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Play-wrestlers and their injuries

T McCarthy1, E Crushell, K Synnott

  • 1Department of Orthopaedics, The Children's University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland. tomcc@eircom.net

Irish Medical Journal
|May 5, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Popular TV wrestling shows are leading to injuries in Irish children. Play-wrestling, imitating TV moves without training, caused 2.3% of fractures seen in a pediatric clinic.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Orthopedics
  • Sports Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Television (TV) broadcast wrestling series are increasingly popular among Irish children.
  • This popularity has led to children imitating wrestling moves.
  • There is a lack of formal wrestling or martial arts training among these children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the incidence and nature of injuries resulting from play-wrestling among children.
  • To determine the proportion of pediatric fractures attributable to imitating TV wrestling.
  • To highlight potential risks associated with unsupervised, TV-inspired wrestling play.

Main Methods:

  • A four-month observational study was conducted at a busy pediatric fracture clinic.
  • Data collected included injury cause, patient age, and injury type.
  • Injuries specifically linked to play-wrestling imitating TV shows were identified and analyzed.

Main Results:

  • Play-wrestling accounted for 2.3% of all injuries seen at the clinic during the study period.
  • The mean age of injured children was 9.5 years (range 4-15 years).
  • The most common injury was fracture of the distal radius (7 out of 13 cases), with one requiring surgical intervention.

Conclusions:

  • Imitating TV wrestling poses a significant risk of injury to children, particularly fractures.
  • The study highlights the need for parental awareness and supervision regarding children's engagement with TV wrestling content.
  • Conservative management was effective for most injuries, but the potential for serious fractures necessitates caution.

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