This investigation quantified the incidence and injury patterns of acute orthopedic fractures attributed to ice hockey among high-school and college-aged athletes in the United States. We performed a retrospective analysis of the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database focusing on ice hockey fractures in patients aged 14–23 years from 2006 to 2023. The cohort was stratified into high-school-aged (14–18) and college-aged (19–23) groups. Weighted national estimates were calculated to evaluate anatomical sites, fracture subtypes, and hospitalization rates. An estimated 24,350 ice hockey-related fractures occurred in the study population. Males accounted for 94.8% of cases. Upper extremity and trunk fractures comprised 81.6% of all fractures, with shoulder (27.0%), wrist (19.3%), and lower arm (11.3%) being the most common sites. In comparison to high-school-aged players, college-aged athletes were significantly more likely to sustain hand fractures (OR 2.82; p = 0.001) and lower leg fractures (OR 3.67; p = 0.042), while less likely to sustain lower arm fractures (OR 0.31; p = 0.039). Hospitalization was required for 4.2% of fractures overall, with the neck (82.6%) and upper leg (76.3%) having the highest admission rates, and several areas like the elbow, hand, finger, and knee having admission rates < 1%. Temporal analysis demonstrated no significant linear trend in annual fracture incidence (p = 0.18). Upper extremity and trunk fractures are the dominant injury patterns in high-school-aged and college-aged ice hockey players, predominantly affecting the upper extremity (shoulder, wrist, and forearm). Significant variations in injury location exist between age groups, with college-aged athletes facing distinct risks for hand and knee trauma. These data support the necessity for age-specific protective equipment standards and rule enforcement to mitigate fracture burden.
Reiad et al. (Thu,) studied this question.