@article{ref1,
title="The epidemiology of sports-related fractures of the hand",
journal="Injury",
year="2008",
author="Aitken, Stuart and Court-Brown, Charles M.",
volume="39",
number="12",
pages="1377-1383",
abstract="OBJECTIVE: To describe the incidence and epidemiology of acute sports-related hand fractures in the adult general population. DESIGN: Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database recording all inpatient and outpatient fractures in a well-defined population during 2000. SETTING: Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, UK. RESULTS: During 2000, 1430 hand fractures were recorded, 320 of which (22.4%) were sports injuries. Males were more commonly injured (86%). The overall incidence was 60/10(5)(104/10(5) among males and 17/10(5) among females). The average age was 24 years. There were 39 (12.2%) carpal, 108 (33.8%) metacarpal and 173 (54.1%) phalangeal fractures. Damage to the first and fifth rays was most common. Open fractures were uncommon (n=7; 2.2%). Eight sports were responsible for 87.8% of fractures, each sport displaying a characteristic pattern of injury within the hand. The majority of fractures (87.2%) were treated on an outpatient basis. CONCLUSIONS: Sporting activity accounts for 22.4% of all hand fractures, with relatively few requiring operative intervention. Young males are most commonly affected. Certain sports are associated with distinct fracture patterns, allowing appropriate preventive measures to be taken. <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0020-1383",
doi="10.1016/j.injury.2008.04.012",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2008.04.012"
}