Skating on Thin Ice: Craniofacial Injuries in Amateur Ice Hockey

Abstract

bleeding profusely and probably contaminated, we recommend contacting emergency services. If a laceration is not suspected, the layperson should next move on to determining whether the injury is a concussion or contusion. If only bruising is seen, and the player exhibits no significant accompanying symptoms, then the player and layperson may decide together whether to continue playing. If there are more severe symptoms such as confusion, headache, lack of coordination, or blurry vision, concussion should be suspected. If a male player experiences 1 to 2 of these symptoms, they should be instructed to sit out for the remainder of the game. If they experience 3 or more symptoms, the layperson should consider seeking immediate medical help. This algorithm is largely the same for females, albeit with one important distinction: because females tend to suffer from more concussions than males, and because concussions in females are associated with worse prognoses, we suggest a more cautious approach to female players with suspected concussion. If one sign concerning for concussion is present, the player should be instructed to sit out, while 2 or more symptoms should prompt recruitment of emergency medical services. Prior studies have suggested that many players are aware of the symptoms of concussions, but often elect to continue playing after exhibiting these signs. 13 Proper application of this algorithm would prevent injuries from further progression during play, and would indicate proper care for a demographic at especially high risk of morbidity.This study carries several limitations which are primarily a consequence of usage of the NEISS database. Although NEISS provides a significant amount of information regarding injury mechanism and location, it cannot possibly encompass all of the factors that contribute to the injuries actually incurred. It would be impossible to realistically determine all of the underlying attributes that result in lacrosse-related injuries, and consequently, NEISS elects to view these through the lens of a select few. Furthermore, because the database does not provide results when estimates are below a certain value, it is possible that some results were close to but still underthe cutoff, prohibiting us from examining the corresponding data. Future studies should seek to characterize the injuries through other perspectives, and potentially use these to inform ways for the layperson to effectively intervene. Acquiring a thorough understanding of the events that promote trauma incurred from playing lacrosse would be among the most optimal ways to ensure safety for the players, and to avert injuries before they have a chance to occur.

Two Minutes for Roughing: A National Analysis of Ice Hockey Injuries from American Trauma Centers

“…Most patients were not severely injured, with a median ISS of 4 [4][5][6][7][8][9] (Table 2). The lower extremities were the most commonly injured body region (29%), followed by the head, upper extremities, and abdomen (19%, 17%, and 15% respectively).…”

“…1 Despite this enthusiasm and relatively robust literature on the sport in many ways, national-level analyses of patient demographics, clinical characteristics, and injury data are lacking. In hockey and other contact sports, attention has recently been given to injury prevention, especially in terms of head, 2,3 face, [4][5][6][7] and mouth [8][9][10] injuries. Helmets, visors, and mouthguards are frequently required to play hockey, as injuries can be sustained via a number of different mechanisms including falling on the ice or into the boards, puck strike, or contact with another player.…”

Surfing-Related Craniofacial Injuries: A NEISS Database Study

“…Prior studies have found that the head and neck (HN) is the most common site of surfing injury treated within health care facilities, comprising 45% to 51% of injuries overall 4,10. Given the rising popularity of the surfing, there is a need for detailed craniofacial injury data of the same quality of studies previously published for other sports including ice hockey, golf, volleyball, tennis, and contact sports 11–15. Therefore, we undertook an analysis of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database to further elucidate the characteristics of surfing-related craniofacial trauma presenting to the ED.…”

“…4,10 Given the rising popularity of the surfing, there is a need for detailed craniofacial injury data of the same quality of studies previously published for other sports including ice hockey, golf, volleyball, tennis, and contact sports. [11][12][13][14][15] Therefore, we undertook an analysis of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database to further elucidate the characteristics of surfing-related craniofacial trauma presenting to the ED. Our objective is to quantify these data to both help ED providers provide high quality care, and to help inform possible measures of injury prevention in the future.…”