423 EP065 – Comparison of injury patterns between indoor and outdoor hockey

Background Research on injury prevention in sports requires sufficient data. Injury surveillance data are available for outdoor field hockey, but not for indoor. The different size of the teams, playing time and the playground might result in different injury patterns. Objective The aim of the present study was to assess the incidence and severity of acute traumatic injuries during competition in indoor hockey. Design Prospective study was conducted during the Women and Men Indoor Hockey Championship 2023. Setting Medical professionals observed all matches and utilized the protocol for injury recording. The team medical officials were contacted for follow-up and grading of the injury severity. Existing data for major outdoor tournaments were used for comparison. Main Outcome Measurements Injury epidemiology and severity was assessed and compared to data from outdoor competitions (World Cup, Olympics). Results 12 injuries in males and 6 injuries in females occurred in 40 matches each. The incidence of 0.3 injuries/match in males and 0,15 injuries/match in females seemed less than in outdoor competition (average 1,2 injuries/match in males; 0,7 in females). Corrected for number of injuries/1000 player match hours (PMH) there were 38 injuries/1000 PMH in males (outdoor average 48,3) and 19/1000 in females (outdoor average 29,1). In males, most of the injuries occurred in the circle, whereas in females most injuries occurred in the midfield. Causes of injuries varied from hit by ball, hit by stick, player-to-player collision, and non-contact injuries without any clear trend. Males and females got mostly injured at the head/face and lower legs. Most of the injuries were contusions. 10/12 injuries in males were minor, 2 were moderate, 4/6 injuries in females were minor, 2 were moderate. The was no concussion and no severe injury. Conclusions Injury incidence and pattern in indoor hockey are comparable to outdoor data.