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Orthopedic Horse-related Injuries in Children
Ryszard Tomaszewski1, Karol Pethe1
1Klinika Ortopedii i Traumatologii Dziecięcej Śląski Uniwersytet Medyczny w Katowicach, Polska / Department of Paediatric Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Silesian Medical University, Katowice, Poland.
Background:
Orthopedic injuries associated with horse-related sports are high-energy injuries. This study aimed to evaluate horse-related orthopedic injuries, primarily spinal, excluding head injuries, based on a single-center analysis and literature review.
Material And Methods:
Between 2020 and 2022, 28 patients were treated at the pediatric trauma and orthopedic unit of the level 1 regional trauma center following horse-related injuries. There were 24 girls and four boys; the average age of the patients was 10.7 (6-14) years. The patients sustained eight spinal injuries, 19 upper and two lower limb injuries. Radiographs were obtained in 28 patients, CT scans in 10, and MRI scans in 6 patients with spinal injuries. The average hospital stay was about four days (1-21), amounting to 3 for spinal injuries (1-12) and 4 for limb injuries (1-21). 20 patients were operated on.
Results:
Patients with spinal injuries received conservative treatment, whereas other types of injuries required surgical treatment. There was a statistically significant dependence (confirmed by the Wilcoxon test with p<0.05) between the patient's age and the type of treatment employed (surgical vs conservative). The median age of patients requiring surgical treatment (9.5 years) was lower than that (12 years) of patients who did not require surgery.
Conclusions:
1. Equestrian sports are high-injury sports, especially in children. 2. Horseback riding accidents in children mainly affect the upper limb and spine. 3. Injuries to the upper limb usually require surgical treatment, while spinal injuries are managed conservatively.
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