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Spinal Injuries in Canadian Ice Hockey: Documentation of Injuries Sustained from 1943-1999

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2014

C.H. Tator ,
C.F. Provvidenza ,
L. Lapczak ,
J. Carson  and
D. Raymond
C.H. Tator
Affiliation:
ThinkFirst-SportSmart Sports and Recreational Injuries Research and Prevention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
C.F. Provvidenza
Affiliation:
ThinkFirst-SportSmart Sports and Recreational Injuries Research and Prevention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
L. Lapczak
Affiliation:
ThinkFirst-SportSmart Sports and Recreational Injuries Research and Prevention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
J. Carson
Affiliation:
ThinkFirst-SportSmart Sports and Recreational Injuries Research and Prevention Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
D. Raymond
Affiliation:
Institut de Réadaptation de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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Abstract

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Objectives:

Study objectives were: (a) to examine the causes and incidence of major spinal cord injuries sustained by ice hockey players; and (b) to add recently reported Canadian cases to the Canadian Ice Hockey Spinal Injury Registry to determine the effectiveness of prevention efforts.

Methods:

The study was a review of questionnaires returned retrospectively by physicians and other sources reporting ice hockey related spinal injuries in Canada. Physicians reported on the mechanism of injury, vertebral level of injury, presence of neurologic deficit, type of event, and type of fracture.

Results:

Between 1943 and 1999, 271 major spinal injuries were reported in Canadian ice hockey players, of which 49.0% occurred to players 16-20 years of age. Ontario has had a disproportionately large number of injuries compared to some provinces, especially Quebec. Of the spinal cord injuries, 65.8% resulted from colliding with the boards, and 36.6% were due to players being pushed or checked from behind. The recent survey shows that there has been a decline in the number of major spinal cord injuries in Canadian ice hockey, especially those causing paralysis due to checking or pushing from behind.

Conclusion:

Impact of the head with the boards after being checked or pushed from behind was the most common mechanism of spinal cord injury. Injury prevention programs are becoming effective in reducing the overall number of injuries, especially those due to checking from behind. Greater awareness of the occurrence and mechanisms of injury through educational programs and rules changes by organized hockey have reduced the annual incidence of catastrophic spinal injuries in Canadian ice hockey.

Type
Other
Information
Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences , Volume 31 , Issue 4 , November 2004 , pp. 460 - 466
Copyright
Copyright © The Canadian Journal of Neurological 2004

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