Extremity Injuries during Sporting Activities According to Life Course: Focusing on Fractures

BACKGROUND: The increased participation in sports has led to an increased number of sports-related injuries. We aimed to identify the incidence of sports-related injuries by life course and the risk factors for sports-related extremity fractures. METHODS: We analyzed data of patients with sports-related extremity injuries from Emergency Department-based national injury surveillance systems, obtained from Jan 2013 to Dec 2016. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed to identify risk factors of extremity fracture by life course after adjusting for sex, injury season, injury time, injury place, sports type, and mechanism of injury. RESULTS: Overall, 23385 patients met our inclusion criteria. Soccer injuries were most common in the 5–14-year (32.4%), 15–24-year (43.0%), and 25–44-year groups (32.7%), and hiking injuries were most common in the 45–64-year (23.6%) and ≥65-year age groups (38.0%). The upper extremity injury and fracture rates were higher in the younger-age group; nevertheless, the injury and fracture rates of the lower extremities increased with increasing age. Moreover, the rate of hip and thigh injuries and fractures increased significantly in the ≥65-year age group. CONCLUSION: The incidence and severity of sports injuries are affected by player factors and the sports activity itself. The age of players is a major determinant that affects their medical and physiologic conditions and the sport of choice. The strategy for preventing sports injuries should be structured based on age.