INJURIES IN JUNIOR-A ICE HOCKEY - A 3-YEAR PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

This 3-year prospective cohort observational analysis of elite amateur hockey players ranging in age from 17 to 20 years on a United States Hockey League team describes ice hockey injuries using a strict defini tion of injury, standardized reporting strategies, and diagnosis by a team physician. One hundred forty-two injuries were recorded for an on -ice injury rate of 9.4 per 1000 player hours. A player was 25 times m ore likely to be injured in a game (96.1 per 1000 player-game hours) t han in practice (3.9 per 1000 player-practice hours). Game-related inj uries were more frequent in the third period, and practice-related inj uries occurred more often in the first third of the season. Collisions represented 51% of the total injuries. The most common types of injur ies were strains, lacerations, contusions, and sprains. The face and t he shoulder were most frequently injured. A facial laceration was the most common injury; acromioclavicular joint sprain was the second most common injury. Facial lacerations typically occurred in games and wer e stick related. Further research is necessary to determine if injurie s in Junior A amateur ice hockey can be reduced by mandatory full faci al protection, enforcement of existing rules, improvement in shoulder pad design, and by focusing more attention on stretching programs.