title: Golf-associated head injury in the pediatric population: a common sports injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Golf-related injuries constitute a common type of sports injury in the pediatric population. The increase in the frequency of these injuries is largely attributed to the increase in the popularity of golf and greater use of golf carts by children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanisms and complications associated with golf-related injuries in the pediatric population and, by doing so, assist in the prevention of such injuries. We reviewed the charts of 2546 pediatric patients evaluated by the neurosurgery service at the authors' institution over a 6-year period. There were 64 cases of sports-related injuries. Of these, 15 (23%) were golf-related, making these injuries the second-largest group of sports-related injuries. Depressed skull fracture was the most common injury observed. Neurosurgical intervention was required in 33% of the cases. With rare exceptions, patients made good recoveries during a mean follow-up period of 22.2 months. One death occurred due to uncontrollable cerebral edema following a golf cart accident. One child required shunt placement and several revisions following an injury sustained from a golf ball.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children should be advised on the proper use of golf equipment as a preventive measure to avoid these injuries. Precautionary guidelines and safety training guidelines should be established. The institution of a legal minimum age required to operate a golf cart should be considered.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Medical College of Georgia, Augusta, Georgia 30912, USA. srahimi@mail.mcg.edu
authors.forename: Scott Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Rahimi
authors.forename: Harshpal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: David J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Yeh
authors.forename: Ellen G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Shaver
authors.forename: Ann Marie
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Flannery
authors.forename: Mark R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D001930:Brain Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006055:Golf / Q000293:injuries* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D020204:Skull Fracture, Depressed / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed