Intercollegiate ice hockey injuries. A case for uniform definitions and reports.

The lack of agreement on definition of terms and consistent reporting strategies in sports epidemiology complicates the determination of injury rates in any sport. This study describes Canadian Intercollegiate ice hockey injuries over a 6-year period by following a standardized reporting strategy and clearly defined terminology. Overall, the data show that the knee is most susceptible to injury, that the forwards recorded the highest number of injuries, and that body contact caused the majority of injuries. Compared to other studies the results indicate a decreasing per game injury rate over the last 15 years and provide evidence that helmets and visors reduce the risk of head and facial injuries. Recommendations are propagated toward the adherence of standardized reporting strategies and uniform definitions to be used in future sports injury epidemiologic research.