Laryngeal fractures in lacrosse due to high speed ball impact

Men's lacrosse is a fast-paced, high-collision sport with ball speeds in excess of 90 mph. Laryngeal fractures in lacrosse are a rarely reported injury. To increase awareness of this potential injury, we describe 3 male lacrosse players who sustained laryngeal fractures from lacrosse ball trauma to the neck.

The first patient sustained a minimally displaced, paramedian thyroid cartilage fracture and was managed with observation alone. The second patient sustained a depressed fracture of the left thyroid ala and was managed with closed reduction. The third case sustained a mildly displaced transcricoid fracture. He was managed with open reduction and internal fixation. All 3 patients returned to regular activities with near normal voice results by final follow-up.

This is the first report of laryngeal fractures following lacrosse ball trauma to the neck. Lacrosse players are at risk for laryngeal injuries, and neck protection is only worn by the goalie. It is our hope that this series will raise awareness of this potentially lethal injury and prompt the sport to consider mandatory neck protection for all players.