Publication date: Feb 07, 2025

Over one-third of icehockey injuries involve the lower extremity (LE). The purpose of this study wasto describe epidemiology and mechanism of injury of men’s icehockey-related lower extremity injuries treated in US emergency departmentsfrom 2013 to 2022. The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database wasretrospectively queried for LE injuries related to men’s ice hockey(product code 1279) from 2013 to 2022. Demographics, injury characteristics,and disposition were recorded. Injury mechanism was summarized from thesupplied narrative. National estimates (NE) were calculated using the providedNEISS sample weight. Linear regression was used to evaluate injurytrends. There were 832 cases (NE: 27469) of LE injuries in male ice hockey playersfrom 2013-2022. Linear regression demonstrated increasing LE injuriesin the post-COVID period (after the year 2020). The knee (34. 7%, NE: 9,533) andankle (29. 4%, NE: 8,089) were most commonly injured. The most frequentinjuries for the ankle (35. 8%) and knee (30. 5%) were strains/sprains. Skatingsprains (15. 1%, NE: 4,157) and slip and/or falls (14. 2%, NE: 3,898) were themost common primary mechanisms of injury. Slip and/or falls (40. 8%) andcollisions with another player (23. 9%) were most common secondarymechanisms of injury. Slip and/or falls, collisions with another player,and checking commonly injured the knee. There were no significant changes ininjury incidence at any anatomical location or primary mechanism of injury overthe study period. The knee and ankle were the most common location of lower extremityinjuries in male ice hockey players between 2013-2022. The kneewas vulnerable to a variety of primary mechanisms ofinjury, including checking, collisions with other players, andslip and/or falls. Despite implementation of urgent orthopedic carecenters, allowance of additional foot protection, and facilityimprovements, the rate of post-COVID LE injuries have beenincreasing.

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