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Published on: September 25, 2014
Epidemiology of Facial Injuries in Sport
Amanda M Black1, Paul H Eliason1, Declan A Patton2
1Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive Northwest, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Health Research Innovation Centre, Room 1A10, 3330 Hospital Drive Northwest, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada; Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Heritage Medical Research Building, Room 293, 3330 Hospital Drive Northwest, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada.
Abstract:
Facial injuries can pose a large health burden for athletes, potentially resulting in time loss and surgery. This article reviews the incidence, common mechanisms, and risk factors of facial injuries in several sports globally. Estimates of facial injury rates are complicated by a lack of, or inconsistent, reporting on specific types of injury. Much of the epidemiologic literature is based on hospital-based injury surveillance and there is a paucity of literature examining sport-specific risk factors. Future research should focus on prospective injury surveillance methodologies with consistent injury definitions examining risk factors and the effectiveness of facial injury prevention efforts.
