title: Hand and wrist injuries in professional county cricket.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to examine the mechanism and subsequent treatment modalities of hand and wrist injuries sustained in a professional cricket team.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed a retrospective review of prospectively collected injury data at Gloucestershire County Cricket Club (GCCC) over six seasons (2008-2013). We investigated all injuries sustained, treated by the team lead physiotherapist and senior author.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were a total of 64 injuries recorded, with 55 (86%) hand and 9 (14%) wrist injuries. The little and ring fingers were the most commonly injured, and the most commonly occurring specific injury was distal interphalangeal joint dislocations. The majority of injuries, 33 (52%), occurred during fielding activities. There were a total of 10 fractures (16%), predominantly phalangeal, and only 7 players (11%) had injuries that required operative intervention.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of injuries sustained by professional cricketers occur in the little and ring fingers, whilst fielding during match situations. We recommend buddy strapping of little and ring fingers during fielding to prevent injury.
authors.affiliation: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery, Level 5, Queens Building, Bristol Royal Infirmary, Upper Maudlin Street, BS2 8HW Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Nathanael
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ahearn
authors.forename: Raj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhatia
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Griffin
mesh_terms: D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006230:Hand Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014954:Wrist Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Cricket; Hand Injury; Injury Surveillance; Wrist Injury