Hand fractures in sports. An analysis of incidence and etiology across the life span

Abstract

The incidence and etiology of 1,306 sports-related hand fractures have been reviewed in a series of 119,525 patients of all ages. We found that 71 % of sports-related hand fractures were phalangeal and 29% metacarpal. The 10-19 year olds showed the highest percentages of phalangeal fractures and the 20-29 year olds had the highest percentages of metacarpal fractures. Football (=soccer) was the main cause of both phalangeal and metacarpal fractures, but phalangeal fractures occurred more frequently than metacarpal fractures in gymnastics and volleyball. The increased vulnerability of specific age groups in sports should be taken into account when planning prevention strategies

Key words:

• sports injuries
• hand fractures
• etiology
• incidence