Hurdling is a unique track event due to a combination of running and jumping over an apparatus. Since hurdling requires a special skillset with sprinting and jumping, athletes are at risk for various musculoskeletal injuries. These authors noted a paucity of studies describing the epidemiology of pediatric hurdle injuries and sought to examine hurdle-related injury types, injured body parts, injury mechanisms, and injury settings in children and adolescents.
This was a descriptive epidemiology study using data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (which represents emergency room visit) which was retrospectively reviewed. Injury data involving hurdle injuries was searched during a 10-year period (2008-2017) with hurdlers 18 years old and younger. Injuries were classified based on injury types, body parts, injury mechanisms, and injury settings. Descriptive statistics were used including mean ± standard deviation, frequency (N), and percentages (%).
A total of 749 hurdle-related injuries were found from 333 males (44.5%) and 416 females (55.5%). The top 3 injury types were fracture (N = 218, 29.1%), joint sprain (N = 191, 25.5%), and contusion/hematoma/bruise (N = 78, 10.4%). The top 3 injured body parts were ankle (N = 140,18.7%), knee (N = 120, 16.0%), and wrist (N = 69, 9.2%). The most common injury mechanisms were apparatus-related trips, falls, and landings (N = 594, 79.0%). Finally, injury settings consisted of track and field practices (N = 469, 62.6%), track and field meets (N = 96, 12.8%), and other settings including gym, physical education class, recess, school activities, and camps (N = 49, 6.5%).
The authors concluded that in pediatric hurdle athletes, the most prevalent injury type seen in the emergency room was fracture. Although most hurdle-related injuries occur in the lower extremity, wrist injuries were the third most commonly injured body location. The most common injury mechanism was apparatus-related trip, fall, and landing, and injuries most commonly occurred during track practices. In pediatric hurdle athletes seen in the emergency room, the majority of injuries consisted of traumatic fractures and joint sprains at ankle, knee, and wrist, which frequently occurred with apparatus-related trip, fall, and landing mechanisms during track and field practices.
Source: Radel LC, Jones JC, Garcia K, Soma DB, Miller SM, Sugimoto D. Pediatric hurdle-related acute injuries in track and field presenting to US emergency departments: descriptive epidemiology study. Phys Sportsmed. 2023;51(4):379-386. doi: 10.1080/00913847.2022.2120371.
