FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 10000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery2024; 144(11); 4937-4945; doi: 10.1007/s00402-024-05586-x

Equestrian-associated injuries of the hand: a retrospective analysis of injury mechanisms and patterns.

Abstract: Hand injuries are frequently caused by sports and are associated with long periods of inability to work and high economic health costs. After ball sports and cycling, the most common cause of hand injuries is horseback riding. Therefore, measures should be taken to prevent these risks and increase safety in sports, however data characterizing equestrian sports-associated injuries are limited. Methods: A retrospective monocentric cohort study was performed including 39 patients (mean age: 35 ± 2.6 (range 9-65) years, female 89.7% who sustained an injury to the hand while practicing equestrian sports during 2016-2021 and presented to our hand surgery center. Data analysis was performed to characterize the trauma mechanism and injury patterns by evaluating the clinical information system and conducting telephone interviews. Results: Overall, 53.8% of the injuries occurred while leading the horse owing to traction by bridles or a lead rope on the fingers, whereas only 33.3% were caused by a fall and 12.8% by a bite injury. The majority (87.2%) of cases were injuries to the phalanges (metacarpus: 7.7%; carpus: 5.1%). Fractures were present in 51.3% of cases. The most serious injuries included avulsion amputations in 23.1% of patients (10.3% subtotal; 12.8% total amputation). Conclusions: Equestrian-associated injuries occur more frequently during horse handling than riding, resulting in severe avulsion amputations due to traction of the lunge or bridle, requiring complex microsurgical treatment. We recommend that appropriate protective gloves are worn for prevention of hand injuries. Additionally, the use of self-opening panic hooks with overload protection can prevent excessive traction. Methods: III.
© 2024. The Author(s).
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2024-10-17 PubMed ID: 39419828PubMed Central: PMC11582103DOI: 10.1007/s00402-024-05586-xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
LinkedInCopy
  • Journal Article

Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

Overview

  • This study analyzed hand injuries related to equestrian activities, focusing on injury mechanisms and patterns in patients treated at a hand surgery center over five years.
  • It highlights that most injuries occur during horse handling rather than riding and emphasizes the need for preventive measures.

Background and Purpose

  • Hand injuries are common in sports and cause significant work absence and healthcare costs.
  • After ball sports and cycling, horseback riding is the third most frequent cause of hand injuries.
  • Because equestrian sports present specific risks, understanding injury mechanisms is crucial for developing safety measures.
  • This study aims to characterize the types of hand injuries and their causes in equestrian contexts.

Study Design and Methods

  • Conducted a retrospective monocentric cohort study from 2016 to 2021.
  • Included 39 patients with hand injuries sustained during equestrian activities.
  • Patient demographics: average age 35 years (range 9-65), predominantly female (89.7%).
  • Data collection involved reviewing hospital clinical records and conducting follow-up telephone interviews for comprehensive injury details.
  • Focus was on analyzing the trauma mechanisms (how injuries happened) and injury patterns (nature of injuries).

Key Findings: Injury Mechanisms

  • 53.8% of injuries occurred while leading or handling the horse, primarily due to finger traction caused by bridles or lead ropes pulling on the fingers.
  • Only 33.3% of injuries resulted from falls while riding the horse.
  • 12.8% of injuries were caused by horse bites.
  • This indicates that injuries during non-riding activities – such as horse handling – are more common.

Injury Patterns and Severity

  • The majority of injuries (87.2%) involved the phalanges (finger bones).
  • 7.7% of injuries were located in the metacarpus (hand bones) and 5.1% in the carpus (wrist bones).
  • Fractures were identified in slightly over half of the cases (51.3%).
  • Severe injuries, such as avulsion amputations, were prevalent, affecting 23.1% of patients:
    • 10.3% experienced subtotal amputations (partial finger loss).
    • 12.8% suffered total finger amputations.

Clinical Implications and Recommendations

  • Traction injuries from horse handling equipment can cause serious finger amputations requiring complex microsurgical reconstruction.
  • Preventative strategies are strongly recommended:
    • Wearing protective gloves during horse handling to reduce injury risks.
    • Using self-opening panic hooks with built-in overload protection to prevent excessive traction forces on the fingers.
  • Understanding these risk factors helps inform safer equestrian practices and reduces the risk of debilitating hand injuries.

Cite This Article

APA
Ritter B, Dastagir N, Tamulevicius M, Bucher F, Obed D, Vogt PM, Dastagir K. (2024). Equestrian-associated injuries of the hand: a retrospective analysis of injury mechanisms and patterns. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg, 144(11), 4937-4945. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-024-05586-x

Publication

Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery
ISSN: 1434-3916
NlmUniqueID: 9011043
Country: Germany
Language: English
Volume: 144
Issue: 11
Pages: 4937-4945

Researcher Affiliations

Ritter, Benedikt
  • Department of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625, Hannover, Germany. Ritter.Benedikt@mh-hannover.de.
Dastagir, Nadjib
  • Department of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625, Hannover, Germany.
Tamulevicius, Martynas
  • Department of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625, Hannover, Germany.
Bucher, Florian
  • Department of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625, Hannover, Germany.
Obed, Doha
  • Department of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625, Hannover, Germany.
Vogt, Peter M
  • Department of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625, Hannover, Germany.
Dastagir, Khaled
  • Department of Plastic, Aesthetic, Hand and Reconstructive Surgery, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, D-30625, Hannover, Germany.

MeSH Terms

  • Retrospective Studies
  • Female
  • Adult
  • Humans
  • Horses
  • Hand Injuries / epidemiology
  • Hand Injuries / etiology
  • Middle Aged
  • Male
  • Adolescent
  • Athletic Injuries / epidemiology
  • Athletic Injuries / etiology
  • Athletic Injuries / prevention & control
  • Aged
  • Young Adult
  • Child
  • Animals
  • Fractures, Bone / epidemiology
  • Fractures, Bone / etiology

Conflict of Interest Statement

Declarations. Ethical approval: Ethical approval was waived by the local Ethics Committee of Hannover Medical School in view of the retrospective nature of the study and all the procedures being performed were part of the routine care. The study was performed in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional (Hannover Medical School) and national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments. Informed consent: Informed consent was not obtained as a study was done in an anonymized retrospective manner. Conflict of interest: All authors declare that they have no conflicting interests.

References

This article includes 22 references
  1. Trautmann M, Frînculeasa A, Preda-Bălănică B, Petruneac M, Focşǎneanu M, Alexandrov S, Atanassova N, Włodarczak P, Podsiadło M, Dani J, Bereczki Z, Hajdu T, Băjenaru R, Ioniță A, Măgureanu A, Măgureanu D, Popescu AD, Sârbu D, Vasile G, Anthony D, Heyd V. First bioanthropological evidence for Yamnaya horsemanship. Sci Adv 9(9):eade2451.
    pmc: PMC10954216pubmed: 36867690doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ade2451google scholar: lookup
  2. Schröter C, Schulte-Sutum A, Zeckey C, Winkelmann M, Krettek C, Mommsen P. [Accidents in equestrian sports: Analysis of injury mechanisms and patterns]. Unfallchirurg 120(2):129-138.
    pubmed: 26449915doi: 10.1007/s00113-015-0074-zgoogle scholar: lookup
  3. de Putter CE, Selles RW, Polinder S, Panneman MJ, Hovius SE, van Beeck EF. Economic impact of hand and wrist injuries: health-care costs and productivity costs in a population-based study. J Bone Joint Surg Am 94(9):e56.
    pubmed: 22552678doi: 10.2106/jbjs.k.00561google scholar: lookup
  4. Stögner VA, Kaltenborn A, Laser H, Vogt PM. Hand injuries in sports - a retrospective analysis of 364 cases. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 21(1):826.
    pmc: PMC7724715pubmed: 33292173doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03807-zgoogle scholar: lookup
  5. Adler CR, Hopp A, Hrelic D, Patrie JT, Fox MG. Retrospective analysis of equestrian-related injuries presenting to a level 1 trauma center. Emerg Radiol 26(6):639–645.
    pubmed: 31435897doi: 10.1007/s10140-019-01718-8google scholar: lookup
  6. Hoffmann MF, Bernstorff M, Kreitz N, Roetman B, Schildhauer TA, Wenning KE. Horse-related injury patterns: a single center report. J Orthop Surg Res 18(1):83.
    pmc: PMC9893574pubmed: 36732813doi: 10.1186/s13018-023-03549-3google scholar: lookup
  7. Mutore K, Lim J, Fofana D, Torres-Reveron A, Skubic JJ. Hearing hoofbeats? Think head and neck trauma: a 10-year NTDB analysis of equestrian-related trauma in the USA. Trauma Surg Acute Care Open 6(1):e000728.
    pmc: PMC8442081pubmed: 34595353doi: 10.1136/tsaco-2021-000728google scholar: lookup
  8. Van Balen PJ, Barten DG, Janssen L, Fiddelers AAA, Brink PR, Janzing HMJ. Beware of the force of the horse: mechanisms and severity of equestrian-related injuries. Eur J Emerg Med 26(2):133–138.
    pubmed: 29064836doi: 10.1097/mej.0000000000000511google scholar: lookup
  9. Laurent R, Uhring J, Bentahar M, Constantinou B, de Billy B, Langlais J. [Epidemiology of equestrian injuries in children]. Arch Pediatr 19(10):1053-1057.
    pubmed: 22981477doi: 10.1016/j.arcped.2012.07.010google scholar: lookup
  10. Altgärde J, Redéen S, Hilding N, Drott P. Horse-related trauma in children and adults during a two year period. Scand J Trauma Resusc Emerg Med 22:40.
    pmc: PMC4347583pubmed: 25030979doi: 10.1186/s13049-014-0040-8google scholar: lookup
  11. Whitlock MR, Whitlock J, Johnston B. Equestrian injuries: a comparison of professional and amateur injuries in Berkshire. Br J Sports Med 21(1):25–26.
    pmc: PMC1478592pubmed: 3580723doi: 10.1136/bjsm.21.1.25google scholar: lookup
  12. Kiss K, Swatek P, Lénárt I, Mayr J, Schmidt B, Pintér A, Höllwarth ME. Analysis of horse-related injuries in children. Pediatr Surg Int 24(10):1165–1169.
    pubmed: 18696082doi: 10.1007/s00383-008-2214-9google scholar: lookup
  13. Hessler C, Eckert V, Meiners J, Jürgens C, Reicke B, Matthes G, Ekkernkamp A, Püschel K. [Causes, injuries, therapy and possibilities of prevention of equine-related accidents. Results of a 2-center-study]. Unfallchirurg 117(2):123-127.
    pubmed: 23307431doi: 10.1007/s00113-012-2275-zgoogle scholar: lookup
  14. Staszyk C, Lehmann F, Bienert A, Ludwig K, Gasse H. Measurement of masticatory forces in the horse. Pferdeheilkunde 22(1):12.
    doi: 10.21836/PEM20060102google scholar: lookup
  15. Takaki P, Vieira M, Bommarito S. Maximum bite force analysis in different age groups. Int Arch Otorhinolaryngol 18(3):272–276.
    pmc: PMC4297017pubmed: 25992105doi: 10.1055/s-0034-1374647google scholar: lookup
  16. Boyer EE. Studies on the Bacterial Flora of the Mouth and Nose of the Normal Horse. J Bacteriol 4(1):61–63.
    pmc: PMC378793pubmed: 16558825doi: 10.1128/jb.4.1.61-63.1919google scholar: lookup
  17. Ludolph E. Orthopädie Und Unfallchirurgie: Begutachtung in der gesetzlichen Unfallversicherung. .
  18. Abu-Zidan FM, Rao S. Factors affecting the severity of horse-related injuries. Injury 34(12):897–900.
    doi: 10.1016/S0020-1383(03)00054-8pubmed: 14636730google scholar: lookup
  19. Morgan RF, Nichter LS, Friedman HI, McCue FC 3. rd Rodeo roping thumb injuries. J Hand Surg Am 9(2):178-180.
    pubmed: 6715819doi: 10.1016/s0363-5023(84)80136-7google scholar: lookup
  20. Robinson LS, O’Brien L. Description and cost-analysis of emergency department attendances for hand and wrist injuries. Emerg Med Australasia 31(5).
    pubmed: 30811868doi: 10.1111/1742-6723.13246google scholar: lookup
  21. Tamulevicius M, Bucher F, Dastagir N, Maerz V, Vogt PM, Dastagir K. Demographic shifts reshaping the landscape of hand trauma: a comprehensive single-center analysis of changing trends in hand injuries from 2007 to 2022. Injury Epidemiol 11(25).
    pmc: PMC11170831pubmed: 38872185doi: 10.1186/s40621-024-00510-8google scholar: lookup
  22. Cavalcanti Kußmaul A, Kuehlein T, Langer MF, Ayache A, Unglaub F. The treatment of closed finger and metacarpal fractures. Dtsch Arztebl Int 120(855–62).
    pmc: PMC10840131pubmed: 37963039doi: 10.3238/arztebl.m2023.0226google scholar: lookup

Citations

This article has been cited 0 times.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 100,151 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.