TY - JOUR PY - 1998// TI - A profile of sports hand injuries in an accident and emergency department JO - Journal of accident and emergency medicine A1 - Choyce, M. Q. A1 - Potts, Malcolm A1 - Maitra, A. K. SP - 35 EP - 38 VL - 15 IS - 1 N2 - OBJECTIVE: To establish a profile of sports hand injuries requiring treatment in an urban accident and emergency (A&E) department, and to determine the extent to which these injuries resulted in morbidity. METHODS: A one year prospective observational study at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle upon Tyne. All patients presenting to the A&E department between 29 July 1995 and 28 July 1996 with a hand injury sustained during sporting activity and who received follow up by A&E or plastic surgery units were enrolled. Patients were contacted by telephone or post at median of four months after injury (range two to 13) for their assessment of the outcome. RESULTS: 262 cases were enrolled into the study. The median age for males was 21 years (range 7 to 55) and for females 16 (range 9 to 40). Follow up data were obtained by telephone in 206 (79%), and by letter in a further 26 (10%). Fractures were the commonest injury (68%), followed by soft tissue injuries (20%) and dislocations (11%). The thumb was the site affected most commonly overall, and in 10 of 17 ski related injuries; next most frequent sites were little and ring fingers. Males sustained 79% of the injuries, and 54% of these occurred during football. Netball/basketball caused 63% of female injuries. Follow up indicated that mild impairment in terms of pain, stiffness, or deformity was common (45%), while the incidence of moderate pain or serious problems was 11%. CONCLUSIONS: Sporting injuries to the hand commonly require treatment in the A&E department. Telephone/postal follow up of such injuries indicates that significant short term and longer term impairment of function may result. Suitable target areas for injury prevention are secondary schools, football [soccer] (in males), and netball/basketball.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 1351-0622 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -