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Injuries in short track speed skating.
Andrew Quinn1, Victor Lun, John McCall
1Sport Medicine Centre, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine
|July 16, 2003
Summary
Elite short track speed skaters experience a high rate of injuries, with the knee and ankle being the most commonly affected areas. This study highlights the need for better injury prevention strategies in the sport.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Biomechanics
- Injury Epidemiology
Background:
- Limited understanding of injury patterns in short track speed skating.
- Need for data on injury incidence and characteristics.
Purpose of the Study:
- Investigate the incidence of injuries in elite short track speed skaters.
- Characterize the types, locations, and circumstances of these injuries.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective survey of 95 elite skaters regarding the 1999-2000 season.
- Data collected on training/competition load and injury details.
- Injuries categorized by location, type, time loss, and onset.
Main Results:
- 64.2% of surveyed skaters reported at least one injury.
- Most common injury sites: knee, ankle, spine, leg, and groin.
- Previous common on-ice injuries included lacerations (11.1%) and ankle fractures (10.2%).
Conclusions:
- Competitive short track speed skating has a high incidence of injury.
- Findings underscore the significant injury risk for elite skaters in this discipline.