HEAD-INJURIES RELATED TO ICE HOCKEY - SURVEY OF THE NORTH-AMERICAN NATIONAL-HOCKEY-LEAGUE, HOCKEY-CANADA, AND EUROPEAN TEAMS

Ice hockey is one of the fastest and roughest of all sports. Based on prospective injuries reports of the North American National Hockey Lea gue, the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association and three European teams (USSR, Sweden and Switzerland) the patterns, topography, circumstances and sequelae of the head injuries related to ice hockey are described . Although mandatory helmets and face masks have reduced the large num ber of facial and eye injuries, the rates of head injury and concussio n are still to high. A number of steps must be taken by the hockey org anisations, players, equipment manufacturers and health-care professio nals to prevent injuries for specific prevention of head, face and eye injuries the rules should be strictly enforced, e.g. no checks from b ehind, high-sticking penalties, and mandatory helmets with face masks.