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Brain injury in ice hockey
1Division of Neurosurgery, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.
Summary
Ice hockey players experience concussions, with incidence increasing at higher play levels. Appropriate helmets reduce brain injuries, and younger players show a downward trend in head injuries.
Area of Science:
- Sports Medicine
- Neurology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Ice hockey is a high-impact sport associated with a significant risk of head injuries.
- Understanding the incidence of brain injuries is crucial for player safety and injury prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the incidence of brain injuries, particularly concussions, in ice hockey players.
- To analyze injury rates across different age groups and levels of play.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE (1966-1997) and bibliographies of retrieved articles.
- Inclusion of all clinical study designs, with emphasis on study design strength.
- Extraction and calculation of head injury rates, focusing on concussion incidence per 1000 player-hours.
Main Results:
- Concussion is the most frequent brain injury in ice hockey.
- Concussion incidence ranges from 0.0-0.8 (ages 5-14) to 0.0-6.6 (elite teams) per 1000 player-hours.
- Injury rates increase with play level and are higher during games than practice; helmet use reduces incidence, and a downward trend is observed in younger players.
Conclusions:
- Concussion incidence in ice hockey is influenced by age, skill level, and game context.
- Protective equipment, such as helmets, plays a vital role in mitigating head injuries.
- Further research and updated safety guidelines are recommended to minimize brain injury risks in ice hockey.