Open Fractures on the Field: Two Decades of Pediatric Sports Injuries in a Level 1 Trauma Cohort

Background: Open fractures in pediatric patients are uncommon but clinically relevant, often resulting from high-energy trauma or sports-related incidents. This study analyzes the demographic patterns, types of sports, injury mechanisms, treatment strategies, and outcomes in children and adolescents with sports-related open fractures. Methods: In this retrospective study, 74 pediatric patients with sports-related open fractures treated at a level 1 trauma center between 2002 and 2023 were documented. Parameters such as age, sex, fracture location, sport type, treatment modality, complications, and outcomes were evaluated. Results: The cohort included 74 patients, with a mean age of 13 ± 3.6 years. Open fractures of the upper extremity were most common (seen in 34 patients). Moreover, 10 open craniofacial and 27 open nasal fractures represented 50.0% of injuries, mainly in male athletes involved in contact sports. Soccer was the leading injury-related sport (n = 14; 18.9%). Surgical treatment was required in 28 patients (37.8%), most frequently using elastic stable intramedullary nailing, Kirschner wire fixation in the upper extremities or nasal bone reduction. Antibiotics were administered in 46 patients (62.2%), with a mean documented duration of 2.7 ± 3.1 days. An excellent outcome was documented in 95%. Conclusions: Sports-related open fractures in children primarily affect male adolescents in contact sports and involve the upper extremities and facial region. Conservative management is effective in stable, non-displaced and low-grade injuries. Surgical treatment is frequently indicated in open forearm fractures. The implementation of a structured trauma care protocol, incorporating early debridement, definitive treatment, and antibiotics, has been demonstrated to yield a safe and effective treatment outcome with a favorable prognosis for sports-related open fractures in children.