Pediatric and Adolescent Figure Skating Injuries: A 15-Year Retrospective Review.

Abstract

To analyze the characteristics of injuries sustained by young figure skaters who were evaluated at regional pediatric sports medicine clinics. Retrospective chart review (2003-2017). Sports medicine clinics at a tertiary-level pediatric medical center. Two hundred ninety-four figure skaters (271 female and 23 male). Age rage: 9 to 19 years. Mean age: 14.2 ± 2.3 years. None. Mechanism of injury (acute vs overuse), injured body areas, diagnoses for most commonly injured body areas, and distribution of bone stress injuries. Eight hundred sixty-four figure skating-related injuries were identified. Approximately 68.9% were overuse and 31.1% were acute. In female figure skaters, the most frequently injured body areas were foot/ankle (29.6%), knee (19.3%), and back (15.8%). In male figure skaters, they were foot/ankle (25.4%), hip (16.4%), and knee (14.9%). Most common diagnoses at these body areas were tendinopathy (foot/ankle), extensor mechanism (knee), and posterior column bone stress injuries (back). All injuries to anterior knee structures, excluding bone contusions, were categorized as extensor mechanism injuries. About 11.8% of all injuries were bone stress reactions/fractures with the majority occurring at the back (42.2%), foot/ankle (32.4%), and lower leg (15.7%). Most injuries sustained by figure skaters were overuse and occurred most commonly at the foot/ankle (29.6%), knee (19.3%), and back (15.8%). Approximately 1 in 10 injuries were bone stress reactions/fractures, and nearly 1 in every 3 skaters who presented with back pain was diagnosed with a posterior column bone stress injury. Health care providers who take care of young figure skaters need to maintain a high index of suspicion for overuse injuries, especially bone stress reactions/fractures.