The epidemiology of sports-related fractures in adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the epidemiology of sports-related fractures in adolescents aged 10-19 years.


METHODS
All fractures in adolescents presenting to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh in a one-year period were prospectively documented and all sports-related fractures retrospectively examined. These two hospitals have a defined population facilitating epidemiological studies.


RESULTS
There were 408 adolescent sports-related fractures giving an overall incidence of 5.63/1000/year. The gender ratio was 87/13% male/female and 84% were upper limb fractures. Thirty sports produced 22 different fracture types. Football, rugby and skiing accounted for 66.2% of the fractures. The commonest fractures were in the finger phalanges (28.7%), distal radius and ulna (23.0%) and metacarpus (12.7%).


CONCLUSIONS
Sport-related fractures are common in adolescents, particularly in males. They tend to be low-energy injuries affecting the upper limb in particular. Few require operative treatment although their frequency means that they impose significant demands on orthopaedic surgeons and health systems.
Wood
Alexander M
AM
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom.
Robertson
Greg A
GA
Rennie
Louise
L
Caesar
Benjamin C
BC
Court-Brown
Charles M
CM
D000293:Adolescent; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D017102:Fracture Healing; D050723:Fractures, Bone / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D011481:Protective Clothing; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012606:Scotland / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult