Background: As previous epidemiological studies in elite ice hockey have focused on acute time-loss injuries, little is known about the burden of overuse injuries and illnesses in ice hockey. Purpose: To report the prevalence and burden of all health problems in male professional ice hockey players in Norway during a single competitive season. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: A total of 225 male ice hockey players in the GET League (the premier professional league) in Norway reported all health problems (acute injuries, overuse injuries, and illnesses) during the 2017-2018 competitive season. Players reported all injuries and illnesses for 31 weeks using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems. Results: At any given time, 40% (95% CI, 37%-43%) of players reported symptoms from an injury or illness, and 20% (95% CI, 19%-22%) experienced health problems with a substantial negative impact on training and performance. Acute injuries represented the greatest incidence, prevalence, and burden (defined as the cross-product of severity and incidence). The most burdensome acute injuries were to the head/face, shoulder/clavicle, knee, and ankle. The most burdensome overuse injuries were to the knee, lumbar spine, and hip/groin. Conclusion: This registration captured a greater burden from overuse injuries than traditional injury registration, but acute injuries did represent a major problem. These data provide guidance in the development of prevention programs for both acute and overuse injuries, which should focus on the lumbar spine, hip/groin, and knee.

Background: Little is known about the burden of overuse injuries and illnesses in junior elite ice hockey. Purpose: To describe the prevalence and burden of all health problems in junior male elite ice hockey players in Norway during 1 school year. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: A total of 206 junior male ice hockey players (mean age, 17 years; range, 15-20 years) attending specialized sports academy high schools in Norway reported all health problems, acute injuries, overuse injuries, and illnesses, weekly during the 2018-2019 school year (44 weeks). The players self-reported injuries and illnesses using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center Questionnaire on Health Problems. Results: Of the players included, 25% (95% CI, 23%-27%) reported at least 1 health problem at any given time, while 16% (95% CI, 14%-17%) experienced health problems with a substantial negative effect on training and performance. Of the total burden of health problems, acute injuries accounted for 44%, overuse injuries 31%, and illnesses 25%. For acute injuries, the greatest burden was caused by injuries to the ankle, knee, and hand, whereas for overuse injuries the most burdensome location was the hip/groin and knee. Conclusion: This study documented that while acute injuries did represent the greatest problem among junior elite ice hockey players, overuse injuries, especially to the knee and hip/groin, also had a substantial effect.