@article{ref1,
title="Assessing the risk for major injuries in equestrian sports",
journal="BMJ open sport and exercise medicine",
year="2018",
author="Krüger, Lara and Hohberg, Maike and Lehmann, Wolfgang and Dresing, Klaus",
volume="4",
number="1",
pages="e000408-e000408",
abstract="BACKGROUND/AIM: Horse riding is a popular sport, which bears the risk of serious injuries. This study aims to assess whether individual factors influence the risk to sustain major injuries. <br><br>METHODS: Retrospective data were collected from all equine-related accidents at a German Level I Trauma Centre between 2004 and 2014. Logistic regression was used to identify the risk factors for major injures. <br><br>RESULTS: 770 patients were included (87.9% females). Falling off the horse (67.7%) and being kicked by the horse (16.5%) were the two main injury mechanisms. Men and individuals of higher age showed higher odds for all tested parameters of serious injury. Patients falling off a horse had higher odds for being treated as inpatients, whereas patients who were kicked had higher odds for a surgical therapy (OR 1.7) and intensive care unit/intermediate care unit (ICU/IMC) treatment (OR 1.2). The head was the body region most often injured (32.6%) and operated (32.9%). Patients with head injuries had the highest odds for being hospitalised (OR 6.13). Head or trunk injuries lead to the highest odds for an ICU/IMC treatment (head: OR 4.37; trunk: OR 2.47). Upper and lower limb injuries showed the highest odds for a surgical therapy (upper limb: OR 2.61; lower limb: OR 1.7). <br><br>CONCLUSION: Risk prevention programmes should include older individuals and males as target groups. Thus a rethinking of the overall risk assessment is necessary. Not only horseback riding itself, but also handling a horse bears a relevant risk for major injuries. Serious head injures remain frequent, serious and an important issue to be handled in equestrians sports.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2055-7647",
doi="10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000408",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000408"
}