title: [Injuries on vaulting].
abstract: Using an online questionnaire, the injuries of 649 acrobats on horseback were recorded (636 female, 13 male, average age 20.8 years, average sports time 12.1 years). 64% of the athletes practised their sport in the upper and 34% in the lower performance classes.
  
  
  
  62.7% of the athletes hurt themselves on vaulting at least once during their sports time. Most injuries occured at the lower limbs (57.5%), particularly on foot (31.2%) and knee (22.2%). At the upper limbs (26.1%), injuries were most often registered at hands (8.4%) and shoulders (6.0%). 16.4% of the athletes hurt themselves on trunk, head or neck. Main causes of injury were jumping off the horse and unfortunately landing (44%) or falling off the horse (36%). Ruptures most commonly occured (34%), followed by fractures (20%). Athletes were out of action because of their injury for 11.3 weeks on average. 42% of the respondents complained about chronic afflictions (knee 30.4%, trunk 17.9%).
  
  
  
  Prevention includes fall training, regular physical examinations and training of the trainers. Other measures are controversial (head protection) or still need to be improved (backprotectors).
authors.affiliation: Institut für Sportwissenschaft, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Judenbühlweg 11, 97082, Würzburg, Deutschland. christoph.raschka@uni-wuerzburg.de.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Raschka
authors.affiliation: Institut für Sportwissenschaft, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Judenbühlweg 11, 97082, Würzburg, Deutschland.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Feuerbach
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001265:Athletic Injuries; D005260:Female; D050723:Fractures, Bone; D006736:Horses; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013177:Sports
keywords: cause of injury; mechanism of injury; sports traumatology; topography of injury; vaulting