Injury potential in modern ice hockey.

The majority of the damaging forces to the soft tissue, bone, and articular joint structures of modern hockey players during the energetic activities involved in the game are attributable to impact action during high-speed motion. In addition, non-contact musculoligamentous injuries are common because of the complex forces that are involved. The injury potential of this sport is assessed indirectly from the force and motion involved. The experimental method of measuring the kinematic motion and the impact forces inherent to the sport are presented. Although hockey is a fast and furious game with high injury potential, fortunately the number of serious injuries is not as great as one might expect.