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An epidemiological study of high school ice hockey injuries

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Abstract

Between 1976 and 1983, 42 spinal cord injuries among ice hockey participants were documented in Canada; within a recent 3-week period, three cases involving fractured necks were reported in a metropolitan area of Minnesota. The purpose of this comprehensive epidemiological study was to document rates, types, and severities of injuries incurred among high school varsity hockey players in Minnesota, as a result of participation in the 1982–1983 season, and to determine the variables associated with these injuries. Within a 30-mile radius of the state's major metropolitan area, 12 high school varsity hockey teams were selected for participation. Specific techniques were used to ensure confidentiality, high response rates, and validation of information. Among the players an injury rate of 75 injuries per 100 players was documented. Head and neck injuries accounted for 22% of the total injuries. Increased risks of injury were associated with multiple health-care provision variables and equipment utilized. Potential strategies are identified as a result of these findings.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, and Institute for Athletic Medicine, Fairview, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    Susan Goodwin Gerberich

  2. Institute for Athletic Medicine, Suite 701, 606 24th Avenue South, 55454, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Robert Finke

  3. United Hospitals, 333 North Smith Avenue, 55102, St. Paul, MN, USA

    Marcia Madden

  4. Institute for Athletic Medicine, Suite 701, 606 24th Avenue South

    James D. Priest & Gordon Aamoth

  5. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

    James D. Priest & Gordon Aamoth

  6. Biomechanical Engineering, jdepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, Church Street, 55455, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Kevin Murray

Authors
  1. Susan Goodwin Gerberich
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  2. Robert Finke
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  3. Marcia Madden
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  4. James D. Priest
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  5. Gordon Aamoth
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  6. Kevin Murray
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Gerberich, S.G., Finke, R., Madden, M. et al. An epidemiological study of high school ice hockey injuries. Child's Nerv Syst 3, 59–64 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00271123

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