Head injuries in men's and women's lacrosse: a 10 year analysis of the NEISS database

Introduction: Although protective headgear is required in men's lacrosse, w omen's lacrosse is viewed as non-contact, and use of helmets and faceguards is prohibited. Yet, women remain at risk for injury to the head and face r egion from contact with the ball and stick. This study was designed to exam ine differences in lacrosse-related injuries between genders and amongst va rious age groups. Methods: Data on lacrosse-related injuries maintained through the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, In-depth Investigation File, and Injuries/Potential Injuries File were ana lysed over a 10-year period ( January 1990-April 2000). Results: A total of 1727 cases of lacrosse-related trauma, mean age 16.9 ye ars, range 4-59 years, were recorded. Males accounted for 80.5% of cases. T he head and face region was the most common area injured (20.4%). Injuries to the head and face were significantly more prevalent among females (30.1% of all injuries) than males (18.0% of all injuries), p < 0.001, and often resulted from contact with the ball (33.6% of incidents). Children aged 4-1 1 years experienced the highest percentage of injuries to the head and face . Closed head injuries represented 5.6% of all lacrosse-related injuries an d were slightly more prevalent among females. Conclusions: Women and children lacrosse players are at risk of serious inj ury to the head and face region. The use of protective head/face gear shoul d be encouraged.