The epidemiology of back/neck/spine injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association men’s and women’s ice hockey, 2009/2010 to 2014/2015

Context: Injury rates compare the relative frequency of sport-related concussions across groups. However, they may not be intuitive to policy makers, parents, or coaches in understanding the likelihood of concussion. Objective: To describe 4 measures of incidence (athlete-based rate, athlete-based risk, team-based rate, and team-based risk) during the 2011–2012 through 2014–2015 academic years. Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Setting: Aggregate injury and exposure data collected from the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program in 13 sports (men's baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and wrestling and women's basketball, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, softball, and volleyball). Patients or Other Participants: Collegiate student-athletes. Main Outcome Measure(s): Sport-related concussion data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program during the 2011–2012 through 2014–2015 academic years were analyzed. We calculated concussion rates per 1000 athlete-exposures (AEs), concussion risk, average number of concussions per team, and percentage of teams with at least 1 concussion. Results: During the 2011–2012 through 2014–2015 academic years, 1485 concussions were sustained by 1410 student-athletes across 13 sports. Concussion rates ranged from 0.09/1000 AEs in men's baseball to 0.89/1000 AEs in men's wrestling. Concussion risk ranged from 0.74% in men's baseball to 7.92% in men's wrestling. The average ± SD number of concussions per team ranged from 0.25 ± 0.43 in men's baseball to 5.63 ± 5.36 in men's football. The percentage of teams with a concussion ranged from 24.5% in men's baseball to 80.6% in men's football. Conclusions Although men's wrestling had a higher concussion rate and risk, men's football had the largest average number of concussions per team and the largest percentage of teams with at least 1 concussion. The risk of concussion, average number of concussions per team, and percentage of teams with concussions may be more intuitive measures of incidence for decision makers. Calculating these additional measures is feasible within existing injury surveillance programs, and this method can be applied to other injury types.

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Epidemiology of Lumbar Spine Injuries in Men’s and Women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association Basketball Athletes

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967119879104 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (10) ◽

pp. 232596711987910

Author(s):

Justin L. Makovicka ◽

David G. Deckey ◽

Karan A. Patel ◽

Jeffrey D. Hassebrock ◽

Andrew S. Chung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Lumbar Spine ◽

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Basketball Players ◽

Injury Rates ◽

Needed Information ◽

Women's Basketball ◽

Spine Injuries ◽

Rate Ratios ◽

Injury Recurrence

Background: Lumbar spine injuries (LSIs) are common in both men’s and women’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball players and can frequently lead to reinjuries and persistent pain. Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of an LSI in collegiate men’s and women’s basketball during the 2009-2010 through 2013-2014 academic years. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: The incidence and characteristics of LSIs were identified utilizing the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program (ISP). Rates of injury were calculated as the number of injuries divided by the total number of athlete-exposures (AEs). AEs were defined as any student participation in 1 NCAA-sanctioned practice or competition. Incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were then calculated to compare the rates of injury between season, event type, mechanism, injury recurrence, and time lost from sport. Results: The NCAA ISP reported 124 LSIs from an average of 28 and 29 men’s and women’s teams, respectively. These were used via validated weighting methodology to estimate a total of 5197 LSIs nationally. The rate of LSIs in women was 2.16 per 10,000 AEs, while men suffered LSIs at a rate of 3.47 per 10,000 AEs. Men were 1.61 times more likely to suffer an LSI compared with women. In men, an LSI was 3.48 times more likely to occur in competition when compared with practice, while in women, an LSI was 1.36 times more likely to occur in competition than in practice. Women suffered the highest LSI rate during the postseason, while the highest rate in men was during the regular season. The majority of both female (58.9%; n = 1004) and male (73.1%; n = 2353) athletes returned to play within 24 hours of injury. Conclusion: To date, this is the largest study to characterize LSIs in NCAA basketball and provides needed information on the prevalence and timing of these injuries. The majority of injuries in both sexes were new, and most athletes returned to play in less than 24 hours. Injury rates were highest during competition in both sexes.

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Epidemiology of Hip Flexor and Hip Adductor Strains in National Collegiate Athletic Association Athletes, 2009/2010-2014/2015

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/0363546517716179 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (12) ◽

pp. 2713-2722 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Timothy G. Eckard ◽

Darin A. Padua ◽

Thomas P. Dompier ◽

Sara L. Dalton ◽

Kristian Thorborg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Injury Rate ◽

Prevention Programs ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

Return To Play ◽

Common Mechanism ◽

High Recurrence Rate ◽

Participation Restriction ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Hip Flexor

Background: Little research has examined the rates and patterns of hip flexor or hip adductor strains in student-athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Purpose: To describe the epidemiology of hip flexor and adductor strains in NCAA athletes during the 2009/2010-2014/2015 academic years. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Rates and patterns of hip flexor and adductor strains in collegiate sports were examined in a convenience sample of NCAA varsity teams from 25 sports. Rates and distributions of strains by mechanism, recurrence, and participation restriction time were examined. Injury rate ratios (IRRs) and proportion ratios were calculated to compare rates within and between sports by event type, sex, mechanism, recurrence, and participation restriction time. Results: A total of 770 hip flexor and 621 hip adductor strains were reported, resulting in overall injury rates of 1.60 and 1.29 per 10,000 athlete-exposures (AEs), respectively. In men, the rate of hip flexor strains was 1.81 per 10,000 AEs, and that for hip adductor strains was 1.71 per 10,000 AEs. In women, the rate of hip flexor strains was 1.59 per 10,000 AEs, and the rate of hip adductor strains was 1.15 per 10,000 AEs. The highest rates of strains were found in men’s soccer and men’s ice hockey (range, 2.47-3.77 per 10,000 AEs). Most hip flexor and hip adductor strains occurred in practice, but both had higher rates in competition. In sex-comparable sports, hip flexor strain rates did not differ between the sexes (IRR = 1.14; 95% CI, 0.96-1.36), but the rate of hip adductor strains was higher in men than women (IRR = 1.49; 95% CI, 1.22-1.81). Noncontact was the most common mechanism for both types of strains (hip flexor strains, 59.4%; hip adductor strains, 62.5%); 10.1% of hip flexor strains and 11.1% of hip adductor strains were recurrent. The highest rates of recurrence of both types of strain were found in men’s and women’s ice hockey (range, 16.0%-30.6%). Most hip flexor and hip adductor strains resulted in <1 week of participation restriction (hip flexor strains, 83.8%; hip adductor strains, 82.9%). Conclusion: The NCAA sports with the highest rates of hip flexor and hip adductor strains were men’s soccer and men’s ice hockey. In sex-comparable sports, men had a higher rate of hip adductor, but not hip flexor, strains. Recurrence rates were remarkably high in ice hockey. Male sports teams, especially soccer and ice hockey, should place an emphasis on prevention programs for hip adductor strains. Secondary prevention programs involving thorough rehabilitation and strict return-to-play criteria should be developed and implemented to curb the high recurrence rate of these injuries, particularly in ice hockey.

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Characteristics of Operative Shoulder Injuries in the National Collegiate Athletic Association, 2009-2010 Through 2013-2014

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967118790764 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (8) ◽

pp. 232596711879076

Author(s):

Joseph A. Gil ◽

Avi D. Goodman ◽

Steven F. DeFroda ◽

Brett D. Owens

Keyword(s):

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Collegiate Athletes ◽

Injury Surveillance ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Shoulder Injuries ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Glenoid Labrum ◽

Significant Difference

Background: Injuries to the upper extremity among collegiate athletes are reported to account for approximately 20% of all injuries; however, little is known about the proportion of these injuries that require surgery. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to examine all shoulder injuries that required a surgical intervention and were recorded in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance Program (ISP). We hypothesized that contact would be the mechanism causing injuries most at risk for needing surgery and that dislocations would be the injuries most likely to require an operative intervention. Study Design: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Injury surveillance data between 2009-2010 and 2013-2014 for operative collegiate shoulder injuries and their associated sport exposures were analyzed. Results: A total of 185 operative shoulder injuries occurred over 3,739,004 athlete-exposures (AEs), for an overall incidence of 0.49 per 10,000 AEs. The sports with the highest incidence of operative injuries were men’s football (1.31/10,000 AEs), men’s wrestling (1.14/10,000 AEs), men’s ice hockey (0.60/10,000 AEs), women’s gymnastics (0.44/10,000 AEs), and men’s swimming (0.41/10,000 AEs). Men were significantly more likely than women to sustain operative injuries for all sports combined. Of the injuries that required surgical treatment, superior labrum from anterior to posterior (SLAP) tears (46.4%), other non-SLAP glenoid labrum tears (46.2%), anterior shoulder dislocations (33.3%), and posterior shoulder dislocations (30.0%) were seen most often. There was no significant difference in injury proportion ratios (IPRs) for injuries requiring surgery when comparing contact versus noncontact mechanisms of injury (IPR, 1.0 [95% CI, 0.6-1.6]). The incidence of operative injuries sustained during competition was significantly higher compared with during practice. Conclusion: The sports with the highest incidence of operative shoulder injuries were men’s football, men’s wrestling, men’s ice hockey, and women’s gymnastics. Operative shoulder injuries were more likely to occur during competition. SLAP tears, other non-SLAP glenoid labrum tears, and anterior shoulder dislocations had the highest incidence of requiring surgery. Athletes sustaining these injuries, along with their coaches and medical providers, may benefit from identifying collegiate sport participants who are at highest risk for sustaining an operative injury. This may assist in planning medical care and setting expectations, which may be critical to a young athlete’s career.

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Epidemiology of Foot and Ankle Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967119865908 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. 232596711986590 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Steven G. Crowley ◽

David P. Trofa ◽

J. Turner Vosseller ◽

Prakash Gorroochurn ◽

Lauren H. Redler ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Injury Surveillance ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

Ankle Injuries ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Ankle Sprains ◽

Foot And Ankle ◽

Time Loss ◽

Injury Rates ◽

Hockey Players

Background: Ice hockey is a high-speed contact sport in which athletes are prone to many different injuries. While past studies have examined overall injury rates in ice hockey, foot and ankle injuries among collegiate ice hockey players have yet to be analyzed. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the epidemiology of foot and ankle injuries among collegiate ice hockey players utilizing data from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Injury Surveillance Program. We hypothesized that male ice hockey players would sustain more injuries compared with female ice hockey players and that the injuries sustained would be more severe. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: Data on all foot and ankle injuries sustained during the academic years 2004 through 2014 were obtained from the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program. Injury rates, rate ratios (RRs), and injury proportion ratios were reported with 95% CIs. Results: Over the study period, the overall rate of foot and ankle injuries for men was higher than that for women (413 vs 103 injuries, respectively; RR, 4.01 [95% CI, 3.23-4.97]). Injury rates were highest during the regular season for both men (358 injuries; RR, 64.78 [95% CI, 58.07-71.49]) and women (89 injuries; RR, 38.37 [95% CI, 30.40-46.35]) compared with the preseason or postseason. The most common injury in men was a foot and/or toe contusion (22.5%), while women most commonly sustained a low ankle sprain (31.1%). For men, foot and/or toe contusions accounted for the most non–time loss (≤24 hours ) and moderate time-loss (2-13 days) injuries, while high ankle sprains accounted for the most severe time-loss (≥14 days) injuries. For women, foot and/or toe contusions accounted for the most non–time loss injuries, low ankle sprains accounted for the most moderate time-loss injuries, and high ankle sprains accounted for the most severe time-loss injuries. Conclusion: Foot and ankle injuries were frequent among collegiate ice hockey players during the period studied. For men, contusions were the most commonly diagnosed injury, although high ankle sprains resulted in the most significant time lost. For women, low ankle sprains were the most common and resulted in the most moderate time lost. These findings may direct future injury prevention and guide improvements in ice skate design.

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Comparison of Concussion Rates Between NCAA Division I and Division III Men’s and Women’s Ice Hockey Players

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/0363546517710005 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 45 (11) ◽

pp. 2622-2629 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

John M. Rosene ◽

Bryan Raksnis ◽

Brie Silva ◽

Tyler Woefel ◽

Paul S. Visich ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Ncaa Division I ◽

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Injury Rate ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

Division I ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Division Iii ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Hockey Players ◽

Rate Ratios

Background: Examinations related to divisional differences in the incidence of sports-related concussions (SRC) in collegiate ice hockey are limited. Purpose: To compare the epidemiologic patterns of concussion in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) ice hockey by sex and division. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: A convenience sample of men’s and women’s ice hockey teams in Divisions I and III provided SRC data via the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program during the 2009-2010 to 2014-2015 academic years. Concussion counts, rates, and distributions were examined by factors including injury activity and position. Injury rate ratios (IRRs) and injury proportion ratios (IPRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to compare concussion rates and distributions, respectively. Results: Overall, 415 concussions were reported for men’s and women’s ice hockey combined. The highest concussion rate was found in Division I men (0.83 per 1000 athlete-exposures [AEs]), followed by Division III women (0.78/1000 AEs), Division I women (0.65/1000 AEs), and Division III men (0.64/1000 AEs). However, the only significant IRR was that the concussion rate was higher in Division I men than Division III men (IRR = 1.29; 95% CI, 1.02-1.65). The proportion of concussions from checking was higher in men than women (28.5% vs 9.4%; IPR = 3.02; 95% CI, 1.63-5.59); however, this proportion was higher in Division I women than Division III women (18.4% vs 1.8%; IPR = 10.47; 95% CI, 1.37-79.75). The proportion of concussions sustained by goalkeepers was higher in women than men (14.2% vs 2.9%; IPR = 4.86; 95% CI, 2.19-10.77), with findings consistent within each division. Conclusion: Concussion rates did not vary by sex but differed by division among men. Checking-related concussions were less common in women than men overall but more common in Division I women than Division III women. Findings highlight the need to better understand the reasons underlying divisional differences within men’s and women’s ice hockey and the need to develop concussion prevention strategies specific to each athlete population.

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Sex Differences in Reported Concussion Injury Rates and Time Loss From Participation: An Update of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program From 2004–2005 Through 2008–2009

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-51.3.05 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 51 (3) ◽

pp. 189-194 ◽

Cited By ~ 97

Author(s):

Tracey Covassin ◽

Ryan Moran ◽

R. J. Elbin

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Female Athletes ◽

Epidemiologic Studies ◽

Injury Surveillance ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Time Loss ◽

Basketball Players ◽

Injury Rates

Epidemiologic studies have identified differences in concussion incidence between the sexes. However, few authors to date have updated injury rates (IRs) and time loss between male and female concussed athletes.Context: To examine sex differences in IRs and time loss in concussed National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) athletes.Objective: Descriptive epidemiologic study.Design: National Collegiate Athletic Association athletics.Setting: A total of 1702 concusssed NCAA athletes, consisting of 903 females and 779 males participating in soccer, basketball, ice hockey, lacrosse, softball, or baseball over a 5-year period from 2004–2005 through 2008–2009.Patients or Other Participants: Using the NCAA Injury Surveillance Program, athletic trainers reported concussions, athlete-exposures (AEs), and time loss across 10 NCAA sports. An IR is the number of injuries in a particular category divided by the number of AEs in that category.Main Outcome Measure(s): During the study period, 1702 concussions were reported during 4 170 427 AEs for an overall total of 5.47 per 10 000 AEs. In sex-comparable sports, females had a 1.4 times higher overall concussion IR than males (IRs = 4.84 and 3.46, respectively), with greater rates in women's baseball/softball, basketball, ice hockey, and soccer than men. Female soccer and basketball players also displayed more time loss after concussion compared with male basketball and soccer players.Results: Female athletes sustained a higher rate of concussion and, in all sports except lacrosse, had greater time loss from concussion than male athletes. Additional research is needed on sex differences in time loss after concussions.Conclusions:

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Epidemiology of Injuries in National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Ice Hockey: 2014–2015 Through 2018–2019

Journal of Athletic Training ◽

10.4085/1062-6050-611-20 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 56 (7) ◽

pp. 703-710

Author(s):

Adrian J. Boltz ◽

Aliza K. Nedimyer ◽

Avinash Chandran ◽

Hannah J. Robison ◽

Christy L. Collins ◽

...

Keyword(s):

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Injury Rate ◽

Injury Surveillance ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Surveillance Systems ◽

Collateral Ligament ◽

Injury Rates ◽

Rate Ratios ◽

Temporal Qualities

Context The National Collegiate Athletic Association has supported men's ice hockey, a distinct sport that mandates high-velocity gamesmanship, since 1974. Background Injury surveillance systems are designed to identify evolving injury trends and their temporal qualities. Continual monitoring of collegiate men's ice hockey athletes remains essential. Methods Exposure and injury data collected in the National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program from 2014–2015 through 2018–2019 were analyzed. Injury counts, rates, and proportions were used to describe injury characteristics, and injury rate ratios (IRR) were used to examine differential injury rates. Results The overall injury rate was 7.65 per 1000 athlete-exposures. Injuries from competition occurred at a rate nearly 7 times that from practice injuries (IRR = 6.54, 95% CI = 6.08, 7.04). The most common specific injury diagnoses were concussions (9.6%), acromioclavicular sprains (7.3%), and medial collateral ligament tears (3.7%). Summary Injury rates by event type and season segment were higher than previously reported. Contusions accounted for nearly a quarter of all injuries, and acromioclavicular sprain rates increased notably across the study period.

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Hand and wrist injuries among collegiate athletes vary with athlete division

Injury Epidemiology ◽

10.1186/s40621-021-00363-5 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kathleen A. Holoyda ◽

Daniel P. Donato ◽

David A. Magno-Padron ◽

Andrew M. Simpson ◽

Jayant P. Agarwal

Keyword(s):

National Collegiate Athletic Association ◽

Female Athletes ◽

Surgical Intervention ◽

Collegiate Athletes ◽

Ice Hockey ◽

Division I ◽

Surveillance Program ◽

Wrist Injuries ◽

Division I Athletes ◽

Mean Time

Abstract Background The rates, severity and consequences of hand and wrist injuries sustained by National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes are not well characterized. This study describes the epidemiology of hand and wrist injuries among collegiate athletes competing in different divisions. Methods The National Collegiate Athletic Association Injury Surveillance Program (NCAA-ISP) was accessed from 2004 to 2015 for the following sports: baseball, basketball, football, ice hockey, lacrosse, soccer, wrestling, field hockey, gymnastics, softball and volleyball. The data were used to identify all hand and wrist injuries, the specific injury diagnosis, mean time loss of activity following injury, and need for surgery following injury. These were then stratified by gender. Descriptive statistics were performed to examine the association between sports, event type and division. Student's t test was used to calculate p-values for independent variables. Chi-Square test was used to calculate odds ratio. P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results 103,098 hand and wrist injuries were reported in in the studied NCAA sports from 2004 to 2015. Male athletes sustained 72,423 injuries (6.01/10,000 athlete exposure) and female athletes sustained 30,675 injuries (4.13/10,000 athlete exposure). Division I athletes sustained significantly more injuries compared to divisions II and III. Overall, 3.78% of hand and wrist injuries required surgical intervention. A significantly higher percentage of division I athletes (both male and female) underwent surgical intervention compared to divisions II and III. The mean time lost due to hand and wrist injury was 7.14 days for all athletes. Division I athletes missed the fewest days due to injury at 6.29 days though this was not significant. Conclusions Hand and wrist injuries are common among collegiate athletes. Division I athletes sustain higher rates of injuries and higher surgical intervention rates, while tending to miss fewer days due to injury. Improved characterization of divisional differences in hand and wrist injuries can assist injury management and prevention.

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