The Puck Stops Here: Head and Neck Ice Hockey Lacerations in Adults

Sunday, September 29, 2024

1:54 PM – 2:00 PM EDT

Location: MBCC, 206

Disclosure(s):

Beatrice R. Bacon, BS:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Lauren A. DiNardo, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Francesca C. Viola, MD:

faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Introduction: The tragic death of a professional hockey player from a skate blade neck laceration prompts an inquiry into the prevalence of such injuries. The goal of this study was to describe lacerations of the head and neck sustained among adult hockey players in the United States.

Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study from 2003-2022 on adult (20-65 years) ice hockey players who had related injuries using data obtained from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database. Injuries of the head, neck, face, mouth, and ears were included. Injuries sustained as a spectator, coach, or on a non-ice surface were excluded. Frequencies and means were calculated. A one-way ANOVA and chi squared tests were performed, with a p < 0.05 indicating statistical significance.

Results: In total, 593 patients were included, 578 (97.5%) male and 15 (2.5%) female, with mean age of 31.3 (95% CI 30.5-32.2) years. Lacerations occurred on the face (N = 422, 71.2%), mouth (N = 124, 20.9%), head (N = 23, 3.9%), ear (N = 22, 3.7%) and neck (N = 2, 0.3%). Most patients were examined and discharged (n = 587, 99.0%); only 1 patient (0.17%) was admitted related to a closed head injury. There were no deaths.

Pucks were the primary cause of head and neck lacerations (N = 210, 35.4%), followed by sticks (N = 135, 22.8%), collisions with other players (N = 56, 9.4%), and falls (N = 51, 8.6%). Players who sustained lacerations from pucks were older than those who sustained injuries due to sticks (p = 0.027) or body collisions (p 0=.016). Additionally, 3.4% (N = 20) of patients experienced a laceration caused by a skate blade, most often occurring on the face (N = 17/20, 85%).

Conclusions: Hockey pucks are the primary cause of lacerations in the head, face, and mouth, with neck lacerations being rare in this cohort. Full face protective gear would significantly reduce the number of adult ice hockey head and neck lacerations.

Presenting Author(s)

Beatrice R. Bacon, BS

Medical Student
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
Basom, New York, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Co-Author(s)

RM

Rhys A. Mendel, BS

Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
GV

Gaayathri Varavenkataraman, MA

Research Assistant
Department of Otolaryngology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo
East Amherst, New York, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.
Lauren A. DiNardo, MD

Resident Physician
University of Rochester, Department of Otolaryngology
Rochester, NY, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Francesca C. Viola, MD

Resident Physician
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, Dept of Otolaryngology
Niagara Falls, NY, United States

Disclosure(s):
faculty for this accredited education activity has no relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.

Senior Author(s)

Michele M. Carr, DDS, MD, PhD

Professor
Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, Department of Otolaryngology
Williamsville, New York, United States

Disclosure information not submitted.