Extremity Injuries during Sporting Activities According to Life Course: Focusing on Fractures

Abstract

Background: The increased participation in sports has led to an increased number of sports-related injuries. We aimed to identify the incidence of sports-related injuries by life course and the risk factors for sports-related extremity fractures.
 Methods: We analyzed data of patients with sports-related extremity injuries from Emergency Department-based national injury surveillance systems, obtained from Jan 2013 to Dec 2016. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors of extremity fracture by life course after adjusting for sex, injury season, injury time, injury place, sports type, and mechanism of injury.
 Results: Overall, 23385 patients met our inclusion criteria. Soccer injuries were most common in the 5–14-year (32.4%), 15–24-year (43.0%), and 25–44-year groups (32.7%), and hiking injuries were most common in the 45–64-year (23.6%) and ≥65-year age groups (38.0%). The upper extremity injury and fracture rates were higher in the younger-age group; nevertheless, the injury and fracture rates of the lower extremities increased with increasing age. Moreover, the rate of hip and thigh injuries and fractures increased significantly in the ≥65-year age group.
 Conclusion: The incidence and severity of sports injuries are affected by player factors and the sports activity itself. The age of players is a major determinant that affects their medical and physiologic conditions and the sport of choice. The strategy for preventing sports injuries should be structured based on age.

Sports-related fractures in the geriatric population at a level I trauma center

“…However, for SRFs, the incidence in males and females was reported to be 261/10 5 and 35/10 5 , respectively [ 12 ]. Previous studies reported that the comparatively higher number of sports injuries in males may be explained by the higher percentages of men participating in sports [ 9 , 10 , 14 , 17 ].…”

“…In this study, the three sports that were most associated with SRFs in the geriatric population were outdoor walking, outdoor biking, and mountain hiking, which are all outdoor activities. Sports that cause SRFs in adolescents and adults include high-level activities such as football, rugby, skiing, snowboarding, hockey, and basketball [ 9 , 10 ]. Because there are differences between the sports that the elderly population frequently participates in and the sports in which SRFs frequently occur, additional research on the incidence of SRFs by sports type is needed.…”

“…Epidemiological data regarding SRFs are mostly limited to children and adolescents [ 5 – 9 ] and to the author’s knowledge, there was no study regarding the SRFs in the geriatric population. Park et al [ 10 ] studied overall sports-related injuries, including not only fractures but also dislocations, contusions, sprains, and wounds, but only studied sports-related injuries that occurred in the extremities, excluding head, neck, or trunk injuries. Imam et al [ 11 ] studied the elderly population aged 65 years or older and analyzed comprehensive sports-related injuries that were not limited to fractures.…”