Equestrian trauma: injury patterns vary among age groups.

The research article explores the pattern of injuries caused by equestrian accidents, highlighting differences across different age groups. By studying a trauma registry from 2004 to 2007, the authors found that the type and severity of injuries varied among age groups, with head injuries being the common across all ages. These findings could aid in creating targeted injury prevention programs.

Methodology

• The researchers identified patients with equestrian injuries in a trauma registry, dating from 2004 to 2007.
• These patients were divided into three age groups a priori: 0 to 18 years, 19 to 49 years, and 50 years or older.
• A total of 284 patients with equestrian-related trauma were identified for the study.

Findings

• The Injury Severity Score (ISS), which gives a score based on the severity of the patient’s trauma, varied among the three major age categories: 3.47 for 0-18 years, 5.09 for 19-49 years, and 6.27 for 50 years or older. This illustrates that the severity of injuries tend to increase with age.
• The most common body region injured among all patients was the head (26.1%).
• The most common injuries varied by age group: upper extremity fractures were most common among the 0 to 18 age group; concussions were most common among the 19 to 49 age group; and rib fractures were the most common injury among the 50 years or older group.
• Significant differences were observed among the three age groups in the percentage of patients with rib fractures. As age increased, so did the prevalence of rib fractures, with 2% in the 0-18 age group, 8% in the 19-49 year age group, and 22% in the 50 years or older age group.

Conclusions and Implications

• The results showed varying patterns of equestrian-related injuries depending on the age of the individual.
• Given the commonality of head injuries across all age groups, the authors suggest promoting the use of helmets to minimize the severity of closed head injuries.
• The findings could serve as a base for developing age-specific injury prevention efforts targeting those involved in equestrian activities, particularly as the type and severity of injuries seemed to vary with age.