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Related Experiment Videos

Catastrophic injuries in pole-vaulters.

B P Boden1, P Pasquina, J Johnson

  • 1Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, The Orthopaedic Center, Rockville, Maryland 20850, USA.

The American Journal of Sports Medicine
|February 24, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Catastrophic pole vaulting injuries, often fatal, result from athletes landing on hard surfaces or missing the pad. Improving landing pad size and surrounding surfaces can prevent severe injuries and fatalities in this sport.

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Area of Science:

  • Sports Medicine
  • Biomechanics
  • Injury Prevention

Background:

  • Pole vaulting involves athletes landing from significant heights (10-20 feet).
  • Catastrophic injuries in pole vaulting pose serious risks, including death and permanent disability.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify injury mechanisms in catastrophic pole vaulting incidents.
  • To inform the development of preventive strategies for pole vaulting injuries.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective review of 32 catastrophic pole vaulting injuries reported to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research (1982-1998).
  • Data collection via telephone interviews with individuals familiar with the accidents.

Main Results:

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  • All 32 injuries occurred in male athletes (average age 17.5 years).
  • 31 injuries were catastrophic head injuries; 1 was a thoracic spine fracture causing paraplegia.
  • Common injury mechanisms included landing with the head on surrounding ground (53%), landing in the vault box (25%), and missing the landing pad (16%).
  • 50% of accidents resulted in death, and 19% caused permanent disability.

    • Conclusions:

    • Landing surface characteristics and proximity are critical factors in pole vaulting safety.
    • Recommendations include increasing landing pad dimensions and enforcing rules for soft adjacent surfaces.
    • Further rule and equipment modifications may reduce the incidence of severe pole vaulting injuries.