Racquetball. A game with preventable injuries.
One hundred fifty-seven racquetball injuries were identified. Eighty-two involved the face, but ocular injuries were probably underrepresented as a result of patient triage protocols. Facial trauma occurred more frequently among novice players. Only 9.9% of the players wore protective facial equipment and 23.1% had taken lessons before being injured. We propose that injuries could be reduced with proper player education, including the wearing of protective facial equipment. A modification in the design of conventional facial equipment is suggested to further reduce injury.
D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004867:Equipment Design; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D005135:Eye Protective Devices; D005151:Facial Injuries / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies