Piers D Mitchell1, Mira Pecheva2, Nishil Modi2. 1. Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Peterborough City Hospital, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, Bretton Gate, Peterborough, PE3 9GZ, UK.. Electronic address: piers.mitchell@nhs.net. 2. Department of Trauma and Orthopaedics, Peterborough City Hospital, North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, Bretton Gate, Peterborough, PE3 9GZ, UK.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To determine the relative number of acute musculoskeletal injuries sustained by children due to different sports in a region of the UK, and assess the burden upon the NHS, through a cross sectional study. METHODS: Collection of data for every child aged 6-18 seen at the Peterborough City Hospital fracture clinic, whose sports injury was from 1st September 2018 - 31st August 2019 (1 school year; n=689). Data was gathered throughout the year by three children's orthopaedic surgeons, who consulted the clinic records, notes and x-rays of all children who had attended clinic. RESULTS: Boys were 2.7 times more likely to sustain injury than girls. Children aged 6-9 had few injuries (mean 24 injuries each year group), 10-15 had a large number of injuries (mean 84), and 16-18 again had few injuries (mean 35). Football and rugby were responsible for the majority of injuries (61% between them), as well as the majority of physiotherapy appointments (72%). Sports with the highest likelihood that an injury will be sufficiently serious to require surgery were equestrian (42% of injuries required surgery), gymnastics (27%), ice skating (25%) and rugby (22%). Popular sports in which injuries were relatively rare include swimming, athletics, cricket, hockey, tennis and badminton. CONCLUSION: The sports that caused the most injuries were football and rugby. Considering relative participation in different sports, it is clear that rugby has a disproportionate number of musculoskeletal injuries in total, of severe injuries requiring surgery, and requiring rehab from physiotherapy.
OBJECTIVES: To determine the relative number of acute musculoskeletal injuries sustained by children due to different sports in a region of the UK, and assess the burden upon the NHS, through a cross sectional study. METHODS: Collection of data for every child aged 6-18 seen at the Peterborough City Hospital fracture clinic, whose sports injury was from 1st September 2018 - 31st August 2019 (1 school year; n=689). Data was gathered throughout the year by three children's orthopaedic surgeons, who consulted the clinic records, notes and x-rays of all children who had attended clinic. RESULTS:Boys were 2.7 times more likely to sustain injury than girls. Children aged 6-9 had few injuries (mean 24 injuries each year group), 10-15 had a large number of injuries (mean 84), and 16-18 again had few injuries (mean 35). Football and rugby were responsible for the majority of injuries (61% between them), as well as the majority of physiotherapy appointments (72%). Sports with the highest likelihood that an injury will be sufficiently serious to require surgery were equestrian (42% of injuries required surgery), gymnastics (27%), ice skating (25%) and rugby (22%). Popular sports in which injuries were relatively rare include swimming, athletics, cricket, hockey, tennis and badminton. CONCLUSION: The sports that caused the most injuries were football and rugby. Considering relative participation in different sports, it is clear that rugby has a disproportionate number of musculoskeletal injuries in total, of severe injuries requiring surgery, and requiring rehab from physiotherapy.