National Epidemiology of Recreational Ice Skating Injuries Presenting to US Emergency Departments

Background:

Ice skating is a common recreational activity in the United States (US). Previous research has focused primarily on the epidemiology of injuries associated with ice hockey or professional skating.

Methods:

We used the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) to describe the epidemiology of ice skating injuries presenting to emergency departments (ED) in the US between 2002 and 2013. Eligible subjects were identified using product code 3255. Narratives were used to confirm mechanism of injury and inclusion criteria. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize injury patterns and ED disposition. Linear regression was used to assess the incidence of injury over time.

Results:

From 2002 to 2013, there were an estimated 250,397 injuries presenting to US EDs due to recreational ice skating. Females represented 57.5% of injuries. The majority of injuries occurred in those aged 10 to 19 years (43.2%), and in those under age 10 (21.5%). Fractures were the most common injury type (25.0%), followed by laceration (22.7%). Upper (35.2%) and lower (23.2%) extremities were the most commonly injured body regions. The majority of patients were treated and released from the ED (97.2%). There was a statistically significant decrease in the injury rate per 100,000 individuals for the years 2002 to 2013; however, the magnitude of this effect was small (p<0.04).

Conclusions:

Ice skating injuries occurred most commonly in patients aged 0-19 years; thus, injury prevention should target pediatric age groups. Results suggest that most patients sustain minor injuries during ice skating that do not warrant hospitalization.