Ice Hockey Injuries with Dr. Catherine Logan

A study on the epidemiology of ice hockey injuries was recently published in Sports Health. Knowledge about the common injuries and their mechanism is sueful to aide in the diagnosis and treatment of injuries in hockey athletes.

 

A bit of background...

 

Ice hockey is currently played in 76 countries. It is a dynamic sport that can include skating at speeds approaching 30 miles per hour (mph)! Contact and checking are commonplace, and fighting still occurs in some junior leagues and at the professional level. 

 

The authors reviewed the existing literature regarding injury risk, type, mechanism, and severity in youth, high school, junior, college, and professional players. 

 

The most frequent injuries seen in youth hockey are contusions, fractures, sprains/strains, and lacerations involving the head, neck, and upper extremities.

 

Injury Prevention in Hockey

There is a special emphasis on catastrophic injuries such as:

Spine trauma with spinal cord involvement

Concussion and head injury

Eye injury with visual impairment or blindness,

 

Monitoring and eliminating the dangerous infractions of charging, boarding, checking from behind, head hits, and fighting are now points of emphasis.

 

The authors concluded that a multifaceted approach to injury prevention in the sport of ice hockey is necessary, including:

Quality education and coaching

Improved protective equipment

Rule enforcement

Elimination of dangerous activities

Promotion of sportsmanship

Mutual respect for the opponent and the game of hockey.