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Hand and Wrist Injuries Among US High School Athletes: 2005/06-2015/16
Bernadette K Johnson1,2, Lina Brou3,2, Sarah K Fields4
1Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colorado; bernadette.johnson@childrenscolorado.org.
Pediatrics
|November 23, 2017
Summary
High school athletes experience frequent hand and wrist injuries, particularly in sports like football and lacrosse. Many injuries require significant medical care and can lead to extended time away from play.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Orthopedic Injury
Background:
- Hand and wrist injuries are common in various sports, but their epidemiology among high school athletes is not well-documented.
- Understanding injury patterns is crucial for developing targeted prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence rates of hand/wrist injuries in high school athletes.
- To investigate the patterns and types of hand/wrist injuries sustained across different sports.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study over 11 academic years (2005/06–2015/16).
- Collected athlete exposure (AE) and hand/wrist injury data from a large sample of US high schools.
Main Results:
- A total of 6,723 hand/wrist injuries occurred across over 40 million AEs, with an overall injury rate of 1.7 per 10,000 AEs.
- Injury rates were higher during competition (3.3 per 10,000 AEs) than practice (1.1 per 10,000 AEs).
- Football, boys' lacrosse, and girls' softball showed the highest injury rates; fractures were the most common injury type (45.0%).
Conclusions:
- High school athletes face a significant risk of hand/wrist injuries, impacting participation and necessitating medical treatment.
- Sports involving sticks/pucks and full-contact activities exhibit higher injury rates, underscoring the need for sport-specific injury prevention measures.
