Lower Extremity Sprains and Knee/Ankle Injury Predominate Among Pediatric Dancers

To determine the most common body regions, diagnoses, and mechanisms of injury among pediatric dance-related injuries in the United States.

A descriptive epidemiologic analysis of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2023 identified emergency department presentations for primary dance-associated injuries using the recreational activity code 3728. Data on demographics, body region, diagnosis, and mechanism of injury were collected. Patients were stratified by sex (male vs female) and age (children (3-9) vs adolescents (10-17)). Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests were used, with significance set a P < .05.

A total of 3600 (National Estimate = 93,062) cases were analyzed. The most commonly injured regions were knees (20.8%) and ankles (15.8%). The most common diagnoses were sprains/strains (31.4%) and fractures (12.3%). Common mechanisms included impacts with the floor (37.0%) and ankle rolling (13.5%). Compared with adolescent dancers, children sustained knee (26.2% vs 5.5%, P < .001) and ankle (17.5% vs 10.4%, P < .001) injuries, experience sprains/strains (35.5% vs 18.3%, P < .001), and were injured due to ankle rolling (14.4% vs 8.1%, P < .001) and noncontact movements (11.8% vs 2.3%, P < .001). Adolescent dancers more often sustained fractures (14.4% vs 11.3%, P = .010). Females were more likely to sustain knee (21.8% vs 15.3%, P < .001) and ankle (16.6% vs 11.7%, P = .012) injuries and experience sprains/strains (33.1% vs 22.2%, P < .001), whereas males frequently sustained head injuries (23.7% vs 11.5%, P < .001) and fractures (15.7% vs 11.7%, P = .019).

Knees and ankles were the most commonly injured body regions, with sprains/strains and fractures representing the most frequent diagnoses. The most common mechanisms of injury included impact with the floor, ankle rolling, and noncontact movements. Females and younger children were significantly more likely to sustain knee and ankle injuries and experience sprains/strains, whereas males and adolescents more often sustained fractures.

Level IV, retrospective epidemiological study.