[Traumatologic risk in ambulatory cardiac rehabilitation groups to leisure time sports groups of healthy athletes].
BACKGROUND
Rehabilitation in ambulatory heart groups has become well established in comprehensive cardiac care. The prevention of injuries is critical to the safety and efficiency of the program.


METHODS
Questionnaires were mailed to the ambulatory heart groups in the state of Hessen, Germany and answered by 1935/13 000 (15 %) patients (65.9 +/- 7.6 years, 1504/1935 (77.7 %) men covering approximately 674,000 patient exercise hours.


RESULTS
Seventy-eight of the 106 (73.6 %) injuries reported occurred during games encompassing 28/106 (26.4 %) strains, 24/106 (22.6 %) bruises, 17/106 (16.0 %) sprains, 11/106 (10.4 %) bone fractures, 6/106 (5.7 %) ruptured tendons, 8/106 (7.5 %) ruptured muscles, 3/106 (2.8 %) ruptured ligaments, and 9/106 (8.5 %) miscellaneous. The injury risk was neither related to the cardiovascular diagnosis, the prevalence of diabetes, body mass index, previous sport experience, duration of participation in rehabilitation programs, nor to the participant's age. Patients on anticoagulants or after cardiovascular surgery had no excess risk. Gender was the only independent predictor of injuries. In men the overall incidence of injuries was higher (97/1504 [6.4 %]) than in women (9/431 [2.1 %]), p < 0.0005) while the severity was higher in women (6/9 = 66.7 % vs. 22/97 = 22.7 % p < 0.001). The injuries were treated by elastic bandages or band-aids in 69/106 (65.1 %), by splinting in 4/106 (3.8 %), by local injections in 4/106 (3.8 %), by massages in 3/106 (2.8 %), and by others in 26/106 (24.5 %). Five of the 106 (4.7 %) injuries required hospitalization.


CONCLUSIONS
The traumatologic risk in the rehabilitation of cardiovascular outpatients is associated with a low incidence of injuries.
Degenhardt
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Institut für Klinische Forschung, Herz- und Kreislaufzentrum, Rotenburg an der Fulda. r.degenhardt@hkz-rotenburg.de
Unverdorben
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Edel
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Brusis
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Vallbracht
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Unverdorben
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D003288:Contusions / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D005858:Germany; D006306:Health Surveys; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008023:Ligaments, Articular / Q000293:injuries; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000293:injuries; D012306:Risk; D012737:Sex Factors; D013180:Sprains and Strains / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology