FREE SHIPPING over $40
OVER 9000 FIVE-STAR REVIEWS
5% OFF ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS
100% HAPPINESS GUARANTEE
Analyze Diet
0
Home / Equine Research Bank / Injury / Jockey injuries during the Siena “Palio”. A 72-y...
Injury2019; 50 Suppl 4; S56-S59; doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2019.03.015

Jockey injuries during the Siena “Palio”. A 72-year analysis of the oldest horse race in Italy.

Abstract: Horse racing is a hazardous sport. We analyzed the incidence and characteristics of jockey injuries in a typical horse race. Methods: We analyzed all injuries sustained by 224 jockeys in the last 72 years. Results: It was found that in 96.1% of the races there was at least one fall and in 28.6% of the races 50% or more of the jockeys fell. In 43.4% of the falls, the jockey was taken to the emergency room. Comparing the Palio with traditional races in other countries, a higher injury incidence rate was observed for every 100 falls (109.884 vs 27-59) and a lower concussion rate/100 falls (0.97 vs 1.8-7.4). Conclusions: The Palio is one of the most threatening races that continues today. Jockeys are at greater risk for a fall than any other race in the world.
Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Get Full Text
Publication Date: 2019-03-19 PubMed ID: 30910241DOI: 10.1016/j.injury.2019.03.015Google 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.

The research is a comprehensive study of jockey injuries during the Siena “Palio”, tracking incidents over a 72-year period to compare their severity and frequency with other horse races globally.

Methodology

  • The researchers collated and analyzed data on injuries sustained by 224 jockeys over the last 72 years during the historical Palio horse race in Siena, Italy.
  • The study focused on the frequency of falls and the subsequent injuries occurring during these races.

Findings

  • Results showed a significant number of falls – in approximately 96.1% of races, there was at least one fall, and in 28.6% of the races, half or more of the jockeys fell.
  • Of these falls, about 43.4% resulted in the jockeys being taken to the emergency room. This suggests a high rate of injury that directly relates to these particular racing conditions.
  • When comparing the Palio horse race to conventional races in other countries, the study found a significantly higher injury incidence rate for every 100 falls at the Palio, standing at 109.884, versus the 27-59 injuries recorded for other races.
  • However, interestingly, the rate of concussions per 100 falls is lower in the Palio (0.97) compared to other races (1.8-7.4). It might point to the fact that although falls are more common at the Palio, the resulting injuries could be less likely to involve concussions.

Conclusions

  • The Palio horse race in Siena, Italy, according to the study, is one of the most hazardous races currently being held.
  • The risk of falling for jockeys is higher in this race than in any other race around the world, marking it as a significant risk for participants.
  • The researchers’ findings raise questions about safety measures and regulations during these races to protect jockeys from serious harm.

Cite This Article

APA
Fortina M, Maniscalco P, Carulli C, Meccariello L, Colasanti GB, Carta S. (2019). Jockey injuries during the Siena “Palio”. A 72-year analysis of the oldest horse race in Italy. Injury, 50 Suppl 4, S56-S59. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.injury.2019.03.015

Publication

Injury
ISSN: 1879-0267
NlmUniqueID: 0226040
Country: Netherlands
Language: English
Volume: 50 Suppl 4
Pages: S56-S59
PII: S0020-1383(19)30112-3

Researcher Affiliations

Fortina, Mattia
  • Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital of Siena, V.le Bracci, n°14-16, 53100 Siena, Italy. Electronic address: mattiafortina@me.com.
Maniscalco, Pietro
  • Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Guglielmo da Saliceto Hospital, Piacenza, Italy. Electronic address: p.maniscalco@ausl.pc.it.
Carulli, Christian
  • Orthopaedic Clinic, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. Electronic address: christian.carulli@unifi.it.
Meccariello, Luigi
  • Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Vito Fazzi Hospital, Lecce, Italy. Electronic address: drlordmec@gmail.com.
Colasanti, Giovanni Battista
  • Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital of Siena, V.le Bracci, n°14-16, 53100 Siena, Italy. Electronic address: colasanti.gb@outlook.com.
Carta, Serafino
  • Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University Hospital of Siena, V.le Bracci, n°14-16, 53100 Siena, Italy. Electronic address: cartaserafino@hotmail.com.

MeSH Terms

  • Acceleration / adverse effects
  • Accidental Falls / statistics & numerical data
  • Accidents, Occupational / statistics & numerical data
  • Animals
  • Athletic Injuries / epidemiology
  • Behavior, Animal / physiology
  • Competitive Behavior / physiology
  • Crush Injuries / epidemiology
  • Fractures, Bone / epidemiology
  • Health Surveys
  • Horses
  • Humans
  • Italy / epidemiology
  • Male
  • Risk Factors
  • Soft Tissue Injuries / epidemiology
  • Sports

Citations

This article has been cited 14 times.
  1. Giusti Gestri L. Wearable technology may assist in reducing jockeys' injuries if integrated into their safety vests: a qualitative study. Front Sports Act Living 2023;5:1167110.
    doi: 10.3389/fspor.2023.1167110pubmed: 37416317google scholar: lookup
  2. Yang Y, Zou C, Fang Y, Shakya S. Medium-term clinical results in patients with floating hip injuries. BMC Surg 2023 Feb 20;23(1):40.
    doi: 10.1186/s12893-023-01927-6pubmed: 36803387google scholar: lookup
  3. Castillo-Domínguez A, García-Romero JC, Alvero-Cruz JR, Ponce-García T, Benítez-Porres J, Páez-Moguer J. Systematic Review of Patient-Reported Outcome Measures for Patients with Exercise-Induced Leg Pain. Medicina (Kaunas) 2022 Jun 23;58(7).
    doi: 10.3390/medicina58070841pubmed: 35888560google scholar: lookup
  4. Wu YJ, Zhang YB, Hamushan M, Zhang WJ, Zhang T, Li XJ, Han P, Lou TF. Role of Perforating Artery Pedicled Neurotrophic Flap in the Treatment of Compound Tissue Defect of Tibia Using the Ilizarov Technique. Orthop Surg 2022 Jul;14(7):1294-1299.
    doi: 10.1111/os.13309pubmed: 35585657google scholar: lookup
  5. Shu W, Hu X, Yang X. Comparison Between the Modified External Fixation and Calcaneal Traction in Ruedi-Allgower Type II/III Pilon Fractures. Med Sci Monit 2021 Jul 19;27:e933385.
    doi: 10.12659/MSM.933385pubmed: 34276043google scholar: lookup
  6. Russu OM, Pop TS, Ciorcila E, Gergely I, Zuh SG, Trâmbițaș C, Borodi PG, Incze-Bartha Z, Feier AM, Georgeanu VA. Arthroscopic Repair in Tibial Spine Avulsion Fractures Using Polyethylene Terephthalate Suture: Good to Excellent Results in Pediatric Patients. J Pers Med 2021 May 19;11(5).
    doi: 10.3390/jpm11050434pubmed: 34069562google scholar: lookup
  7. Zhao K, Lv H, Zhang C, Wang Z, Hou Z, Chen W, Zhang Q, Zhang Y. Application of the multiplanar fracture redactor in the treatment of tibial shaft fractures with intramedullary nails. Sci Rep 2021 Apr 19;11(1):8428.
    doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-87913-5pubmed: 33875714google scholar: lookup
  8. Xie J, Zhao G, Yasheng T, Chen H, Amuti N, Maimaitirexiati M, Yibulayinmu A, Cao M, Yusufu A. Ilizarov bone transport to treat infected nonunion of long bones: a multicenter retrospective cohort study. J Int Med Res 2021 Mar;49(3):3000605211002701.
    doi: 10.1177/03000605211002701pubmed: 33761779google scholar: lookup
  9. Sun DD, Lv D, Zhou K, Chen J, Gao LL, Sun ML. External fixator combined with three different fixation methods of fibula for treatment of extra-articular open fractures of distal tibia and fibula: a retrospective study. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2021 Jan 4;22(1):1.
    doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03840-ypubmed: 33397351google scholar: lookup
  10. Ryan K, Garruppo G, Alexander K, Hluchan CM, Lincoln AE. Injuries among Maryland jockeys during thoroughbred racing: 2015-2019. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med 2020;6(1):e000926.
    doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2020-000926pubmed: 33354351google scholar: lookup
  11. Nozaka K, Miyakoshi N, Saito H, Kijima H, Mita M, Shimada Y. Effectiveness of circular hexapod external fixation with soft tissue reconstruction in treating severe knee dislocation due to burn scarring: a case report. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2020 Sep 28;21(1):639.
    doi: 10.1186/s12891-020-03667-7pubmed: 32988378google scholar: lookup
  12. Mannan M, Ahmad Z, Shah SMA, Tayyab M, Karim F, Shan RR, Akram MZ. Frequency and Classification of Femoral Neck Fractures: A Cross-Sectional Study From a Tertiary Care Hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan. Cureus 2025 Oct;17(10):e95599.
    doi: 10.7759/cureus.95599pubmed: 41322809google scholar: lookup
  13. Neville EK, Hicks H, Neville CC. Epidemiology of horse trauma: a literature review. Eur J Trauma Emerg Surg 2024 Jun;50(3):741-754.
    doi: 10.1007/s00068-023-02436-0pubmed: 38265443google scholar: lookup
  14. Ripani U, Manzarbeitia-Arroba P, Guijarro-Leo S, Urrutia-Graña J, De Masi-De Luca A. Vitamin C May Help to Reduce the Knee's Arthritic Symptoms. Outcomes Assessment of Nutriceutical Therapy. Med Arch 2019 Jun;73(3):173-177.
    doi: 10.5455/medarh.2019.73.173-177pubmed: 31404121google scholar: lookup
Subscribe to our newsletter
Join 99,357 horse owners like you who receive our email updates on horse health and nutrition.