Ice Hockey Injuries Michael J. Stuart MD USA Hockey Chief Medical Officer Safety and Protective Equipment Committee ,

“a finesse sport that requires dexterity, speed and power” ICE HOCKEY INJURIES “a finesse sport that requires dexterity, speed and power”

“a violent sport played with clubs, a bullet, and knives” ICE HOCKEY INJURIES “a violent sport played with clubs, a bullet, and knives”

1. Have Fun 2. Play Hard 3. Play Smart 4. Play Fair

1. Have Fun 2. Play Hard 3. Play Smart 4. Play Fair

1. Have Fun 2. Play Hard 3. Play Smart 4. Play Fair

1. Have Fun 2. Play Hard 3. Play Smart 4. Play Fair

NEVER ! X Deliver a hit to the head X Check from behind X Use your stick as a weapon X Leave your feet to give a check X Drop your head near the boards

INJURY RISK n level of participation n game versus practice exposure n protective equipment n player position n violent behavior n personal susceptibility (pre-existing injury and style of play)

INJURY RISK n Risk of injury in games increases with each higher level of participation. Division Injuries per 1,000 hours Mite* (n=2) 0.8 Squirt (n=10) 0.6 Peewee (n=44) 3.8 Bantam (n=32) 3.0 High School# (n=9) 9.3 Junior A 96.1

INJURY RISK

INJURY RISK n Game injury rate of 96.1 per 1000 player game-hours “Injuries in Junior A Ice Hockey. A Three-Year Prospective Study” n Game injury rate of 96.1 per 1000 player game-hours n Players were ??? more likely to be injured in a game as compared to a practice. Stuart MJ & Smith AM, AJSM 1995

INJURY RISK n Game injury rate of 96.1 per 1000 player game-hours “Injuries in Junior A Ice Hockey. A Three-Year Prospective Study” n Game injury rate of 96.1 per 1000 player game-hours n Players were 25x more likely to be injured in a game as compared to a practice. Stuart MJ & Smith AM, AJSM 1995

INJURY RISK 3 strength 3 speed 3 size variation 3 body mass 3 strength 3 speed 3 size variation 3 intensity of competition 3 violent attitudes 3 illegal activities

INJURY RISK Prevention is the Key 3 Preseason screening examination 3 Sports-specific conditioning 3 Focused stretching & strength training programs

INJURY RISK 3 enforcement of existing rules 3 sportsmanship & mutual respect 3 body contact & body control skills 3 post-injury evaluation

INJURY RISK 3 full facial protection 3 improvement in equipment 3 custom mouthpiece 3 improvement in equipment 3 rink modifications l increased ice surface size l force-dissipating boards