[Traumatology and sports injuries in equestrian acrobatics in the adolescent].

This study focused on understanding the patterns and seriousness of injuries associated with equestrian acrobatics among adolescent participants. The research identified that muscles, tendons, skin, joints, and ligaments are commonly injured areas, whereas bone and head injuries are rare.

Methodology

• The researchers created a survey to gain information about injury patterns among equestrian acrobats.
• The survey was sent to 114 equestrian acrobats. The average age of the participants ranged from 15 to 21 years.

Findings

• The study recorded a total of 489 injuries.
• Most injuries were associated with muscles and tendons (35%), skin wounds (33%), and joint and ligament damage (25%).
• Bone injuries and head injuries were relatively less frequent, represented by 6% and 2% respectively.
• The most commonly injured body regions were the lower extremities, accounting for 52% of all reported injuries.
• The upper extremities had the second highest injury incidence (28%), followed by the torso (5.5%).

Injury Severity

• About 55% of the injuries were of severity grade I, not requiring medical attention.
• Grade II injuries requiring a single medical treatment represented 25% of the total injuries.
• 15% of the injuries were grade III, necessitating several outpatient medical treatments.
• 5% of reported injuries were severe enough (grade IV) to require hospitalization.

Injury Causes

• Jumping exercises were the primary cause of more than half of the injuries sustained in the lower extremities.
• Injuries to the upper extremities were mostly caused by falls, accounting for 37% of the total.

Suggestions and Recommendations

• The study suggests promoting safe practices such as fall training and limiting the difficulty and frequency of jumps.
• Additionally, it encourages regular medical examinations for participants and improved education for trainers to help prevent injuries.