Affiliation:
1. Trauma, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
Abstract
AbstractRink Hockey is a high-speed low-contact sport with a widely recognized injury potential.
Played with a hard ball by players wearing little or no protective gear, the rates of
concussions and head injuries are of high interest. In this study, we reviewed and
investigated injuries sustained by 108 German National League rink hockey players. We
conducted an epidemiological cross-sectional study to determine sport-specific injuries and
injury patterns in female and male rink hockey players. Data were collected by a standardized
questionnaire. A total of 108 players participated in the study. The combined rate of injuries
were 9.4/1000 athlete exposures. There was no significant difference between injury rates
during games and practice. A sexspecific difference was not detected. Head injuries were the
most frequent type (20.8 % of all injuries). Concussions made up 7 % of all head injuries with
a rate of 0.76/1000 athlete exposure. Ball contact was the cause for 31 % of injuries, while
player contact generated 26.2 % of all injuries. High rates of ball-contact-related injuries
resulted in time loss and medical consultations. Head injuries were frequent, however did not
result in significant time loss as compared to other injuries. The use of protective gear
should be recommended.
Subject
Orthopedics and Sports Medicine