Author(s)
Patrick Scheffler, MD, CM
Nikolaus Wolter, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Yvonne Chan, MD, MSc, FRCSC
Affiliation(s)
Univ. of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Abstract:
Introduction: The current study aims to describe the types of injury and frequency of racket sports related pediatric head and neck trauma via cross-sectional analysis of a national (United States) database
Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) was searched for tennis, badminton, and squash or racket ball related head and neck injuries with analysis of incidence, age, and sex and specific injury diagnoses, mechanisms, and anatomic locations.
Results: 318 cases were identified in the NEISS database, corresponding to an estimated 9,123 emergency department visits. Overall the incidence of injuries remained stable over the 5-year period, from 1,925 estimated visits in 2013 to 2,194 estimated visits in 2017. The median age of the patients was 11 years, and the majority of patients (61%) were male. The most frequently observed injury type was laceration (39%), followed by concussion or closed head injury (32%), and contusions (14%). Dental injuries and facial fractures were rare at 3% and 2%, respectively. All fractures in the sample were nasal fractures, which predominantly (66%) occurred through inadvertent contact with another player’s racket. Most injuries occurred playing tennis (78%), followed by badminton (12%) and squash or racket ball (10%). The vast majority (97%) of patients did not require inpatient admission. Diagnoses leading to inpatient admissions were concussion or closed head injury (6 cases), skull fracture (1 case), and laryngeal trauma (1 case).
Conclusion: Racket sport injuries in children are relatively infrequent compared to other popular North American sports, and predominantly occur in the context of in-game contact with tennis rackets. Most injuries are minor and treated on an outpatient basis; however, the relatively high incidence of concussions and closed head injuries is concerning.