfers, and 226 were returned. During their careers 103 men and 87 women were injured, an average of two injuries per player. The left wrist, lower back, and left hand were most commonly injured. Repetitive practice swings caused the most injuries in both men and women.     

Sports injuries in adolescents' ball games: soccer, handball and basketball.

In a prospective study of 302 adolescent players in three ball games (soccer, handball and basketball), 119 incurred injuries. The injury incidence (number of injuries per 1000 playing hours) was 5.6 in soccer, 4.1 in handball and 3.0 in basketball. Ankle sprains accounted for 25 per cent of the injuries, finger sprains 32 per cent, strains in the thigh and leg 10 per cent, and tendinitis/apophysitis 12 per cent. The most serious injuries were four fractures, one anterior cruciate ligament rupture, and two meniscus lesions. The most serious injuries, with the longest rehabilitation period, occurred in soccer. In soccer, many injuries occurred during tackling and contact with an opposing player, while the injuries in handball and basketball were often caused by ball contact and running.     

Skiing injuries: a study from a Danish community.

A Danish investigation of skiing injuries is presented from the casualty wards of two hospitals. The material consisted of 119 skiing injuries. Fifty-three per cent of the patients were women. Eighty-three injuries occurred abroad, mainly in Austria and Norway. Injury rate was not related to sex. The highest injury rate was found in the age group 20 to 29 years old. The most frequent injuries were sprains (knee 43, finger 14), fractures (39) and contusions (19). Injuries requiring hospitalization were common. None of these resulted in permanent major disability.     

Injuries in sailboard enthusiasts.

This study was carried out to determine the rate and types of injuries experienced by boardsailors. Results derive from: (a) a review of hospital medical records for water sports injuries, and (b) a questionnaire-interview of 73 athletes windsurfing on waters in the Galveston area during a hurricane and in moderate and light wind conditions. Windsurfers reported 0.22 injuries per 1,000 participant hours. Seventy-six per cent of athletes reported injuries while boardsailing, but only 15 per cent reported significant injuries. The most common reported injuries included lacerations, jellyfish stings, abrasions, muscle strain, sunburn, contusions, and blisters. A small number of athletes reported ligament sprain, ear infection, knee injury, eye injury, and splinters. The large majority of injuries reported are preventable by wearing protective gear, applying sunscreen, avoiding overpowering winds, and selecting safe sailing areas. Four per cent of water-sport injuries requiring hospitalisation resulted when epileptic water-sports participants had a seizure in or near the water.     

Acute sports injuries requiring hospital care.

The present investigation reports 138 consecutive patients injured in sports, who needed treatment as in-patients in a one year period. More injuries were sustained in soccer than in other sports. The lower extremity was the site of most injuries, fractures and dislocations being the most common type of injury. At follow-up 50% of the patients complained of discomfort. The average stay in hospital after a sports injury requiring hospital care was 6 days. In 52% of the patients the duration of sports incapacity was at least six months and in seven per cent the sports incapacity after the sustained injury was permanent.