Epidemiology of Rink Hockey-Related Injuries

Abstract

Context: Determining the rate of injuries related to a certain sport is accepted as the primary step toward designing, implementing, and evaluating injury prevention programs. The aim of this study was to examine the injuries sustained by semiprofessional Spanish rink hockey players and to compare data per playing position. Design: Observational and retrospective. Methods: Athletes from 21 teams were surveyed via a self-reported questionnaire to screen for incidence, injury burden, location, tissue, and onset of injuries. Results: Overall, 101 time loss injuries were reported across 22,241 hours of exposure, giving rise to an incidence rate of 4.5/1000 hours. The main body regions injured were the hip/groin, shoulder, thigh, and head, accounting altogether for 47.5% of all injuries. Musculotendinous injuries were the most frequent, comprising 27.7% of all injuries. Incidence accounted for 3.1/1000 hours during training and 23/1000 hours during games (P < .001). A high number of injuries were caused by contact (46.5%). No differences were found for any of the variables analyzed between outfield players and goalkeepers. Conclusion: The injury incidence in rink hockey is moderate, occurring mainly due to a contact mechanism. Preventative measurements should be implemented in rink hockey with a special concern for injuries affecting the hip/groin and head.