Craniofacial Trauma of Equestrian Origin.

Overview

• This study investigates facial injuries caused by horse-related accidents, analyzing patient data over 17 years to understand injury patterns and promote prevention strategies, particularly helmet use.

Study Purpose and Background

• Horse riding is widely practiced but carries risks of injury due to the unpredictable nature of horses and falls.
• Facial injuries (maxillofacial traumas) are common in equestrian accidents.
• The study aims to describe the characteristics of these traumas and emphasize prevention, such as the importance of helmets.

Study Design and Methods

• Retrospective review conducted at a university hospital emergency department in France.
• Time frame: 2004 to 2021.
• Inclusion criteria: Patients with maxillofacial trauma from horse-related accidents admitted to emergency and referred to ENT or dentistry.
• Data source: Health Data warehouse used to identify patients.
• Initial patient files accessed: 35; only 20 met inclusion criteria for analysis.
• Parameters collected included:
  • Age and sex
  • Date and circumstances of injury
  • Type of injury
  • Helmet usage
  • Medical management and interventions
  • Post-injury sequelae (complications)

Key Findings

• Demographics:
  • Majority of patients were female (16 out of 20).
  • All patients were younger than 48 years old.
• Timing and circumstances:
  • 80% of injuries occurred during summer months.
  • 60% of injuries happened when the rider was on foot, not mounted on the horse.
• Injury characteristics:
  • 70% had at least one facial bone fracture.
  • Require surgical intervention in many cases due to severity.
• Helmet use:
  • Helmet usage was documented in only 1 patient, indicating very low helmet adoption.

Conclusions and Recommendations

• Equestrian activities pose a high risk for significant facial trauma.
• Injuries often require surgery, illustrating their severity.
• Helmet use is critically underutilized, especially among riders on foot.
• Encouraging use of protective helmets at all times around horses, including when not mounted, is essential to reduce injuries.
• This aligns with existing literature that identifies helmet omission as a major factor in preventable trauma.

Implications for Safety and Prevention

• Public awareness campaigns targeting equestrians could highlight the risk of facial injury and importance of helmets.
• Equestrian clubs and trainers should enforce helmet use consistently.
• Safety guidelines might expand beyond mounted riders to include persons handling horses on foot.
• Further research can focus on barriers to helmet use and effective prevention strategies.