Selected Topics: Sports Medicine
Soccer Injuries in Children Requiring Trauma Center Admission

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Abstract

Background

Soccer continues to gain popularity among youth athletes, and increased numbers of children playing soccer can be expected to result in increased injuries.

Objective

We reviewed children with soccer injuries severe enough to require trauma activation at our Level I trauma center to determine injury patterns and outcome. Our goal is to raise awareness of the potential for injury in youth soccer.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed using the trauma registry and electronic medical records at a Level I trauma center to identify children (< 18 years old) treated for soccer injury from 1999–2009. Data reviewed include age, gender, mechanism, injury, procedures, and outcome.

Results

Eighty-one children treated for soccer injury were identified; 38 (47%) were male. Of these, 20 had injury severe enough to require trauma team activation and 61 had minor injury. Mean age was 14 years old (range 5–17 years, SD 2.3). Lower extremity was the most common site of injury (57%), followed by upper extremity (17%), head (16%), and torso (10%). Mechanisms were: kicked or kneed in 27 patients (33%), collision with another player in 25 (31%), fall in 18 (22%), struck by ball in 10 (12%), and unknown in 1 (1%). Procedures included reduction of fractures, splenectomy, abdominal abscess drainage, and surgical feeding access. Long hospitalizations were recorded in some cases. There were no deaths.

Conclusion

Although less common, injury requiring prolonged hospital admission and invasive operative procedures exist in the expanding world of youth soccer. With increasing participation in the sport, we anticipate greater numbers of these child athletes presenting with serious injury.

Introduction

Youth soccer is one of the most popular sports in the United States, with approximately 15.2 million children participating (1). Although contrary to its fundamental design, soccer is often a full-contact sport. In one study, the injury rate for soccer players was one serious injury per 100 athlete exposures during games plus practices (2). A solid trend of increasing participation has been observed, which increases the frequency of injury (3).

Although the majority of injuries incurred while playing soccer are minor and do not require admission, our institution has treated patients who experienced soccer injury severe enough to require trauma activation and admission. The objective of this study is to report our experience over the past 10 years and to illuminate what we predict to be a source of increasing trauma referrals.

Section snippets

Materials and Methods

This study received Institutional Review Board approval. Study design was retrospective chart review. Inclusion criteria were children with soccer injury treated at a single Level I trauma center. Our institution serves a broad rural region with a population of more than three million. Patients were identified by query of a Trauma Registry for the etiology of soccer injury incurred between January 1, 1999 and December 31, 2009 with age < 18 years old. Additionally, the Medical Center electronic

Results

Trauma registry review identified 20 children with soccer injury severe enough to require a trauma team response, with range in age from 9 to 17 years old (average 14.4 years, SD 2.08). Of these, 15 (75%) were age 14 years or older. Thirteen of the children were male (65%) and seven (35%) were female.

The injuring event for each child was described as one of four general mechanisms. Mechanism was kicked or kneed for 8 children, player-to-player collision for 8 children, falls for 3 children, and

Discussion

Soccer is reported to be one of the leading causes of sports-related injury (4). This review identified 20 children over the course of 10 years with soccer injury severe enough to warrant a trauma team response on presentation to the hospital (Table 1), and an additional 61 children with less severe injuries who presented to either an ED or clinic.

For the 20 children requiring trauma team activation, the injuries were not subtle, and there was concordance between history of injury, examination,

Conclusion

Life-threatening injuries, as well as injuries with potential for long-term disability, are present in this series. A majority of children in our review suffered isolated extremity injury with minimal morbidity. Children with serious injury may initially present to a pediatrician, trauma center, or rural ED. Injured soccer players may also present hours or even days after the injury. Parents, coaches, and providers may not have an appreciation of the magnitude of injury possible in youth

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