Traumatic injuries in polo players

Area of Science:

• Sports medicine
• Traumatology
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Polo is a high-risk equestrian sport with potential for serious traumatic injuries, particularly to the head.
• Current safety regulations mandate helmet use for polo players to mitigate head injury risk.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the incidence and patterns of traumatic injuries among polo players in England.
• To identify the most common injury sites and causes requiring hospital treatment in this population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective cohort study was conducted using accident reports from 26 English polo clubs between 2018 and 2024.
• Data collected included injury location, cause, and the need for hospital treatment for 236 injured polo players.

Main Results:

• Limb injuries were most frequent (47.9%), followed by face/head injuries (38.6%).
• Eye injuries were the leading cause for hospital treatment (45.5%), often resulting from the ball, stick, or horse contact.
• Horse-related incidents significantly contributed to eye injuries requiring hospitalization.

Conclusions:

• Traumatic eye injuries represent a critical and common reason for hospital admission in polo, despite existing helmet mandates.
• The study advocates for mandatory eye protection, including sports glasses, goggles, or face guards, for all polo players.
• Implementing compulsory eye protection could significantly reduce the incidence and severity of eye injuries in the sport.