Athletic injuries: comparison by age, sport, and gender

Injuries treated at the University of Rochester Section of Sports Medicine over a 7 year period were surveyed. Patients were drawn from professional, intercollegiate (Division III), high school, intramural, and unorganized athletics at the University and the surrounding community. Data on injury diagnosis was available for 4,551 cases, with data on age, gender, and sport of injury available for 3,431 of the cases. The average patient age was 21.6 years, with a peak in the 16 to 19 age group. Patients with fractures had an average age below the overall mean, while those with internal derangement of the knee, patellofemoral pain syndrome, and inflammatory injuries were significantly older than average. Males accounted for 80.3% of all injuries. For both sexes the most common areas injured were the knee and ankle, with sprains/strains the most common injuries. Injuries involving the patellofemoral articulation were significantly more frequent among females. The most common sport of injury was football, with greater than 12 times the number of injuries seen in the next most common sport.