A questionnaire was mailed to 600 to 657 finishers in the Seafair Triathlon (July 20, 1986); 45% of those polled returned the questionnaire. Over the preceding year, 49% of the respondents suffered a training-related injury serious enough to cause them to stop training for at least 1 day, seek medical care, or take medicine, Seventy percent of the injuries were due solely or partly to running. The knee, shoulder, and ankle were most frequently affected. Female triathletes and those more than 40 years of age showed a similar injury incidence and distribution. Elite triathletes averaged more miles per week in each sport than the athletes as a whole and showed a higher incidence of injury (60%), although this was not a significant difference. Higher weekly swimming, cycling, and running mileages did not lead to a higher incidence of injury. The likelihood of injury was independent of age, sex, body mass index, mileage per week, or other training factors evaluated in the study.

In brief: A medical team kept records for four years on all injuries that occurred during an annual state championship rodeo. Fifty-five (19.7%) of the 278 competitors and rodeo clowns who participated sustained a total of 61 injuries. Bull riding was the most dangerous event, accounting for 20 injuries to 18 competitors; saddle bronc riding and bareback riding followed with 13 injuries each. Barrel racing was the safest, with no injuries. The most common injuries were contusions, sprains, and strains, and the elbow was injured more often than any other part of the body. Protective equipment and physical conditioning could reduce rodeo injuries.

In brief: Sprains and contusions were the most common injuries during a three-day rodeo that included competition in bareback riding, calf roping, team roping, saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, bull riding, and barrel racing. The most dangerous event was bull riding: 70% of the competitors were injured, and one of the bull fighters was injured twice. Barrel racing was the safest event None of the women who competed was injured. A total of 22 of the 67 contestants were treated for 25 injuries.

In brief: Cryotherapy, a common treatment method for sports injuries, could result in peroneal nerve palsy. In this case a 26-year-old basketball coach who sustained a hamstring strain applied ice circumferentially around his knee on two occasions for one hour each. He subsequently suffered a severe peroneal neuropathy with weakness of the ankle, ankle evertors, and toe dorsiflexors. Electromyographic studies showed axonotmesis three months after the injury. Four months after the injury the patient was still recovering. This case demonstrates the importance of using cryotherapy cautiously.

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