The Current State of Head and Neck Injuries in Extreme Sports

Abstract

Background:Since their conception during the mid-1970s, international participation in extreme sports has grown rapidly. The recent death of extreme snowmobiler Caleb Moore at the 2013 Winter X Games has demonstrated the serious risks associated with these sports.Purpose:To examine the incidence and prevalence of head and neck injuries (HNIs) in extreme sports.Study Design:Descriptive epidemiological study.Methods:The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was used to acquire data from 7 sports (2000-2011) that were included in the Winter and Summer X Games. Data from the NEISS database were collected for each individual sport per year and type of HNI. Cumulative data for overall incidence and injuries over the entire 11-year period were calculated. National estimates were determined using NEISS-weighted calculations. Incidence rates were calculated for extreme sports using data from Outdoor Foundation Participation Reports.Results:Over 4 million injuries were reported between 2000 and 2011, of which 11.3% were HNIs. Of all HNIs, 83% were head injuries and 17% neck injuries. The 4 sports with the highest total incidence of HNI were skateboarding (129,600), snowboarding (97,527), skiing (83,313), and motocross (78,236). Severe HNI (cervical or skull fracture) accounted for 2.5% of extreme sports HNIs. Of these, skateboarding had the highest percentage of severe HNIs.Conclusion:The number of serious injuries suffered in extreme sports has increased as participation in the sports continues to grow. A greater awareness of the dangers associated with these sports offers an opportunity for sports medicine and orthopaedic physicians to advocate for safer equipment, improved on-site medical care, and further research regarding extreme sports injuries.

A chilling reminder: Pediatric facial trauma from recreational winter activities

“…A recent investigation into head and neck injuries in extreme sports (including snowboarding and skiing) among patients of all ages noted that cervical or skull fractures were diagnosed in 2.5% of head and neck injuries, a sizeable figure when considering an estimated national incidence exceeding 4 million between 2000 and 2011 [39]. Findings from this study emphasized the importance of improving protective equipment, on-site medical care, and further research; however, the authors did not evaluate facial injuries in their methodology.…”

Oral lacerations during motocross: A case report

“…Motocross is a high‐risk sport with an injury rate five times higher than road cycling . This sport is one of the sports that frequently causes head and neck injuries including facial injuries . Head and neck injuries comprise approximately 10%‐14% of all injuries, and more than half of all head injuries include concussion .…”

Addressing Concussion in Youth Sports

“…In order to prevent false claims of protection and concussion reduction, implement stricter oversight of the companies that produce protective equipment. Both the IOM and the AAOS agree on the need for further research and advocacy to improve protective equipment and establish a biomechanical threshold for concussion [2,4]. There is evidence that helmet use reduces head injury risk in skiing, snowboarding, and bicycling, but the effect on concussion risk is inconclusive, and use in other sports did not impact concussion risk [7].…”

“…Improve medical care at sporting events [4]. Many organized contact sports are played without trained medical personnel on the sideline.…”

“…Participation in extreme sports, which are largely recreational rather than part of school leagues, is significantly increasing, with the number of skateboarders, for example, increasing 178 percent from 1995 to 2005 [5] and up 14 million US participants [4]. A study presented at the 2014 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) attempted to quantify the injury risk for participants in the extreme sports of mountain biking, motocross, skateboarding, surfing, snow machining, snow skiing, and snowboarding [4]. This study revealed that skateboarding, snowboarding, and skiing carried the highest incidence of head and neck injury and that concussion was the most common head and neck injury in extreme sports.…”