Orthopaedic admissions due to sports and recreation injuries

The health benefits of exercise may be attenuated by sports and recreation related injury (SRI). Though the majority of SRI are mild and self-limiting, a significant number are serious and require orthopaedic intervention. The aims of this study were to assess the burden of these serious injuries on the orthopaedic inpatient service, and to investigate potential target areas for injury prevention. All 1,590 SRI seen in the ED over a 3-month period were analysed using the Patient Information Management System to determine which patients received inpatient orthopaedic care. The medical records of those 63 patients who required inpatient care under orthopaedics were reviewed and data collected on demographic features, history, operative procedure and theatre resources, and length of hospital stay. Data were analyzed using SPSS. SRI accounted for 12.3% of all ED presentations. The principal activities resulting in injury requiring orthopaedic care were soccer, hurling and informal play e.g. trampoline. Falls made up 37% of the overall mechanism of injury but 68% of the injuries severe enough to require operative management. Most operative procedures were performed as part of a routine day trauma list but 20% were performed out of hours. This group of injuries places a significant burden on a busy trauma service. Injury prevention measures such as public education regarding falls in sport may have a role in reducing this burden.